Merriwa
Half the dwellings in Merriwa carry four or more bedrooms (50.8%), yet household income sits in just the 27.9th percentile nationally, a mismatch that defines this Perth northern-corridor suburb. The $400,000 median house price is well below most metropolitan markets, which is why 51.3% of households carry a mortgage rather than rent or own outright. SEIFA reads decile 3 on three of four indexes (IRSAD 942, IRSD 966, IEO 924), placing Merriwa in the lower-advantage tier despite a young median age of 40 and 36.5% of residents born overseas, which is 14.9 points above the national figure. Across 2.29 km2 at 2,438 people per km2, the suburb is detached-house territory with very few apartments at 0.3%.
Population
5,587
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,255/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$400K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $400,000 median, Merriwa is one of the more affordable detached-house markets in metropolitan Perth, and that price explains the household structure: 51.3% carry a mortgage against just 19.2% owning outright. The stock suits families, with 76.0% separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, and dwellings are large, as 50.8% have four or more bedrooms and another 34.7% have three. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold even though local household income ranks in the 27.9th percentile nationally. The trade-off for that affordability is location on Perth's northern edge and a SEIFA advantage score in decile 3, lower than most established suburbs.
For Buyers
At a $400,000 median, Merriwa is one of the more affordable detached-house markets in metropolitan Perth, and that price explains the household structure: 51.3% carry a mortgage against just 19.2% owning outright. The stock suits families, with 76.0% separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, and dwellings are large, as 50.8% have four or more bedrooms and another 34.7% have three. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold even though local household income ranks in the 27.9th percentile nationally. The trade-off for that affordability is location on Perth's northern edge and a SEIFA advantage score in decile 3, lower than most established suburbs.
For Investors
A 29.5% renter share and weekly rent of $330 give landlords a working tenant pool, and against the $400,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 4.3%, well above the sub-2% yields common in premium inner-city markets. The 8.0% vacancy rate is the caution flag, higher than a tight rental market and a sign that tenant demand does not fully absorb supply. Rent-to-income runs at 26.3%, below the 30% stress line, so tenants have headroom. Development activity is effectively nil with zero applications recorded in 12 months, meaning little new competing supply but also limited renewal. With 36.5% of residents born overseas, 14.9 points above national, migration provides some underlying demand support for the rental segment.
Schools in Merriwa iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Alkimos Baptist College
PP-12 · 368 students
Merriwa Primary School
K-6 · 362 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, so Merriwa is neither notably young nor aging on that measure. Where it diverges is origin and education: 36.5% of residents were born overseas, 14.9 points above national, yet university qualifications reach only 13.3%, which is 16.8 points below the national rate. Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,458), Scottish (484) and Irish (479), and the top non-English languages are Afrikaans (25), Italian (12) and Khmer (11), the Afrikaans presence pointing to South African migration. Average household size is 2.5, in line with national, and family types split between couples with children (1,540) and couples without (1,067, or 26.0%), a balance consistent with the large four-bedroom housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.0%
Houses
23.7%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward mortgages: 51.3% of households are paying off a loan, 29.5% rent and only 19.2% own outright, the low outright share reflecting a younger buyer base still servicing debt on the affordable $400,000 median. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 76.0% separate houses with semi-detached at 23.7% and apartments almost absent at 0.3%. Dwellings are large for the price point, as 50.8% carry four or more bedrooms and 34.7% have three, while two-bedroom homes are just 13.2%. Mortgage repayments of $1,500 a month give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6% and rent of $330 a week a rent-to-income ratio of 26.3%, both below the 30% stress threshold, which is unusual and stems from the low purchase and rental prices rather than high incomes that sit in the 27.9th percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wk
$330
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$636
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.0%
Unoccupied
178
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.0%
Couples, no children
4,111
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 17.5% (213 workers), Construction follows at 13.0% (158) and Education at 10.6% (129), with Retail at 8.9% and Mining at 6.7%, the last reflecting WA's resources economy. By occupation, Labourers (327), Community and Personal Service workers (295) and Clerical and Administrative staff (258) dominate, with Professionals fewer at 214, which aligns with the IEO education-and-occupation score in decile 3. Unemployment is elevated at 9.0% and participation reads only 47.7%, with 1,898 residents not in the labour force. The IER economic-resources score reaches decile 5, a tier higher than the decile 3 on the other three SEIFA indexes, because affordable housing leaves households with relative spending capacity despite below-average incomes.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.3%
Part-time
27.7%
Participation
47.7%
Employed
1,951
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.3%
Postgraduate
2.1%
Born Overseas
36.5%
Dwellings
2,041
Transport to Work
Merriwa is strongly car-dependent: 85.3% of residents drive to work while only 5.2% use public transport and 2.1% walk or cycle, well below the active-transport shares of inner-city suburbs and a reflection of its northern-corridor, low-density position at 2,438 people per km2. No schools are recorded inside the 2.29 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. Crime statistics are not available here, but the SEIFA IRSD score of decile 3 indicates relative disadvantage above the metropolitan average, and 11.0% of residents (568 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 13.1%. Affordable housing offsets these factors, with mortgage-to-income at 27.6% keeping costs below the stress threshold.
Drive
85.3%
Public Transport
5.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Merriwa compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Merriwa a good suburb to live in?
Merriwa suits affordability-focused families, with a $400,000 median house price and 76.0% detached houses, half of them with four or more bedrooms. The trade-offs are a SEIFA score in decile 3, lower than most established suburbs, and household income in the 27.9th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Merriwa?
The median house price is $400,000, one of the more affordable detached markets in metropolitan Perth. Weekly rent averages $330 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Merriwa?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.29 km2 Merriwa boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is less tertiary-educated than average, with university qualifications at 13.3%, which is 16.8 points below the national figure.
Is Merriwa safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Merriwa in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, below the metropolitan average, and 11.0% of its residents need daily assistance, a sign of higher support needs.
Is Merriwa good for property investment?
Rent of $330 a week against a $400,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.3%, well above the sub-2% common in premium markets. The caution is an 8.0% vacancy rate, higher than a tight market, and a renter share of 29.5% that provides a steady but not deep tenant pool.
How is Merriwa's population changing?
Forecast figures are not available, but turnover is moderate at 19.4% with 80.6% of residents having stayed put. The population of 5,587 shows no recorded development in 12 months, suggesting a built-out suburb, while 36.5% born overseas, 14.9 points above national, supports demand.
What languages are spoken in Merriwa?
About 36.5% of residents were born overseas, 14.9 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Afrikaans (25 speakers), Italian (12) and Khmer (11) the most common non-English languages, the Afrikaans presence reflecting South African migration into the area.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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