Merrigum vs Lancaster
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lancaster, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Merrigum tends to suit people living alone, while Lancaster 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
Lancaster
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 56/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 53%)
- But Merrigum has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
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
Merrigum
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (20% vs 4%)
- has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Merrigum sits closer to the CBD (195.1 km vs 201.9 km)
- Lancaster is more walkable (19/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Lancaster
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (19/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 56/100)
Weighs 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
Merrigum and Lancaster 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
Merrigum has more residents (679 vs 398); Lancaster has higher household incomes ($75,608 vs $53,560).
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 679 +41% vs other | 398 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.0% | +1.3% |
| Median age | 47 same for both | |
| Median household income | $53,560/yr | $75,608/yr +41% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $180/wk | $200/wk +11% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).
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 (3.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $312,500 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $650,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 87 days from 3 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 98% |
| Residential | 2% | 1% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 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
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 649 across Greater Shepparton | 264 across Campaspe |
| Approvals change year on year | -23% | +63% |
Ranking within VIC
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 12% of VIC | Higher than 42% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 26% of VIC | Higher than 79% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 8% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of VIC | Higher than 56% of VIC |
Liveability
Lancaster is more walkable (19 vs 0).
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 19/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Lancaster carries more bushfire risk (23 vs 0); Merrigum carries more crime risk (56 vs 37).
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 23/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 56/100 | Low 37/100 |
| Flood | High 88/100 | Moderate 67/100 |
| 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
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Merrigum
- Merrigum Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Lancaster
- Lancaster Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Childcare | 1 same for both | |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Lancaster sits further from the CBD (201.9 km vs 195.1 km).
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 19/100 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 195.1 km | 201.9 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 139 min | 141 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3618 | 0.2% postcode 3620 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 68 postcode 3618 | 55 postcode 3620 |
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 (75.9%).
Setting
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 113 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 106 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 309 premises | 0% 162 premises |
Climate
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 436 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.1°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.8°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,449/yr | $2,035/yr |
| Council | Greater Shepparton | Campaspe |
Federal electorate
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Nicholls same for both | |
| Member | Sam Birrell same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Merrigum | Lancaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Merrigum
Lancaster
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Merrigum
Other comparisons with Lancaster
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.