Merriwa (WA)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Merriwa reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

According to evaluations of ABS population updates for the wider region and new addresses verified by AreaSearch since the Census, the resident population of the suburb of Merriwa (WA) is projected to be approximately 6,141 in May 2026. This represents a growth of 554 people (9.9%) from the 2021 Census, which documented a population of 5,587 people. This shift is calculated from a resident population of 6,136, determined by AreaSearch after analyzing the latest ABS ERP data release (June 2025) and one newly verified address since the Census date. This population level translates to a density ratio of 2,681 persons per square kilometer, placing the suburb in the top quartile of domestic locations evaluated by AreaSearch. The 9.9% growth rate in the suburb of Merriwa (WA) since the 2021 census outpaced the national benchmark of 9.3%, establishing it as a regional growth leader. Population increases in the area were largely propelled by net overseas migration, which accounted for roughly 67.0% of the total population growth over recent periods.

AreaSearch implements ABS and Geoscience Australia projections for individual SA2 locations, published in 2024 using 2022 as the baseline. For any SA2 regions lacking this coverage, and to calculate growth across all territories beyond 2032, AreaSearch applies age cohort growth rates from the latest Greater Capital Region projections published by the ABS in 2023, which utilize 2022 data. Future population trends point to an above-median growth rate among statistical areas analyzed by AreaSearch, with the suburb of Merriwa (WA) expected to gain 1,230 residents by 2041 under consolidated SA2-level forecasts, representing a growth of 19.9% across the 16 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Merriwa according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch assessments of ABS building approvals allocated from statistical area figures, Merriwa averages about one approved dwelling annually, with a total of 7 homes authorized over the last 5 financial years. In the current FY-26 period, 4 approvals have been documented. With an average of 48.9 new residents per constructed dwelling arriving each year over the last 5 financial years (running from FY-21 to FY-25), demand is outstripping supply, which generally increases buyer competition and raises prices, while newly built homes average an expected construction cost of $323,000. Additionally, commercial approvals of $1.0 million have been recorded this financial year, pointing to a mostly residential emphasis.

Compared to Greater Perth, Merriwa exhibits significantly lower construction volumes. This restricted supply of new builds generally supports demand and valuations for existing properties, although building volumes have risen recently. The construction rate is also below the national average, reflecting the established state of the suburb and suggesting possible planning constraints. Meanwhile, new developments have consisted entirely of standalone houses, preserving the traditional suburban aesthetic with spacious family homes. Developers are building a higher proportion of detached dwellings than the historical baseline suggests (76.0% at Census), pointing to strong, ongoing demand for family houses despite broader trends toward densification. Reflecting a highly mature market, the suburb shows about 2,031 people for every residential approval.

Population projections suggest Merriwa will add 1,225 residents by 2041, based on the latest quarterly calculations from AreaSearch. If current building rates persist, residential supply may fail to keep pace with population growth, which could intensify competition among buyers and support stronger growth in property values.

Merriwa has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 43rdth percentile nationally

Local performance is heavily shaped by developments in public infrastructure, major projects, and town planning initiatives. In total, 10 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to influence the immediate area. Key developments include the Brighton Estate Master Planned Community, Claytons Mindarie Beachfront, Butler District Planning Scheme Amendment No. 212, and the Dunes Beach Resort (Mindarie Ecotourism Resort), with the following details highlighting those of greatest local significance.

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The labour market performance in Merriwa lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

The local labor force is evenly distributed between professional and manual occupations, with the building sector showing exceptionally strong representation. The area has an unemployment rate of 9.8% and achieved 2.1% growth in estimated employment over the last year, according to AreaSearch aggregations of statistical area figures. In March 2026, there were 2,674 employed residents, while the unemployment rate was 5.6% higher than the Greater Perth benchmark of 4.2%, indicating potential for labor market improvement. Workforce participation is also lower at 57.8%, compared to 70.2% in Greater Perth. Census data reveals that a small 5.8% of employed residents worked from home, though this may reflect temporary pandemic restrictions.

The primary employment fields for local workers are construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. The building sector shows a notable concentration, employing workers at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, professional & technical services employ only 4.2% of the local workforce, compared to 8.2% across Greater Perth. The area is highly residential and appears to offer few local jobs, as shown by the comparison of Census working population to resident workers.

AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS statistics aggregated from broader statistical regions indicates that over the 12-month period, employment expanded by 2.1% while the labor force expanded by 3.9%, which raised the unemployment rate by 1.6 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Perth experienced a 2.0% rise in employment, a 2.5% expansion in the labor force, and a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Long-term national employment projections from May-25 by Jobs and Skills Australia provide further context on future occupational demand in Merriwa. These five and ten-year projections have been applied to the local workforce profile to model future growth. While national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates vary widely by industry. Applying these industry projections to the local workforce mix suggests Merriwa should see employment growth of 6.0% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, representing a basic weighted extrapolation for illustrative purposes that does not incorporate localized population forecasts.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

According to the latest postcode-level ATO data released by AreaSearch for financial year 2023, taxpayers in Merriwa earn a median income of $48,955 and an average income of $61,471. These levels are below the national benchmarks, and compare to a median of $60,748 and average of $80,248 across Greater Perth. Adjusting for Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% since financial year 2023, current estimates correspond to approximately $54,306 (median) and $68,190 (average) in March 2026. The 2021 Census indicates that household, family, and individual incomes in Merriwa sit between the 16th and 17th percentiles nationally. The $1,500 - 2,999 weekly household income range is the most common, accounting for 29.8% of households (1,830 people), which aligns with the broader regional average of 32.0% in this category. Affordability pressures are high, with residents retaining only 78.1% of their income after housing costs, placing the area in the 12th percentile.

