Merimbula vs Mirador

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Merimbula, most households are people living alone. In Mirador, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mirador: a median of $1.2 million, against $940,000 in Merimbula, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Merimbula tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Mirador 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

Mirador

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 70/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 34%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (95% vs 58%)
  • But Merimbula has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Merimbula

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($940,000 vs $1,195,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Merimbula

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 4%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Merimbula

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (39/100 vs 27/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (363 min vs 369 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (524.9 km vs 530.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Merimbula

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (42% vs 6%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (39/100 vs 27/100)
  • But Mirador carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 70/100)

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

Investors

Mirador

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (37.7% vs 7.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Merimbula Mirador
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.

Merimbula Mirador
Walkability 39 / 27
Merimbula — Walkability: 39/100 Mirador — Walkability: 27/100
Safety 30 / 88
Merimbula — Safety: 30/100 Mirador — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 53 / 100
Merimbula — Low fire risk: 53/100 Mirador — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Merimbula has more residents (3,821 vs 519); Mirador rents higher ($500/wk vs $310/wk).

Merimbula Mirador
Population 3,821
+86% vs other
 519
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.8% +37.7%
Median age 54 52
Median household income $59,592/yr $86,424/yr
+45% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk $500/wk
+61% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merimbula Mirador
0-4 3.4% / 4.2%
Merimbula — 0-4: 3.4% Mirador — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 8.4% / 11.6%
Merimbula — 5-14: 8.4% Mirador — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 3.5% / 3.7%
Merimbula — 15-19: 3.5% Mirador — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 4.2% / 2.3%
Merimbula — 20-24: 4.2% Mirador — 20-24: 2.3%
25-34 10.7% / 8.1%
Merimbula — 25-34: 10.7% Mirador — 25-34: 8.1%
35-44 8.6% / 8.3%
Merimbula — 35-44: 8.6% Mirador — 35-44: 8.3%
45-54 11.2% / 11.9%
Merimbula — 45-54: 11.2% Mirador — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 16.7% / 15.0%
Merimbula — 55-64: 16.7% Mirador — 55-64: 15.0%
65-74 17.3% / 26.0%
Merimbula — 65-74: 17.3% Mirador — 65-74: 26.0%
75-84 11.3% / 6.6%
Merimbula — 75-84: 11.3% Mirador — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 4.6% / 1.0%
Merimbula — 85+: 4.6% Mirador — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merimbula 60.3% lone person
Merimbula — Lone Person: 60.3% Merimbula — Couple Families: 21.1% Merimbula — One Parent Families: 12.6% Merimbula — Group Household: 4.6% Merimbula — Other Families: 1.3%
Mirador 37.0% lone person
Mirador — Lone Person: 37.0% Mirador — Couple Families: 55.0% Mirador — One Parent Families: 8.0% Mirador — Group Household: 0.0% Mirador — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merimbula 33.4% renting
Merimbula — Owned Outright: 43.1% Merimbula — Mortgage: 23.5% Merimbula — Renting: 33.4%
Mirador 3.5% renting
Mirador — Owned Outright: 55.7% Mirador — Mortgage: 40.8% Mirador — Renting: 3.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Merimbula Mirador
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 18.9%
Merimbula — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Mirador — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Bachelor Degree 12.0% / 14.1%
Merimbula — Bachelor Degree: 12.0% Mirador — Bachelor Degree: 14.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 10.4%
Merimbula — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Mirador — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 4.8%
Merimbula — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Mirador — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.3% / 3.1%
Merimbula — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3% Mirador — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

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.

