Merbein

Development Activity

Schools in Merbein iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, and the suburb is on an aging trajectory, with the senior share rising 4.6 points and the working-age share falling 1.1 points over the decade. By contrast, the overseas-born share at 6.9% sits 14.7 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly locally-born, Anglo-Celtic population: English ancestry accounts for 1,217 residents, followed by Scottish and Irish. University qualifications at 12.2% are 17.9 points below national, consistent with a trade and services workforce. Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national figure. The volunteering rate of 15.3% and the couples-with-children household structure (739 out of 1,986 families) suggest a community grounded in long-term residency rather than transient movement.

The stock is overwhelmingly detached: 89.8% separate houses, 5.9% semi-detached and just 2.5% apartments. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 53.2% and four-plus bedrooms for 23.1%, giving the suburb a family-sized housing base. Ownership is strong, with 34.2% owning outright and 43.1% on a mortgage, while only 22.7% rent, lower than the national renter share. The median house price of $300,000 has grown 113.5% from the 2013 trough of $140,500, a 5.6% CAGR, which compares favourably to inflation but lags high-growth metro corridors. The peak of $340,000 in Jan-Mar 2024 and a subsequent pullback to $300,000 shows some price volatility over short periods. At the 21.6th household income percentile nationally, housing affordability is genuine: rent-to-income sits at 18.3% and mortgage-to-income at 20.6%, both below stress benchmarks.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the dominant employer at 21.6% of the workforce (139 workers), followed by Education at 11.5% (74 workers) and Construction at 9.3% (60 workers). Agriculture employs 8.5% (55 workers), reflecting the Sunraysia irrigation district context. By occupation, Community and Personal Service Workers (162) and Labourers (160) are the two largest groups, consistent with the SEIFA IRSD decile 3 score nationally, indicating below-average socioeconomic resources. The unemployment rate is 5.6% and the participation rate is 47.8%, both reflecting the older age profile where 857 residents are not in the labour force. The IRSAD decile of 2 places Merbein among the more disadvantaged suburbs nationally, though the IER decile of 5 suggests moderate access to economic resources relative to population size.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is very high at 90.4% driving to work, compared to the national average, with only 0.3% using public transport, reflecting the rural-fringe location west of Mildura without rail connections. Cycling and walking account for 3.7% of commutes, above what many comparable rural towns record. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset. The crime rate of 83.8 per 1,000 residents is elevated, driven primarily by property and deception offences (108 incidents) and crimes against the person (60 incidents) from a total of 232 recorded offences. The IRSAD decile of 2 nationally indicates high relative disadvantage, meaning residents face above-average barriers to services and economic participation. Rent and mortgage stress are both below threshold at 18.3% and 20.6% respectively, so housing costs remain contained relative to local incomes despite the low income base.

Population Forecast

Population growth is slow at 0.24% per year (approximately 12 persons annually), with the medium forecast projecting the SA2 area population rising from 4,971 in 2025 to 5,029 by 2031. The 10-year population change of 7.2% is below the national average. Migration is balanced, with net overseas arrivals of 10 per year offset partly by a net internal outflow of 7 per year. The gentrification score of 53 puts the suburb in the Active stage under the shift model, with affordability improving from 37.5% in 2011 to 33.0% in 2021, which is a meaningful decline in housing cost burden. The aging trajectory is the dominant demographic shift, with the senior share gaining 4.6 points over the decade. Residential turnover is low at 16.4%, meaning the community is stable rather than in flux.

Safety & Crime

Offence Categories

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Merbein compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions