Gapsted vs Merriang

Merriang is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 51 in Gapsted. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gapsted, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Gapsted tends to suit people living alone.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Merriang

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 45/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 53%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Gapsted

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (22% vs 11%)
  • has cheaper rent ($256/wk vs $300/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Merriang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (284.9 km vs 287.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Merriang

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 45/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 19%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Merriang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.2% vs -9.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Gapsted and Merriang drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Gapsted Merriang
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Gapsted Merriang
Walkability 0 / 4
Gapsted — Walkability: 0/100 Merriang — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 55 / 76
Gapsted — Safety: 55/100 Merriang — Safety: 76/100
Low fire risk 22 / 100
Gapsted — Low fire risk: 22/100 Merriang — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 89 / 21
Gapsted — Low flood risk: 89/100 Merriang — Low flood risk: 21/100

Demographics

Merriang has higher household incomes ($96,200 vs $68,224); Merriang rents higher ($300/wk vs $256/wk).

Gapsted Merriang
Population 156 182
+17% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -9.8% +2.2%
Median age 51 47
Median household income $68,224/yr $96,200/yr
+41% vs other
Median weekly rent $256/wk $300/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gapsted Merriang
0-4 — / —
Gapsted — 0-4: not among its largest Merriang — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 10.3% / 14.8%
Gapsted — 5-14: 10.3% Merriang — 5-14: 14.8%
15-19 5.8% / 9.3%
Gapsted — 15-19: 5.8% Merriang — 15-19: 9.3%
20-24 9.0% / 4.9%
Gapsted — 20-24: 9.0% Merriang — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 10.9% / 8.2%
Gapsted — 25-34: 10.9% Merriang — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 8.3% / 7.7%
Gapsted — 35-44: 8.3% Merriang — 35-44: 7.7%
45-54 11.5% / 15.9%
Gapsted — 45-54: 11.5% Merriang — 45-54: 15.9%
55-64 19.2% / 11.0%
Gapsted — 55-64: 19.2% Merriang — 55-64: 11.0%
65-74 10.3% / 19.8%
Gapsted — 65-74: 10.3% Merriang — 65-74: 19.8%
75-84 5.1% / 3.8%
Gapsted — 75-84: 5.1% Merriang — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 3.8% / 1.6%
Gapsted — 85+: 3.8% Merriang — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gapsted 43.3% couple families
Gapsted — Couple Families: 43.3% Gapsted — Lone Person: 46.7% Gapsted — One Parent Families: 10.0%
Merriang 43.6% couple families
Merriang — Couple Families: 43.6% Merriang — Lone Person: 33.3% Merriang — One Parent Families: 23.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gapsted 21.7% renting
Gapsted — Owned Outright: 58.3% Gapsted — Mortgage: 20.0% Gapsted — Renting: 21.7%
Merriang 11.3% renting
Merriang — Owned Outright: 50.9% Merriang — Mortgage: 37.7% Merriang — Renting: 11.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gapsted 100.0% houses
Gapsted — Houses: 100.0%
Merriang 100.0% houses
Merriang — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Gapsted Merriang
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 17.0%
Gapsted — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Merriang — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 11.5%
Gapsted — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Merriang — Bachelor Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.6% / 6.0%
Gapsted — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6% Merriang — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.1% / 1.6%
Gapsted — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.1% Merriang — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 1.6%
Gapsted — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Merriang — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Zoning mix

Merriang has more rural and farming land (91% vs 41%).

Gapsted Merriang
Rural and farming 41% 91%
Parks and recreation 58% 6%
Residential 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Gapsted Merriang
New dwellings approved 32
across Alpine
same for both
Approvals change year on year -42%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Gapsted Merriang
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 24% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC

Liveability

Gapsted Merriang
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Gapsted carries more bushfire risk (78 vs 0); Merriang carries more flood risk (79 vs 11).

Gapsted Merriang
Bushfire High
78/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
45/100
 Low
24/100
Flood Low
11/100
 High
79/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Gapsted Merriang
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Gapsted Merriang
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Waterways 4 1

Mobility

Gapsted sits further from the CBD (287.9 km vs 284.9 km).

Gapsted Merriang
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Melbourne 287.9 km
+1% vs other
 284.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 192 min 191 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 3737
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 3737
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Gapsted Merriang
Car (driver) 66.7% / 63.5%
Gapsted — Car (driver): 66.7% Merriang — Car (driver): 63.5%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 15.3%
Gapsted — Worked from Home: 12.8% Merriang — Worked from Home: 15.3%
Walked Only 16.7% / 9.4%
Gapsted — Walked Only: 16.7% Merriang — Walked Only: 9.4%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 8.2%
Gapsted — Car (passenger): 3.8% Merriang — Car (passenger): 8.2%
Bicycle — / 3.5%
Gapsted — Bicycle: not among its largest Merriang — Bicycle: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.7%).

Setting

Gapsted Merriang
Elevation 326 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 231 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gapsted Merriang
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
76 premises
 0%
63 premises

Climate

Gapsted Merriang
Annual rainfall 984 mm 1,451 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gapsted Merriang
Average residential rate $1,945/yr
same for both
Council Alpine
same for both

Federal electorate

Gapsted Merriang
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gapsted Merriang
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gapsted

Rural

Merriang

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gapsted

Gapsted vs Myrtleford Gapsted vs Whorouly Gapsted vs Stanley Gapsted vs Mudgegonga Gapsted vs Bowmans Forest Gapsted vs Barwidgee

Other comparisons with Merriang

Merriang vs Myrtleford Merriang vs Buffalo River Merriang vs Whorouly East Merriang vs Whorouly South
Full data on Gapsted Full data on Merriang
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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