Merah North vs Spring Plains

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merah North, most households are people living alone. In Spring Plains, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Merah North tends to suit young adults.

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 the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 33/100)

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

Renters

Spring Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $110/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Merah North

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (415 min vs 427 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (584.5 km vs 600 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Merah North

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 33/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 8%)

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

Investors

Spring Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-2.7% vs -30.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Merah North and Spring Plains 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 Spring Plains
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 Spring Plains
Walkability 0 / 0
Merah North — Walkability: 0/100 Spring Plains — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 88 / 67
Merah North — Safety: 88/100 Spring Plains — Safety: 67/100
Low fire risk 100 / 78
Merah North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Spring Plains — Low fire risk: 78/100

Demographics

Merah North has more residents (129 vs 73); Merah North has higher household incomes ($96,564 vs $86,632).

Merah North Spring Plains
Population 129
+43% vs other
 73
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -30.6% -2.7%
Median age 36 34
Median household income $96,564/yr
+10% vs other
 $86,632/yr
Median weekly rent $110/wk
+9% vs other
 $100/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merah North Spring Plains
0-4 5.4% / 9.6%
Merah North — 0-4: 5.4% Spring Plains — 0-4: 9.6%
5-14 15.5% / 12.3%
Merah North — 5-14: 15.5% Spring Plains — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 — / 6.8%
Merah North — 15-19: not among its largest Spring Plains — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 8.5% / 4.1%
Merah North — 20-24: 8.5% Spring Plains — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 22.5% / 16.4%
Merah North — 25-34: 22.5% Spring Plains — 25-34: 16.4%
35-44 4.7% / 17.8%
Merah North — 35-44: 4.7% Spring Plains — 35-44: 17.8%
45-54 13.2% / 21.9%
Merah North — 45-54: 13.2% Spring Plains — 45-54: 21.9%
55-64 18.6% / 6.8%
Merah North — 55-64: 18.6% Spring Plains — 55-64: 6.8%
65-74 7.8% / 8.2%
Merah North — 65-74: 7.8% Spring Plains — 65-74: 8.2%
75-84 10.9% / —
Merah North — 75-84: 10.9% Spring Plains — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Merah North — 85+: not among its largest Spring Plains — 85+: not among its largest

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%
Spring Plains 52.4% lone person
Spring Plains — Lone Person: 52.4% Spring Plains — Couple Families: 47.6%
Lone Person Couple Families

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%
Spring Plains 0.0% renting
Spring Plains — Owned Outright: 100.0% Spring Plains — Mortgage: 0.0% Spring Plains — Renting: 0.0%
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%
Spring Plains 96.2% houses
Spring Plains — Houses: 96.2% Spring Plains — Townhouses: 0.0% Spring Plains — Flats / Apartments: 3.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Merah North Spring Plains
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 16.4%
Merah North — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Spring Plains — Bachelor Degree: 16.4%
Certificate III & IV 10.1% / 12.3%
Merah North — Certificate III & IV: 10.1% Spring Plains — Certificate III & IV: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 11.0%
Merah North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Spring Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

Property market

Merah North Spring Plains
Median house price — $4,142,991
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Merah North Spring Plains
Rural and farming 100%
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

Merah North Spring Plains
New dwellings approved 14
across Narrabri
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Merah North Spring Plains
House price — Higher than 97% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 2% of NSW
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW

Liveability

Merah North Spring Plains
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Spring Plains carries more bushfire risk (22 vs 0); Spring Plains carries more crime risk (33 vs 12).

Merah North Spring Plains
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
22/100
Crime Low
12/100
 Low
33/100
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 Spring Plains
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

Merah North Spring Plains
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 26 2

Mobility

Spring Plains sits further from the CBD (600 km vs 584.5 km).

Merah North Spring Plains
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 584.5 km 600 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 415 min 427 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 Spring Plains
Car (driver) 68.3% / 50.0%
Merah North — Car (driver): 68.3% Spring Plains — Car (driver): 50.0%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 36.1%
Merah North — Worked from Home: 27.0% Spring Plains — Worked from Home: 36.1%
Walked Only 4.8% / 13.9%
Merah North — Walked Only: 4.8% Spring Plains — Walked Only: 13.9%

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

Setting

Merah North Spring Plains
Elevation 177 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 174 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

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

Council rates

Merah North Spring Plains
Average residential rate $1,140/yr
same for both
Council Narrabri
same for both

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Merah North

Rural

Spring Plains

Luxury Rural Young Families

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Spring Plains

Spring Plains vs Nowley
Full data on Merah North Full data on Spring Plains
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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.

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