Merewether vs Bar Beach

In both, most households own their home. In Merewether, most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Bar Beach: a median of $3.61 million, against $2.01 million in Merewether, though rent is higher in Merewether. On these figures, Merewether tends to suit 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

Merewether

ahead on 6 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Merewether

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($2,010,000 vs $3,610,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Bar Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 74/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Merewether has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Bar Beach has more units and townhouses to downsize into (60% vs 39%)

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

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

Merewether Bar Beach
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.

Merewether Bar Beach
Walkability 74 / 89
Merewether — Walkability: 74/100 Bar Beach — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 20 / 8
Merewether — Safety: 20/100 Bar Beach — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 47 / 100
Merewether — Low fire risk: 47/100 Bar Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Merewether has more residents (11,788 vs 1,292); Bar Beach skews older (41 vs 39).

Merewether Bar Beach
Population 11,788
+89% vs other
 1,292
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.5% +2.9%
Median age 39 41
Median household income $118,924/yr $119,600/yr
Median weekly rent $420/wk
+6% vs other
 $393/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merewether Bar Beach
0-4 4.3% / 3.4%
Merewether — 0-4: 4.3% Bar Beach — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 12.1% / 9.0%
Merewether — 5-14: 12.1% Bar Beach — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 6.2% / 6.3%
Merewether — 15-19: 6.2% Bar Beach — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 7.9% / 9.6%
Merewether — 20-24: 7.9% Bar Beach — 20-24: 9.6%
25-34 13.9% / 14.6%
Merewether — 25-34: 13.9% Bar Beach — 25-34: 14.6%
35-44 12.4% / 10.9%
Merewether — 35-44: 12.4% Bar Beach — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 13.9% / 15.9%
Merewether — 45-54: 13.9% Bar Beach — 45-54: 15.9%
55-64 13.3% / 15.1%
Merewether — 55-64: 13.3% Bar Beach — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 9.8% / 9.4%
Merewether — 65-74: 9.8% Bar Beach — 65-74: 9.4%
75-84 4.3% / 4.8%
Merewether — 75-84: 4.3% Bar Beach — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 1.8% / 1.2%
Merewether — 85+: 1.8% Bar Beach — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merewether 37.7% lone person
Merewether — Lone Person: 37.7% Merewether — Couple Families: 40.6% Merewether — Group Household: 9.9% Merewether — One Parent Families: 10.3% Merewether — Other Families: 1.5%
Bar Beach 44.5% lone person
Bar Beach — Lone Person: 44.5% Bar Beach — Couple Families: 32.6% Bar Beach — Group Household: 13.0% Bar Beach — One Parent Families: 7.3% Bar Beach — Other Families: 2.6%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merewether 34.0% renting
Merewether — Owned Outright: 35.9% Merewether — Mortgage: 30.1% Merewether — Renting: 34.0%
Bar Beach 42.2% renting
Bar Beach — Owned Outright: 33.3% Bar Beach — Mortgage: 24.5% Bar Beach — Renting: 42.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Merewether Bar Beach
England 3.0% / 3.7%
Merewether — England: 3.0% Bar Beach — England: 3.7%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.7%
Merewether — New Zealand: 1.1% Bar Beach — New Zealand: 1.7%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.9%
Merewether — South Africa: 0.5% Bar Beach — South Africa: 0.9%
India 0.5% / 0.7%
Merewether — India: 0.5% Bar Beach — India: 0.7%
Italy 0.4% / 0.5%
Merewether — Italy: 0.4% Bar Beach — Italy: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

