Grassdale vs Merino
Grassdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 58 in Merino. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Grassdale, about half of households are people living alone. In Merino, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Grassdale tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples, while Merino suits people living alone and older residents.
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
Grassdale
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 78/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 31%)
- But Merino has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Grassdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (8% vs 20%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Grassdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $100/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Grassdale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (248 min vs 255 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (353.1 km vs 359.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Grassdale carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 78/100)
- Merino has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 7%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Grassdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (200.0% vs -1.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Grassdale and Merino 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
Merino rents higher ($100/wk vs $0/wk); Merino has more residents (249 vs 54).
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 54 | 249 +361% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +200.0% | -1.6% |
| Median age | 31 | 58 |
| Median household income | $101,816/yr +61% vs other | $39,988/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $100/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.3%).
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 (7.4%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $225,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% | 99% |
| Parks and recreation | 6% | 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
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 60 across Glenelg same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -65% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 74% of VIC | Higher than 3% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 20% of VIC | Higher than 27% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of VIC | Higher than 57% of VIC |
Liveability
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Merino carries more crime risk (78 vs 11); Grassdale carries more bushfire risk (87 vs 73).
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 87/100 | High 73/100 |
| Crime | Low 11/100 | High 78/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 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
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Grassdale
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Merino
- Merino Consolidated School Government · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 4 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 3 | 5 |
Mobility
Merino sits further from the CBD (359.4 km vs 353.1 km).
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 353.1 km | 359.4 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 248 min | 255 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3302 | 0.0% postcode 3310 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 30 postcode 3302 | 31 postcode 3310 |
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 (76.3%).
Setting
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 121 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 90 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 19/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 18 premises | 0% 148 premises |
Climate
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 604 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.5°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.7°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,852/yr same for both | |
| Council | Glenelg same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Grassdale | Merino | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Grassdale
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Grassdale
Other comparisons with Merino
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.