Merbein West vs Yelta
Merbein West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 46 in Yelta. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merbein West, about half of households are couple families. In Yelta, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Yelta: a median of $610,000, against $478,000 in Merbein West, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Merbein West tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Yelta suits 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
Yelta
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 73/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 60%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Merbein West
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($477,990 vs $610,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Merbein West
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $185/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Yelta
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 73/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Merbein West
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (17.4% vs 0.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Merbein West and Yelta 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
Yelta has more residents (325 vs 223); Yelta rents higher ($185/wk vs $150/wk).
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 223 | 325 +46% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +17.4% | +0.9% |
| Median age | 42 | 46 |
| Median household income | $68,224/yr | $74,724/yr +10% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk | $185/wk +23% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).
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 (1.8%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $477,990 | $610,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 62% | 65% |
| Parks and recreation | 29% | 30% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 8% | 4% |
| Residential | 1% | 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
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 446 across Mildura same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +29% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 29% of VIC | Higher than 41% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 20% of VIC | Higher than 23% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 2% of VIC same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 55% of VIC | Higher than 56% of VIC |
Liveability
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Yelta carries more bushfire risk (19 vs 0); Yelta carries more flood risk (90 vs 25).
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 19/100 |
| Crime | High 73/100 | Moderate 53/100 |
| Flood | Low 25/100 | High 90/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 2 | 0 |
Mobility
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 560.2 km | 561.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 380 min | 381 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.9%).
Setting
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 47 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 55 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 83 premises | 0% 136 premises |
Climate
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 278 mm | 257 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 33.0°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.9°C | — |
Council rates
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,340/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mildura same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mallee same for both | |
| Member | Anne Webster same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Merbein West | Yelta | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Merbein West
Other comparisons with Yelta
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.