Merimbula Mirador
England 5.6% / 6.2%
Merimbula — England: 5.6% Mirador — England: 6.2%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.9%
Merimbula — New Zealand: 1.2% Mirador — New Zealand: 1.9%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.6%
Merimbula — Netherlands: 0.8% Mirador — Netherlands: 0.6%
Italy — / 1.3%
Merimbula — Italy: not among its largest Mirador — Italy: 1.3%
France — / 0.8%
Merimbula — France: not among its largest Mirador — France: 0.8%
Germany 0.7% / —
Merimbula — Germany: 0.7% Mirador — Germany: not among its largest
India 0.7% / —
Merimbula — India: 0.7% Mirador — India: not among its largest
China — / 0.6%
Merimbula — China: not among its largest Mirador — China: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merimbula 58.5% houses
Merimbula — Houses: 58.5% Merimbula — Flats / Apartments: 24.7% Merimbula — Townhouses: 16.8%
Mirador 94.6% houses
Mirador — Houses: 94.6% Mirador — Flats / Apartments: 2.5% Mirador — Townhouses: 3.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Merimbula Mirador
Median house price $940,000 $1,195,000
Median unit price $477,500 —
Median land price $343,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 80 days
from 27 sales
 30 days
from 3 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.

Merimbula Mirador
3 bed $895K / $1.1M
Merimbula — 3 bed: $895K (33 sales) Mirador — 3 bed: $1.1M (5 sales)

33 vs 5 sales

4 bed $985K / $1.23M
Merimbula — 4 bed: $985K (23 sales) Mirador — 4 bed: $1.23M (7 sales)

23 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Merimbula has more land zoned for conservation (66% vs 53%).

Merimbula Mirador
Environmental 66% 53%
Residential 16% 45%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 2%
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

Merimbula Mirador
New dwellings approved 109
across Bega Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -32%
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.

Merimbula Mirador
Houses 2.8%
$600/wk on $1.12M
 —
Units 5.0%
$478/wk on $499K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Merimbula Mirador
House price Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Income Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 54% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 13% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 67% of NSW —

Liveability

Mirador scores higher overall (59 vs 30); Merimbula is more walkable (39 vs 27).

Merimbula Mirador
Grade D B
Score 30/100 59/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Merimbula carries more bushfire risk (47 vs 0); Merimbula carries more crime risk (70 vs 12).

Merimbula Mirador
Bushfire Moderate
47/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
70/100
 Low
12/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
75/100
 Low
33/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Merimbula Mirador
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Merimbula

  • Merimbula Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Mirador

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

Amenities in the suburb

Merimbula Mirador
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 23 0
Parks & reserves 5 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 6 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 2 0
Beaches 3 0
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Mirador sits further from the CBD (530.2 km vs 524.9 km).

Merimbula Mirador
Walkability score 39/100 27/100
Distance to Sydney 524.9 km 530.2 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 363 min 369 min
Public transport score 57/100
Bus
 21/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 25.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2548
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2548
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.

Merimbula Mirador
Car (driver) 71.6% / 77.0%
Merimbula — Car (driver): 71.6% Mirador — Car (driver): 77.0%
Worked from Home 15.5% / 16.5%
Merimbula — Worked from Home: 15.5% Mirador — Worked from Home: 16.5%
Walked Only 7.2% / 2.5%
Merimbula — Walked Only: 7.2% Mirador — Walked Only: 2.5%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 4.0%
Merimbula — Car (passenger): 4.7% Mirador — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Bicycle 0.6% / —
Merimbula — Bicycle: 0.6% Mirador — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.0%).

Setting

Merimbula Mirador
Elevation 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 999 m
2.0 km to a named beach
 776 m
1.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Merimbula Mirador
Connectivity score 64/100 94/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
3,308 premises
 69%
298 premises

Climate

Merimbula Mirador
Annual rainfall 768 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Merimbula Mirador
Average residential rate $1,767/yr
same for both
Council Bega Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Merimbula Mirador
Division Eden-monaro
same for both
Member Kristy Mcbain
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merimbula Mirador
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merimbula

Affordable Coastal Retirees

Mirador

Acreage Beach Coastal Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merimbula

Merimbula vs Tura Beach Merimbula vs Pambula Merimbula vs Pambula Beach Merimbula vs Millingandi Merimbula vs Berrambool Merimbula vs Bournda

Other comparisons with Mirador

Mirador vs Tura Beach Mirador vs Berrambool
Full data on Merimbula Full data on Mirador
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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