Merah North vs Pilliga

Merah North is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 51 in Pilliga. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Merah North tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples.

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

Merah North

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 97/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (45% vs 33%)
  • But Pilliga has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

Renters

Merah North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (6% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($110/wk vs $189/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Merah North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (415 min vs 439 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (584.5 km vs 608.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Merah North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 97/100)

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

Investors

Pilliga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-19.4% vs -30.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Merah North Pilliga
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.

Merah North Pilliga
Walkability 0 / 0
Merah North — Walkability: 0/100 Pilliga — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 88 / 3
Merah North — Safety: 88/100 Pilliga — Safety: 3/100
Low fire risk 100 / 79
Merah North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pilliga — Low fire risk: 79/100

Demographics

Merah North has higher household incomes ($96,564 vs $39,624); Pilliga rents higher ($189/wk vs $110/wk).

Merah North Pilliga
Population 129 175
+36% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -30.6% -19.4%
Median age 36 51
Median household income $96,564/yr
+59% vs other
 $39,624/yr
Median weekly rent $110/wk $189/wk
+72% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merah North Pilliga
0-4 5.4% / 3.4%
Merah North — 0-4: 5.4% Pilliga — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 15.5% / 9.1%
Merah North — 5-14: 15.5% Pilliga — 5-14: 9.1%
15-19 — / 10.9%
Merah North — 15-19: not among its largest Pilliga — 15-19: 10.9%
20-24 8.5% / 5.1%
Merah North — 20-24: 8.5% Pilliga — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 22.5% / 2.3%
Merah North — 25-34: 22.5% Pilliga — 25-34: 2.3%
35-44 4.7% / 9.7%
Merah North — 35-44: 4.7% Pilliga — 35-44: 9.7%
45-54 13.2% / 17.7%
Merah North — 45-54: 13.2% Pilliga — 45-54: 17.7%
55-64 18.6% / 21.1%
Merah North — 55-64: 18.6% Pilliga — 55-64: 21.1%
65-74 7.8% / 12.6%
Merah North — 65-74: 7.8% Pilliga — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 10.9% / 2.9%
Merah North — 75-84: 10.9% Pilliga — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ — / 4.6%
Merah North — 85+: not among its largest Pilliga — 85+: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merah North 55.0% lone person
Merah North — Lone Person: 55.0% Merah North — Couple Families: 45.0% Merah North — One Parent Families: 0.0% Merah North — Group Household: 0.0%
Pilliga 60.0% lone person
Pilliga — Lone Person: 60.0% Pilliga — Couple Families: 22.2% Pilliga — One Parent Families: 11.1% Pilliga — Group Household: 6.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merah North 31.2% renting
Merah North — Owned Outright: 56.2% Merah North — Mortgage: 12.5% Merah North — Renting: 31.2%
Pilliga 25.4% renting
Pilliga — Owned Outright: 61.0% Pilliga — Mortgage: 13.6% Pilliga — Renting: 25.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merah North 97.6% houses
Merah North — Houses: 97.6% Merah North — Townhouses: 11.9% Merah North — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Pilliga 95.6% houses
Pilliga — Houses: 95.6% Pilliga — Townhouses: 0.0% Pilliga — Flats / Apartments: 4.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Merah North Pilliga
Certificate III & IV 10.1% / 8.0%
Merah North — Certificate III & IV: 10.1% Pilliga — Certificate III & IV: 8.0%
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 4.6%
Merah North — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Pilliga — Bachelor Degree: 4.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 2.3%
Merah North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Pilliga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.2%).

Property market

Merah North Pilliga
Median house price — $91,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Merah North Pilliga
Rural and farming 100% 91%
Environmental 0% 9%
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

Merah North Pilliga
New dwellings approved 14
across Narrabri
 13
across Walgett
Approvals change year on year — -100%

Ranking within NSW

Merah North Pilliga
House price — Higher than 1% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 98% of NSW
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW

Liveability

Merah North Pilliga
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Pilliga carries more bushfire risk (21 vs 0); Pilliga carries more crime risk (97 vs 12).

Merah North Pilliga
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
21/100
Crime Low
12/100
 High
97/100
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

Merah North Pilliga
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Merah North

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Pilliga

  • Pilliga Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Merah North Pilliga
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 26 77

Mobility

Pilliga sits further from the CBD (608.6 km vs 584.5 km).

Merah North Pilliga
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 584.5 km 608.6 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 415 min 439 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2388
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 80
postcode 2388
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.

Merah North Pilliga
Car (driver) 68.3% / 60.7%
Merah North — Car (driver): 68.3% Pilliga — Car (driver): 60.7%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 19.7%
Merah North — Worked from Home: 27.0% Pilliga — Worked from Home: 19.7%
Walked Only 4.8% / 13.1%
Merah North — Walked Only: 4.8% Pilliga — Walked Only: 13.1%
Car (passenger) — / 6.6%
Merah North — Car (passenger): not among its largest Pilliga — Car (passenger): 6.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.3%).

Setting

Merah North Pilliga
Elevation 177 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Merah North Pilliga
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
29 premises
 0%
49 premises

Council rates

Merah North Pilliga
Average residential rate $1,140/yr $445/yr
Council Narrabri Walgett

Federal electorate

Merah North Pilliga
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merah North Pilliga
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merah North

Rural

Pilliga

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merah North

Merah North vs Wee Waa Merah North vs Spring Plains Merah North vs Nowley

Other comparisons with Pilliga

Pilliga vs Walgett Pilliga vs Burren Junction Pilliga vs Gwabegar Pilliga vs Come By Chance
Full data on Merah North Full data on Pilliga
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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