Merbein

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

Merbein's population is around 5,217 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 241 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,976 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,972 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 124 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 51 persons per square kilometer. Merbein's growth rate of 4.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (1.0%), along with the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 62.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections show an above median growth nationally, with the area expected to increase by 846 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 11.5% over the 17 years.

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

Merbein has experienced approximately 25 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25127 homes were approved, with 17 approved so far in FY-26. The average construction value of new homes is $356,000.

This financial year, $5.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. Merbein's construction activity per person is comparable to the rest of Victoria, indicating market stability. Recent construction comprises 95% detached houses and 5% townhouses or apartments, maintaining low density.

With around 188 people per approval, Merbein reflects a low-density area. By 2041, AreaSearch projects an increase of 600 residents. Current development patterns suggest new housing supply should meet demand, potentially facilitating population growth beyond projections.

Merbein has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 40thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified eight projects that may impact the local area. Key projects include Lake Hawthorn Foreshore Development, Mildura Airport Terminal Expansion, Sunraysia Modernisation Project 2, and Mildura Base Public Hospital Intensive Care Unit Expansion. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis places Merbein well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Merbein's workforce is balanced with both white and blue collar jobs, representing various sectors. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate was 2.0%.

In this month, 2,468 residents were employed, which was 1.8% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. The workforce participation rate was similar to Rest of Vic., at 57.4%. Key employment sectors included health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and retail trade. Notably, agriculture, forestry & fishing had a higher share of employment in Merbein compared to the regional level, with an employment share 1.7 times greater.

Conversely, health care & social assistance had a lower presence at 14.2%, compared to the regional rate of 16.8%. An analysis of SALM and ABS data showed that over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, Merbein's labour force decreased by 4.0% while employment declined by 1.5%, leading to a drop in unemployment rate by 2.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw employment fall by 0.7%, with a slight increase in unemployment. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 indicated that VIC's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, and VIC's employment growth outpaced the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Merbein's employment mix, local employment was estimated to grow by 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Merbein SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $45,536 and an average of $50,154. This was below the national average. Rest of Vic., meanwhile, had a median income of $48,741 and an average of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest the median would be approximately $51,073 and the average $56,253 by September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates Merbein's household, family, and personal incomes all fall between the 22nd and 23rd percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 31.4% of the community (1,638 individuals) earn between $1,500 - 2,999, similar to regional levels where 30.3% occupy this range. Housing costs are modest with 88.2% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 28th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure in Merbein, as evaluated at the 2016 Census, comprised 93.5% houses and 6.5% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Vic had 85.6% houses and 14.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merbein was 37.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 46.2% and rented dwellings at 16.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,140, lower than Non-Metro Vic's average of $1,283. The median weekly rent in Merbein was $220, compared to Non-Metro Vic's $265. Nationally, Merbein's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Merbein has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 73.3% of all households, including 30.1% couples with children, 30.3% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.7%, with lone person households at 24.7% and group households comprising 1.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, larger than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 12.1%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.9%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (31.5%). Educational participation is high, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 12.8% in primary education, 9.8% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Merbein has 40 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that together facilitate 166 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is considered good, with residents typically located 357 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 23 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately four weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Merbein faces significant health challenges, as indicated by data showing high prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. The area has a notably low private health cover rate, at approximately 46% (around 2,410 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 10.3% and 9.7% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 62.6% of residents report having no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of Vic's 65.1%. Merbein has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 20.6% (1,075 people), compared to Rest of Vic's 19.2%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

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

Merbein's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.0% of its population being Australian citizens, 93.2% born in Australia, and 95.8% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Merbein is Christianity, comprising 46.5% of the population, compared to 46.9% across Rest of Vic. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Australian (33.2%), English (31.2%), and Scottish (7.8%).

Notably, Italian ethnicity is overrepresented at 4.8%, compared to 5.7% regionally, while German is at 4.3% (vs 4.0%) and Croatian at 0.7% (vs 0.5%).

Merbein's median age exceeds the national pattern

Merbein's median age is 42 years, similar to Rest of Vic.'s average of 43 but older than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows that 5-14 year-olds are prominent at 13.9%, while the 75-84 group is smaller at 6.6% compared to Rest of Vic. Between 2021 and now, the 15-24 age group has grown from 9.8% to 10.8%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.5% to 11.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Merbein. The 35-44 cohort is projected to grow by 31%, adding 191 residents to reach 815. Meanwhile, population declines are forecasted for the 65-74 and 15-24 cohorts.