Merriwa (NSW)

Merriwa has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

By Nov 2025, Merriwa's population is estimated at around 1,844. This reflects an increase of 19 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,825. The growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 1,791 residents using ABS ERP data released in June 2024, along with 28 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1.0 persons per square kilometer. Merriwa's 1.0% growth positions it within 2.3 percentage points of its SA3 area (3.3%). Natural growth contributed approximately 51.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 are used, with growth rates applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb is expected to grow by 192 persons, reflecting an increase of 10.4% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Merriwa, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Merriwa has seen minimal construction activity with three new dwellings approved annually on average between 2016 and 2020 (a total of 16 approvals). This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area, where housing needs are typically specific to local residents rather than driven by broader market demand. It is important to note that with such a small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.

Merriwa has substantially lower development levels compared to the rest of NSW and its development pattern is also well below national averages. All new construction in the area between 2016 and 2020 consisted of detached dwellings, with a focus on family homes suited to those seeking rural lifestyle and space. The estimated population per dwelling approval in Merriwa is 613 people, indicating its quiet, low activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the population of Merriwa is forecasted to increase by 191 residents from now until 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth in the area.

Merriwa has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Area infrastructure significantly impacts performance. AreaSearch identified four major projects potentially affecting the area: Merriwa Town Centre Masterplan, Merriwa Energy Hub, Goulburn River Solar Farm And Battery, and McCullys Gap BESS.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Merriwa faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Merriwa's workforce comprises both white and blue-collar jobs across various sectors, with an unemployment rate of 5.1% as per AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of June 2025786 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 1.4% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Workforce participation in Merriwa stands at 52.7%, below Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents include agriculture, forestry & fishing, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Merriwa specialises in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share five times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance has lower representation at 8.4% compared to the regional average of 16.9%.

The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Merriwa's labour force decreased by 4.8%, with employment falling by 5.5%, leading to a 0.6 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a 0.4 percentage point increase in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Merriwa's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.7% over five years and 10.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Merriwa's median income among taxpayers is $41,343, with an average of $58,515. This is below the national average. The median income in Rest of NSW was $49,459 and the average was $62,998 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Merriwa would be approximately $46,556 (median) and $65,894 (average) as of September 2025. According to census data, household, family and personal incomes in Merriwa all fall between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally. In income distribution, the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 27.7% of the community (510 individuals), which is similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 29.9%. Housing costs are modest with 88.0% of income retained. However, total disposable income ranks at just the 18th percentile nationally.

Merriwa is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Merriwa, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.8% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 89.7% houses and 10.3% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Merriwa was higher at 45.7%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (28.0%) or rented (26.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,235, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,538. The median weekly rent figure for Merriwa was recorded at $245, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $290. Nationally, Merriwa's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Merriwa features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 67.3% of all households, including 24.8% couples with children, 31.1% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.7%, with lone person households at 30.4% and group households at 2.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Merriwa faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 13.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.3%) and graduate diplomas (0.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (8.2%) and certificates (32.1%). Educational participation is high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 13.3% in primary, 9.6% in secondary, and 2.0% in tertiary education.

The area has two schools serving 268 students: Merriwa Central School and St Joseph's Primary School. The ICSEA score for the area is 933, indicating varied educational conditions. The educational mix includes one primary school and one K-12 school.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Merriwa's public transport analysis shows 65 active stops operating within the area, all of which are bus services. These stops are served by eight individual routes that together offer 80 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 322 meters from their nearest stop.

Service frequency averages eleven trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per stop.

Health performance in Merriwa is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Merriwa faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups have high prevalence rates for common health conditions. Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of Merriwa's total population (~924 people), compared to 57.5% across the Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 9.9% of residents) and asthma (9.8%). A total of 62.6% of Merriwa's residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 65.4% across the Rest of NSW. Merriwa has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 25.9% (477 people), compared to 18.9% in the Rest of NSW. The health outcomes among seniors are broadly similar to those of the general population.

The latest Census data sees Merriwa placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Merriwa's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.0% of its population being citizens, born in Australia at 92.5%, and speaking English only at home at 97.9%. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 76.5% of Merriwa's population compared to 63.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (36.8%), English (31.1%), and Irish (8.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation is higher at 5.1% in Merriwa than the regional average of 6.6%, Scottish representation is also higher at 8.0% compared to 7.3%, and Welsh representation is slightly higher at 0.5% compared to 0.3%.

Merriwa hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Merriwa's median age is 45 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of NSW's median age of 43 and considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Merriwa has a notably higher proportion of people aged 65-74 (14.0% locally) but a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (9.6%). Between 2021 and present, the proportion of people aged 15 to 24 increased from 9.8% to 10.8%, while the proportions of those aged 55 to 64 decreased from 13.7% to 12.5% and those aged 5 to 14 dropped from 14.5% to 13.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Merriwa's age profile. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to increase by 69 people (47%), from 147 to 217. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 62% of total population growth, reflecting Merriwa's aging demographic trend. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts.