Merah North vs Wee Waa

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. On these figures, Merah North tends to suit young adults and 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

Wee Waa

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Merah North carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 74/100)

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 16%)
  • has cheaper rent ($110/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Wee Waa

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (398 min vs 415 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (562.3 km vs 584.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Merah North carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 74/100)
  • Wee Waa has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Wee Waa

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-2.2% vs -30.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Merah North and Wee Waa 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 Wee Waa
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 Wee Waa
Walkability 0 / 0
Merah North — Walkability: 0/100 Wee Waa — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 88 / 26
Merah North — Safety: 88/100 Wee Waa — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 100 / 74
Merah North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wee Waa — Low fire risk: 74/100

Demographics

Wee Waa has more residents (2,034 vs 129); Wee Waa rents higher ($200/wk vs $110/wk).

Merah North Wee Waa
Population 129 2,034
+1477% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -30.6% -2.2%
Median age 36 38
Median household income $96,564/yr
+31% vs other
 $66,872/yr
Median weekly rent $110/wk $200/wk
+82% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merah North Wee Waa
0-4 5.4% / 7.2%
Merah North — 0-4: 5.4% Wee Waa — 0-4: 7.2%
5-14 15.5% / 15.4%
Merah North — 5-14: 15.5% Wee Waa — 5-14: 15.4%
15-19 — / 5.5%
Merah North — 15-19: not among its largest Wee Waa — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 8.5% / 5.6%
Merah North — 20-24: 8.5% Wee Waa — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 22.5% / 12.2%
Merah North — 25-34: 22.5% Wee Waa — 25-34: 12.2%
35-44 4.7% / 10.9%
Merah North — 35-44: 4.7% Wee Waa — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 13.2% / 10.5%
Merah North — 45-54: 13.2% Wee Waa — 45-54: 10.5%
55-64 18.6% / 14.5%
Merah North — 55-64: 18.6% Wee Waa — 55-64: 14.5%
65-74 7.8% / 9.7%
Merah North — 65-74: 7.8% Wee Waa — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 10.9% / 6.4%
Merah North — 75-84: 10.9% Wee Waa — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ — / 2.3%
Merah North — 85+: not among its largest Wee Waa — 85+: 2.3%

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% Merah North — Other Families: 0.0%
Wee Waa 39.1% lone person
Wee Waa — Lone Person: 39.1% Wee Waa — Couple Families: 36.0% Wee Waa — One Parent Families: 18.0% Wee Waa — Group Household: 5.2% Wee Waa — Other Families: 1.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other 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%
Wee Waa 34.0% renting
Wee Waa — Owned Outright: 36.1% Wee Waa — Mortgage: 29.9% Wee Waa — Renting: 34.0%
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%
Wee Waa 89.4% houses
Wee Waa — Houses: 89.4% Wee Waa — Townhouses: 8.1% Wee Waa — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Merah North Wee Waa
Certificate III & IV 10.1% / 13.3%
Merah North — Certificate III & IV: 10.1% Wee Waa — Certificate III & IV: 13.3%
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 5.2%
Merah North — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Wee Waa — Bachelor Degree: 5.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 3.7%
Merah North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Wee Waa — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.6%
Merah North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Wee Waa — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.5%
Merah North — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Wee Waa — Postgraduate Degree: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.3%).

Property market

Merah North Wee Waa
Median house price — $300,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $277,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 147 days
from 12 sales

Zoning mix

Merah North Wee Waa
Rural and farming 100% 99%
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 Wee Waa
New dwellings approved 14
across Narrabri
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Merah North Wee Waa
House price — Higher than 7% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 17% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 93% of NSW
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW

Liveability

Merah North Wee Waa
Grade — D
Score — 19/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Wee Waa carries more bushfire risk (26 vs 0); Wee Waa carries more crime risk (74 vs 12).

Merah North Wee Waa
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
26/100
Crime Low
12/100
 High
74/100
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 Wee Waa
Inside the suburb 0 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Merah North

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

Schools in Wee Waa

  • Namoi Valley Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Wee Waa High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Wee Waa Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Namoi Valley Christian School Secondary Campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Merah North Wee Waa
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 1 5
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 26 45

Mobility

Merah North sits further from the CBD (584.5 km vs 562.3 km).

Merah North Wee Waa
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 584.5 km
+4% vs other
 562.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 415 min 398 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 Wee Waa
Car (driver) 68.3% / 76.5%
Merah North — Car (driver): 68.3% Wee Waa — Car (driver): 76.5%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 7.5%
Merah North — Worked from Home: 27.0% Wee Waa — Worked from Home: 7.5%
Walked Only 4.8% / 6.8%
Merah North — Walked Only: 4.8% Wee Waa — Walked Only: 6.8%
Car (passenger) — / 7.0%
Merah North — Car (passenger): not among its largest Wee Waa — Car (passenger): 7.0%
Bus — / 1.7%
Merah North — Bus: not among its largest Wee Waa — Bus: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.5%).

Setting

Merah North Wee Waa
Elevation 177 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 195 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Merah North Wee Waa
Connectivity score 15/100 70/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
29 premises
 47%
1,035 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Merah North

Rural

Wee Waa

Affordable Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merah North

Merah North vs Pilliga Merah North vs Spring Plains Merah North vs Nowley

Other comparisons with Wee Waa

Wee Waa vs Narrabri Wee Waa vs Bohena Creek Wee Waa vs Yarrie Lake
Full data on Merah North Full data on Wee Waa
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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