Merricks vs Merricks Beach

Merricks is the younger of the two, with a median age of 57 against 62 in Merricks Beach. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Merricks Beach tends to suit older residents.

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

Merricks

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 77/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (49% vs 36%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Merricks

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper rent ($258/wk vs $436/wk)
  • But Merricks Beach has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 8%)

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

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

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Merricks carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 77/100)
  • Merricks Beach has more residents already 65 and over (43% vs 33%)

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

Where they sit

Merricks and Merricks 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.

Merricks Merricks 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.

Merricks Merricks Beach
Walkability 10 / 12
Merricks — Walkability: 10/100 Merricks Beach — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 70 / 23
Merricks — Safety: 70/100 Merricks Beach — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Merricks — Low fire risk: 100/100 Merricks Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 81 / 65
Merricks — Low flood risk: 81/100 Merricks Beach — Low flood risk: 65/100

Demographics

Merricks has higher household incomes ($143,000 vs $76,180); Merricks Beach rents higher ($436/wk vs $258/wk).

Merricks Merricks Beach
Population 184
+15% vs other
 157
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.2% —
Median age 57 62
Median household income $143,000/yr
+47% vs other
 $76,180/yr
Median weekly rent $258/wk $436/wk
+69% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merricks Merricks Beach
0-4 2.2% / —
Merricks — 0-4: 2.2% Merricks Beach — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 10.9% / 8.9%
Merricks — 5-14: 10.9% Merricks Beach — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 6.0% / 7.6%
Merricks — 15-19: 6.0% Merricks Beach — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 2.2% / 3.2%
Merricks — 20-24: 2.2% Merricks Beach — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 2.7% / 2.5%
Merricks — 25-34: 2.7% Merricks Beach — 25-34: 2.5%
35-44 6.0% / 3.8%
Merricks — 35-44: 6.0% Merricks Beach — 35-44: 3.8%
45-54 15.2% / 12.1%
Merricks — 45-54: 15.2% Merricks Beach — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 22.8% / 22.9%
Merricks — 55-64: 22.8% Merricks Beach — 55-64: 22.9%
65-74 19.6% / 19.7%
Merricks — 65-74: 19.6% Merricks Beach — 65-74: 19.7%
75-84 10.3% / 17.2%
Merricks — 75-84: 10.3% Merricks Beach — 75-84: 17.2%
85+ 3.3% / 6.4%
Merricks — 85+: 3.3% Merricks Beach — 85+: 6.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merricks 51.2% lone person
Merricks — Lone Person: 51.2% Merricks — Couple Families: 41.5% Merricks — One Parent Families: 7.3% Merricks — Group Household: 0.0%
Merricks Beach 53.8% lone person
Merricks Beach — Lone Person: 53.8% Merricks Beach — Couple Families: 25.6% Merricks Beach — One Parent Families: 10.3% Merricks Beach — Group Household: 10.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merricks 7.6% renting
Merricks — Owned Outright: 59.5% Merricks — Mortgage: 32.9% Merricks — Renting: 7.6%
Merricks Beach 23.3% renting
Merricks Beach — Owned Outright: 60.3% Merricks Beach — Mortgage: 16.4% Merricks Beach — Renting: 23.3%
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.

Merricks Merricks Beach
England 8.2% / 7.0%
Merricks — England: 8.2% Merricks Beach — England: 7.0%
Iraq 3.3% / —
Merricks — Iraq: 3.3% Merricks Beach — Iraq: not among its largest
New Zealand 2.2% / —
Merricks — New Zealand: 2.2% Merricks Beach — New Zealand: not among its largest
South Africa 2.2% / —
Merricks — South Africa: 2.2% Merricks Beach — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.2%).

Qualifications

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

Merricks Merricks Beach
Bachelor Degree 23.4% / 29.3%
Merricks — Bachelor Degree: 23.4% Merricks Beach — Bachelor Degree: 29.3%
Postgraduate Degree 12.0% / 9.6%
Merricks — Postgraduate Degree: 12.0% Merricks Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 9.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 11.5%
Merricks — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Merricks Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.5%
Certificate III & IV 8.2% / 6.4%
Merricks — Certificate III & IV: 8.2% Merricks Beach — Certificate III & IV: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 4.5%
Merricks — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Merricks Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merricks 100.0% houses
Merricks — Houses: 100.0%
Merricks Beach 100.0% houses
Merricks Beach — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Merricks Merricks Beach
Median house price — $1,375,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Merricks has more rural and farming land (95% vs 0%).

Merricks Merricks Beach
Rural and farming 95% 0%
Residential 1% 75%
Parks and recreation 2% 23%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 0%
Planning zones cover 100% of Merricks and 98% of Merricks Beach. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Merricks Merricks Beach
New dwellings approved 791
across Mornington Peninsula
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Merricks Merricks Beach
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 99% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC

Liveability

Merricks Merricks Beach
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Merricks Beach carries more crime risk (77 vs 30); Merricks Beach carries more flood risk (35 vs 19).

Merricks Merricks Beach
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
30/100
 High
77/100
Flood Low
19/100
 Low
35/100
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

Merricks Merricks Beach
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Merricks Merricks Beach
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 13 0

Mobility

Merricks Merricks Beach
Walkability score 10/100 12/100
Distance to Melbourne 88.3 km 87.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 75 min 74 min
Electric vehicle share 3.1%
postcode 3916
 1.7%
postcode 3926
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 3916
 48
postcode 3926

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.

Merricks Merricks Beach
Worked from Home 50.0% / 49.1%
Merricks — Worked from Home: 50.0% Merricks Beach — Worked from Home: 49.1%
Car (driver) 44.0% / 50.9%
Merricks — Car (driver): 44.0% Merricks Beach — Car (driver): 50.9%
Walked Only 6.0% / —
Merricks — Walked Only: 6.0% Merricks Beach — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.9%).

Setting

Merricks Merricks Beach
Elevation 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.8 km 779 m

NBN connectivity

Merricks Merricks Beach
Connectivity score 30/100 85/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
137 premises
 73%
260 premises

Climate

Merricks Merricks Beach
Annual rainfall 696 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Merricks Merricks Beach
Average residential rate $1,659/yr
same for both
Council Mornington Peninsula
same for both

Federal electorate

Merricks Merricks Beach
Division Flinders
same for both
Member Zoe Mckenzie
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merricks Merricks Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merricks

Coastal Quiet Retirees River Rural

Merricks Beach

Coastal Professionals Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merricks

Merricks vs Balnarring Merricks vs Red Hill South Merricks vs Shoreham Merricks vs Merricks North Merricks vs Point Leo

Other comparisons with Merricks Beach

Merricks Beach vs Balnarring Merricks Beach vs Balnarring Beach
Full data on Merricks Full data on Merricks Beach
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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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