Goolgowi vs Merriwagga
Goolgowi is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 49 in Merriwagga. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merriwagga, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Goolgowi: a median of $315,000, against $206,000 in Merriwagga, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Merriwagga tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Goolgowi
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 47%)
- But Merriwagga carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 55/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Merriwagga
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (7% vs 13%)
- has cheaper houses ($206,000 vs $315,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Merriwagga
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($101/wk vs $220/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 16%)
- But Goolgowi has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 18%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Goolgowi
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (627.5 km vs 648.3 km)
- has a shorter drive in (440 min vs 452 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Merriwagga
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 14%)
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 55/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Merriwagga
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (15.9% vs 3.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Goolgowi and Merriwagga drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Goolgowi has more residents (416 vs 124); Goolgowi rents higher ($220/wk vs $101/wk).
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 416 +70% vs other | 124 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.5% | +15.9% |
| Median age | 38 | 49 |
| Median household income | $71,500/yr +23% vs other | $55,224/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk +54% vs other | $101/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $315,000 | $206,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $40,000 |
Zoning mix
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% same for both | |
| 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
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3 across Carrathool same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 4% of NSW same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 37% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 26% of NSW | Higher than 44% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 96% of NSW | Higher than 95% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 3% of NSW | Higher than 4% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 14% of NSW | Higher than 23% of NSW |
Liveability
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Goolgowi carries more crime risk (55 vs 35).
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 25/100 | Low 18/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | Low 35/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Goolgowi
- Goolgowi Public School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Merriwagga
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 2 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 4 | 0 |
Mobility
Merriwagga sits further from the CBD (648.3 km vs 627.5 km).
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 627.5 km | 648.3 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 440 min | 452 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2652 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 58 postcode 2652 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.8%).
Setting
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 118 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 104 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 0% 21 premises |
Council rates
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $510/yr same for both | |
| Council | Carrathool same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Farrer same for both | |
| Member | David Farley same for both | |
| Party | One Nation same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Goolgowi | Merriwagga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Goolgowi
Merriwagga
More comparisons
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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.