Merrylands

Merrylands lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Nov 2025, the population of the Merrylands statistical area (Lv2) is estimated at around 37,051 people. This reflects an increase of 4,579 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 32,472. The change was inferred from the resident population of 34,761, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 1,553 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 5,505 persons per square kilometer, placing Merrylands in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 14.1% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (7.6%) and metropolitan area averages, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 66.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, a significant population increase is forecasted for Merrylands, with an expected expansion of 10,995 persons, reflecting a gain of 24.3% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Merrylands among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Merrylands has seen around 422 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years ending June 2025. This totals an estimated 2,113 homes. So far in FY-26 (July 2025 to June 2026), 77 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, on average, 1.1 new residents arrived per year for each new home approved. However, recent data shows this has intensified to 4.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years ending June 2025, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply.

Development projects averaged $378,000 in construction value during this period. Additionally, $43.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered in FY-26, suggesting robust local business investment. New building activity showed 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% attached dwellings over these five years, reflecting a shift from the current housing mix of 49.0% houses. Merrylands has characteristics of a growth area, with around 137 people per dwelling approval.

Population forecasts indicate Merrylands will gain 9,014 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Merrylands has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 94 projects that could affect the region. Notable initiatives include The Gladstone Village - Stage 3, Central Quarter Merrylands, Evolve Housing Merrylands Social and Affordable Housing, and Cardinal Gilroy Village Redevelopment - 45 Barcom Street. Relevant projects are listed below.

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

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

Merrylands has a well-educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 10.5% in September 2024, with an estimated employment growth of 1.5%.

As of September 2025, there are 15,172 residents employed, while the unemployment rate is 6.3%, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Merrylands lags at 45.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Retail trade has a notable concentration with employment levels at 1.2 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services have limited presence at 7.3%, compared to the regional average of 11.5%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.5% while labour force increased by 3.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.9 percentage points in Merrylands. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1%, labour force expand by 2.4%, and unemployment rise by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data for NSW to 25-Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Merrylands' employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

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

AreaSearch's latest data for financial year 2023 shows Merrylands' median taxpayer income was $41,389 and average was $51,377. This is below the national average. Greater Sydney had a median of $60,817 and average of $83,003 in the same period. Based on 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $45,056 (median) and $55,929 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, individual incomes ranked at the 12th percentile ($607 weekly), while household income was at the 34th percentile. In Merrylands, 31.6% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 annually. Housing affordability pressures were severe with only 77.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 25th percentile.

Merrylands displays a diverse mix of dwelling types

Merrylands' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 49.0% houses and 51.0% other dwellings including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. Home ownership in Merrylands stood at 23.4%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 27.7% and rented dwellings making up 48.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, and the median weekly rent was $400. Nationally, Merrylands' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Merrylands features high concentrations of group households, with a median household size of 3.0 people

Family households constitute 71.7% of all households, including 39.3% couples with children, 16.9% couples without children, and 13.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.3%, with lone person households at 22.7% and group households making up 5.6%. The median household size is 3 people.

Merrylands shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 28.4%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 39.1%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 19.4% of residents holding such qualifications, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent in the area, with 27.3% of residents aged 15+ possessing vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 15.7%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 35.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.7%), secondary education (8.5%), and tertiary education (7.0%).

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

Merrylands has 171 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus stations. There are 71 individual routes operating in total.

Each week, these routes provide 6,600 passenger trips collectively. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 138 meters. On average, there are 942 trips per day across all routes. This equates to approximately 38 weekly trips per individual stop.

Merrylands's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Merrylands, with younger age groups having a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 47% (~17,532 people) have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and diabetes, affecting 5.2% and 5.2% of residents respectively. A total of 79.3% report being completely free from medical ailments, higher than the 0% reported across Greater Sydney. Merrylands has 12.5% (4,631 people) of residents aged 65 and over. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but require more attention than those in the broader population.

Merrylands is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Merrylands has a high level of cultural diversity, with 55.1% of its population born overseas and 70.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Merrylands, accounting for 43.9% of people. Islam is notably overrepresented, comprising 30.8% compared to None% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (34.8%), Lebanese (17.3%), and Australian (10.4%). Some ethnic groups are significantly higher in Merrylands than the regional average: Croatian at 1.2%, Samoan at 0.7%, and Serbian at 0.5%.

Merrylands's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Merrylands has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Merrylands has a higher proportion of residents aged 0-4 at 8.1%, but fewer residents aged 45-54 at 10.8%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the percentage of residents aged 75-84 has increased from 3.5% to 4.1%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 18.7% to 17.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic shifts in Merrylands. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 43%, adding 1,726 residents to reach a total of 5,728. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age cohort is expected to grow modestly by 4% (an increase of 130 people).