Qualifications

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

Merewether Bar Beach
Bachelor Degree 23.0% / 25.6%
Merewether — Bachelor Degree: 23.0% Bar Beach — Bachelor Degree: 25.6%
Certificate III & IV 11.2% / 10.1%
Merewether — Certificate III & IV: 11.2% Bar Beach — Certificate III & IV: 10.1%
Postgraduate Degree 8.1% / 10.0%
Merewether — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1% Bar Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 6.7%
Merewether — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Bar Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 3.1%
Merewether — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Bar Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merewether 60.9% houses
Merewether — Houses: 60.9% Merewether — Flats / Apartments: 19.9% Merewether — Townhouses: 19.2%
Bar Beach 40.2% houses
Bar Beach — Houses: 40.2% Bar Beach — Flats / Apartments: 39.2% Bar Beach — Townhouses: 20.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Merewether Bar Beach
Median house price $2,010,000 $3,610,000
Median unit price $812,500 $757,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 119 sales
 82 days
from 4 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Merewether Bar Beach
3 bed $1.73M / $2.31M
Merewether — 3 bed: $1.73M (84 sales) Bar Beach — 3 bed: $2.31M (5 sales)

84 vs 5 sales

4 bed $2.33M / $3.83M
Merewether — 4 bed: $2.33M (70 sales) Bar Beach — 4 bed: $3.83M (8 sales)

70 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Merewether has more land zoned for conservation (37% vs 0%).

Merewether Bar Beach
Residential 46% 58%
Parks and recreation 6% 41%
Environmental 37% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 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

Merewether Bar Beach
New dwellings approved 912
across Newcastle
same for both
Approvals change year on year +77%
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.

Merewether Bar Beach
Houses 2.5%
$950/wk on $2M
 —
Units 4.2%
$620/wk on $776K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Merewether Bar Beach
House price Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Income Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Schools Higher than 32% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 6% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 28% of NSW —

Liveability

Bar Beach scores higher overall (62 vs 42); Bar Beach is more walkable (89 vs 74).

Merewether Bar Beach
Grade C B
Score 42/100 62/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Merewether carries more bushfire risk (53 vs 0); Bar Beach carries more crime risk (92 vs 80).

Merewether Bar Beach
Bushfire Moderate
53/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
80/100
 High
92/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
43/100
 Moderate
49/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Merewether Bar Beach
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 4.1 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.9% 4.7%

Schools in Merewether

  • Hamilton South Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Holy Family Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Merewether Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Bar Beach

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

Amenities in the suburb

Merewether Bar Beach
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 13 1
Childcare 6 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Merewether Bar Beach
Walkability score 74/100 89/100
Distance to Sydney 162.2 km 161 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 127 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 226.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 29.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2291
 1.7%
postcode 2300
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 35
postcode 2291
 12
postcode 2300

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.

Merewether Bar Beach
Car (driver) 57.9% / 57.1%
Merewether — Car (driver): 57.9% Bar Beach — Car (driver): 57.1%
Worked from Home 33.1% / 31.2%
Merewether — Worked from Home: 33.1% Bar Beach — Worked from Home: 31.2%
Walked Only 2.9% / 4.5%
Merewether — Walked Only: 2.9% Bar Beach — Walked Only: 4.5%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 2.9%
Merewether — Car (passenger): 2.9% Bar Beach — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Bicycle 2.1% / 3.0%
Merewether — Bicycle: 2.1% Bar Beach — Bicycle: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.9%).

Setting

Merewether Bar Beach
Elevation 55 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 908 m
1.3 km to a named beach
 207 m
344 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Merewether Bar Beach
Connectivity score 64/100 56/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
5,571 premises
 20%
717 premises

Climate

Merewether Bar Beach
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Merewether Bar Beach
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 21.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.64 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Merewether Bar Beach
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Merewether Bar Beach
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merewether Bar Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merewether

Beach Coastal Parks Premium Professionals Regional Centre

Bar Beach

Apartments Beach Beachfront Coastal Luxury Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merewether

Merewether vs Adamstown Merewether vs Adamstown Heights Merewether vs Hamilton South Merewether vs Whitebridge Merewether vs Merewether Heights Merewether vs The Junction

Other comparisons with Bar Beach

Bar Beach vs Cooks Hill Bar Beach vs The Hill Bar Beach vs The Junction
Full data on Merewether Full data on Bar Beach
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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