Merbein South vs Merbein

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merbein South, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Merbein South: a median of $500,000, against $420,000 in Merbein, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Merbein South tends to suit couples, while Merbein suits people living alone 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

Merbein

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Merbein South is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Merbein South leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 21%)
  • Merbein has cheaper houses ($420,500 vs $500,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Merbein

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($210/wk vs $285/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Merbein

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (25/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Merbein South carries lower crime risk (69/100 vs 79/100)
  • Merbein is more walkable (25/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Merbein South Merbein
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.

Merbein South Merbein
Walkability 0 / 25
Merbein South — Walkability: 0/100 Merbein — Walkability: 25/100
Safety 31 / 21
Merbein South — Safety: 31/100 Merbein — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 84 / 100
Merbein South — Low fire risk: 84/100 Merbein — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 10
Merbein South — Low flood risk: 100/100 Merbein — Low flood risk: 10/100

Demographics

Merbein has more residents (2,770 vs 407); Merbein South has higher household incomes ($81,692 vs $59,644).

Merbein South Merbein
Population 407 2,770
+581% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.5% +2.1%
Median age 43 44
Median household income $81,692/yr
+27% vs other
 $59,644/yr
Median weekly rent $285/wk
+26% vs other
 $210/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merbein South Merbein
0-4 4.9% / 5.7%
Merbein South — 0-4: 4.9% Merbein — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 13.5% / 13.0%
Merbein South — 5-14: 13.5% Merbein — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 9.6% / 4.6%
Merbein South — 15-19: 9.6% Merbein — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 3.2% / 4.5%
Merbein South — 20-24: 3.2% Merbein — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 7.6% / 12.2%
Merbein South — 25-34: 7.6% Merbein — 25-34: 12.2%
35-44 14.7% / 10.1%
Merbein South — 35-44: 14.7% Merbein — 35-44: 10.1%
45-54 14.0% / 12.5%
Merbein South — 45-54: 14.0% Merbein — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 15.0% / 14.6%
Merbein South — 55-64: 15.0% Merbein — 55-64: 14.6%
65-74 13.8% / 11.6%
Merbein South — 65-74: 13.8% Merbein — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 4.4% / 7.0%
Merbein South — 75-84: 4.4% Merbein — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ 1.0% / 4.1%
Merbein South — 85+: 1.0% Merbein — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merbein South 54.2% couple families
Merbein South — Couple Families: 54.2% Merbein South — Lone Person: 24.0% Merbein South — One Parent Families: 12.5% Merbein South — Group Household: 9.4% Merbein South — Other Families: 0.0%
Merbein 34.6% couple families
Merbein — Couple Families: 34.6% Merbein — Lone Person: 43.1% Merbein — One Parent Families: 17.9% Merbein — Group Household: 3.3% Merbein — Other Families: 1.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merbein South 12.9% renting
Merbein South — Owned Outright: 39.4% Merbein South — Mortgage: 47.7% Merbein South — Renting: 12.9%
Merbein 22.7% renting
Merbein — Owned Outright: 34.2% Merbein — Mortgage: 43.1% Merbein — Renting: 22.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Merbein South Merbein
Certificate III & IV 18.4% / 17.4%
Merbein South — Certificate III & IV: 18.4% Merbein — Certificate III & IV: 17.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 5.6%
Merbein South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Merbein — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Bachelor Degree 3.4% / 4.5%
Merbein South — Bachelor Degree: 3.4% Merbein — Bachelor Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 1.0%
Merbein South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Merbein — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%
Postgraduate Degree 0.7% / 0.5%
Merbein South — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7% Merbein — Postgraduate Degree: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

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.

Merbein South Merbein
England 0.7% / 1.2%
Merbein South — England: 0.7% Merbein — England: 1.2%
Italy 1.2% / 0.2%
Merbein South — Italy: 1.2% Merbein — Italy: 0.2%
New Zealand — / 0.9%
Merbein South — New Zealand: not among its largest Merbein — New Zealand: 0.9%
Thailand — / 0.4%
Merbein South — Thailand: not among its largest Merbein — Thailand: 0.4%
Scotland — / 0.4%
Merbein South — Scotland: not among its largest Merbein — Scotland: 0.4%
Netherlands — / 0.3%
Merbein South — Netherlands: not among its largest Merbein — Netherlands: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merbein South 98.6% houses
Merbein South — Houses: 98.6% Merbein South — Townhouses: 0.0% Merbein South — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Merbein 89.8% houses
Merbein — Houses: 89.8% Merbein — Townhouses: 5.9% Merbein — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Merbein South Merbein
Median house price $500,000 $420,500
Median unit price — $215,000
Median land price — $128,400
Typical days to sell (houses) — 28 days
from 32 sales

Zoning mix

Merbein South has more rural and farming land (76% vs 56%).

Merbein South Merbein
Rural and farming 76% 56%
Parks and recreation 4% 33%
Infrastructure and transport 20% 5%
Residential 0% 5%
Industrial 0% 1%
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

Merbein South Merbein
New dwellings approved 446
across Mildura
same for both
Approvals change year on year +29%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Merbein South Merbein
Houses — 4.5%
$450/wk on $520K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Merbein South Merbein
House price — Higher than 10% of VIC
Income Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 20% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 38% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 78% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 2% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 91% of VIC

Liveability

Merbein is more walkable (25 vs 0).

Merbein South Merbein
Grade — D
Score — 17/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Merbein carries more flood risk (90 vs 0); Merbein South carries more bushfire risk (16 vs 0).

Merbein South Merbein
Bushfire Low
16/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
69/100
 High
79/100
Flood None
0/100
 High
90/100
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

Merbein South Merbein
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Merbein South

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

Schools in Merbein

  • Merbein P-10 College Government · Combined at peers
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Merbein South Merbein
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 6
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Merbein South Merbein
Walkability score 0/100 25/100
Distance to Melbourne 554.2 km 554.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 375 min 376 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 3505
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 3505
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.

Merbein South Merbein
Car (driver) 68.3% / 83.6%
Merbein South — Car (driver): 68.3% Merbein — Car (driver): 83.6%
Worked from Home 17.5% / 7.5%
Merbein South — Worked from Home: 17.5% Merbein — Worked from Home: 7.5%
Car (passenger) 8.2% / 5.1%
Merbein South — Car (passenger): 8.2% Merbein — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Walked Only 6.0% / 3.4%
Merbein South — Walked Only: 6.0% Merbein — Walked Only: 3.4%
Bus — / 0.3%
Merbein South — Bus: not among its largest Merbein — Bus: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.6%).

Setting

Merbein South Merbein
Elevation 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Merbein South Merbein
Connectivity score 30/100 66/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
169 premises
 38%
1,515 premises

Climate

Merbein South Merbein
Annual rainfall 278 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 33.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Merbein South Merbein
Average residential rate $2,340/yr
same for both
Council Mildura
same for both

Federal electorate

Merbein South Merbein
Division Mallee
same for both
Member Anne Webster
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merbein South Merbein
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merbein South

Rural

Merbein

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merbein South

Merbein South vs Birdwoodton Merbein South vs Koorlong Merbein South vs Merbein West Merbein South vs Wargan

Other comparisons with Merbein

Merbein vs Mildura Merbein vs Birdwoodton Merbein vs Yelta Merbein vs Merbein West
Full data on Merbein South Full data on Merbein
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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