Merriwa is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Residential architecture in Merriwa at the last Census consisted of 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% alternative dwellings, such as townhouses and apartments, compared to 77.8% detached houses and 22.1% other dwellings across the Perth metropolitan area. Home ownership rates in Merriwa trail the wider Perth metro area at 19.1%, with the remaining properties occupied by mortgage holders (51.2%) or tenants (29.7%). The median monthly mortgage payment of $1,500 is notably lower than the Perth metro average of $1,907, while the median weekly rent of $330 compares to $350 across the Perth metro. Nationally, mortgage costs in Merriwa are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rent payments are well below the national figure of $375.

Merriwa has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Families make up the majority of local households at 68.7%, consisting of couples with children at 24.8%, couples without children at 25.8%, and single parents at 16.9%. Non-family households account for the remaining 31.3%, with single-person households at 28.6% and shared group households at 2.4%. The median household size is 2.5 residents, which is slightly lower than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational outcomes in Merriwa fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The region records lower rates of higher education, with university qualification levels at 10.8% compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. This highlights a clear opportunity for targeted educational support. Bachelor degrees are the most common higher qualification at 7.9%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 1.5% and graduate diplomas at 1.4%. Vocational skills are highly represented, with 43.8% of residents aged 15+ holding technical credentials, consisting of advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (32.9%).

Enrolment rates in local education are high, with 29.3% of the population actively participating in formal study. This student cohort includes 11.5% in primary schools, 8.6% in high schools, and 3.0% in higher education institutions.

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

Public transport systems include 23 active stops operating within Merriwa, consisting of bus services. These stops are connected by 3 routes, which collectively support 863 passenger trips per week. Transit accessibility is strong, with residents living an average of 182 meters from their nearest stop. The suburb is primarily residential, and most workers commute to outer areas, with private vehicles remaining the primary mode of travel at 80%, followed by train travel at 10% and bus travel at 5%. Vehicle ownership stands at 1.2 cars per household, which is below the wider regional average. A small 5.8% of residents worked from home, according to the 2021 Census, which may have been influenced by pandemic conditions.

Local transit routes average 123 daily trips across the network, which translates to approximately 37 weekly services per stop.

Health performance in Merriwa is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Significant health issues exist in Merriwa, based on AreaSearch analysis of local mortality rates and the prevalence of chronic illnesses, which impact both younger and older residents. The rate of private health insurance is relatively low, covering approximately 52% of the population (~3,169 people), compared to 59.0% across Greater Perth.

The most prevalent medical issues reported by local residents are arthritis at 10.0% and mental health conditions at 9.6%, while 60.3% of the population reported no chronic health conditions, compared to 71.9% in Greater Perth. The working-age cohort faces notable health challenges, indicated by elevated rates of long-term conditions. Residents aged 65 and older make up 26.7% of the local population (1,639 people), which is higher than the Greater Perth average of 16.1%. Senior health profiles present challenges, though national health rankings for this group are generally consistent with the broader community.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Merriwa was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Merriwa exhibits a higher level of cultural diversity than most benchmarked markets, with 13.3% of residents speaking a non-English language at home and 36.5% born outside Australia. Christianity is the primary religious affiliation, representing 45.4% of the population. The most prominent relative concentration is among those identifying as Jewish, who make up 0.1% of the local population compared to 0.3% across Greater Perth.

Looking at ancestral background, the three largest heritage groups in Merriwa are English at 33.8% (which is higher than the regional average of 28.0%), Australian at 23.9%, and Other at 8.6%. There are also notable differences in specific ethnic concentrations: Maori ancestry is overrepresented at 2.0% of the population (compared to 0.9% regionally), South Australian ancestry is at 1.4% (compared to 1.0%), and New Zealand ancestry is at 1.3% (compared to 0.8%).

Merriwa's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age of local residents is 40, which is higher than the Greater Perth median of 37 and slightly above the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Perth, the area has a high concentration of residents aged 85 and over (7.7% locally vs 2.2% nationally), while those aged 25 to 34 are underrepresented at 11.5%. Since 2021, the 55 to 64 age bracket expanded from 8.4% to 10.1% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort decreased from 13.8% to 12.0%, and the 45 to 54 cohort fell from 11.4% to 10.2%. Projections indicate that the demographic profile will shift by 2041, with the 75 to 84 cohort expected to grow by 417 people (67%), increasing from 620 to 1,038. Combined cohorts aged 65 and over are projected to drive 76% of total population growth, pointing to a rapidly aging community. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age cohorts are projected to shrink.