Merriwa vs Gungal

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gungal, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Gungal: a median of $572,000, against $402,000 in Merriwa, though rent is higher in Merriwa. On these figures, Merriwa tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Gungal suits share households and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Merriwa has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • Gungal carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 73/100)

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

First-home buyers

Merriwa

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($402,500 vs $572,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 31%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Gungal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $245/wk)
  • But Merriwa has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 15%)

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

Commuting to the city

Gungal

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (208 min vs 231 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (288.7 km vs 318.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gungal

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (12/100 vs 73/100)

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

Investors

Merriwa

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.6% vs -30.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Merriwa Gungal
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.

Merriwa Gungal
Walkability 0 / 0
Merriwa — Walkability: 0/100 Gungal — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 27 / 88
Merriwa — Safety: 27/100 Gungal — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 51 / 29
Merriwa — Low fire risk: 51/100 Gungal — Low fire risk: 29/100

Demographics

Merriwa has more residents (1,825 vs 186); Merriwa rents higher ($245/wk vs $200/wk).

Merriwa Gungal
Population 1,825
+90% vs other
 186
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% -30.6%
Median age 45
same for both
Median household income $62,816/yr $69,316/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $245/wk
+18% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merriwa Gungal
0-4 5.4% / 1.6%
Merriwa — 0-4: 5.4% Gungal — 0-4: 1.6%
5-14 14.4% / 16.7%
Merriwa — 5-14: 14.4% Gungal — 5-14: 16.7%
15-19 5.4% / 8.1%
Merriwa — 15-19: 5.4% Gungal — 15-19: 8.1%
20-24 4.4% / 2.7%
Merriwa — 20-24: 4.4% Gungal — 20-24: 2.7%
25-34 9.8% / 3.8%
Merriwa — 25-34: 9.8% Gungal — 25-34: 3.8%
35-44 10.5% / 14.5%
Merriwa — 35-44: 10.5% Gungal — 35-44: 14.5%
45-54 11.6% / 16.1%
Merriwa — 45-54: 11.6% Gungal — 45-54: 16.1%
55-64 13.6% / 15.1%
Merriwa — 55-64: 13.6% Gungal — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 13.4% / 12.4%
Merriwa — 65-74: 13.4% Gungal — 65-74: 12.4%
75-84 7.2% / 3.2%
Merriwa — 75-84: 7.2% Gungal — 75-84: 3.2%
85+ 3.8% / 4.3%
Merriwa — 85+: 3.8% Gungal — 85+: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merriwa 37.0% couple families
Merriwa — Couple Families: 37.0% Merriwa — Lone Person: 43.9% Merriwa — One Parent Families: 15.2% Merriwa — Group Household: 3.0% Merriwa — Other Families: 0.9%
Gungal 60.5% couple families
Gungal — Couple Families: 60.5% Gungal — Lone Person: 18.6% Gungal — One Parent Families: 7.0% Gungal — Group Household: 14.0% Gungal — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merriwa 25.8% renting
Merriwa — Owned Outright: 46.4% Merriwa — Mortgage: 27.8% Merriwa — Renting: 25.8%
Gungal 15.2% renting
Gungal — Owned Outright: 39.4% Gungal — Mortgage: 45.5% Gungal — Renting: 15.2%
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.

Merriwa Gungal
England 1.5% / 3.8%
Merriwa — England: 1.5% Gungal — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Merriwa — New Zealand: 1.2% Gungal — New Zealand: not among its largest
Nepal 0.5% / —
Merriwa — Nepal: 0.5% Gungal — Nepal: not among its largest
Vietnam 0.4% / —
Merriwa — Vietnam: 0.4% Gungal — Vietnam: not among its largest
Philippines 0.4% / —
Merriwa — Philippines: 0.4% Gungal — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

Qualifications

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

Merriwa Gungal
Certificate III & IV 15.9% / 22.6%
Merriwa — Certificate III & IV: 15.9% Gungal — Certificate III & IV: 22.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 6.5%
Merriwa — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Gungal — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Bachelor Degree 6.7% / 3.2%
Merriwa — Bachelor Degree: 6.7% Gungal — Bachelor Degree: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / —
Merriwa — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Gungal — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.5% / —
Merriwa — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5% Gungal — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merriwa 95.3% houses
Merriwa — Houses: 95.3% Merriwa — Flats / Apartments: 1.7% Merriwa — Townhouses: 3.0%
Gungal 92.8% houses
Gungal — Houses: 92.8% Gungal — Flats / Apartments: 7.2% Gungal — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Merriwa Gungal
Median house price $402,500 $572,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $248,750 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 72 days
from 22 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Gungal has more land zoned for conservation (27% vs 16%); Merriwa has more rural and farming land (84% vs 72%).

Merriwa Gungal
Rural and farming 84% 72%
Environmental 16% 27%
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

Merriwa Gungal
New dwellings approved 41
across Upper Hunter
same for both
Approvals change year on year -20%
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.

Merriwa Gungal
Houses 4.2%
$420/wk on $515K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Merriwa Gungal
House price Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
Income Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
EV adoption — Higher than 16% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 83% of NSW —

Liveability

Merriwa Gungal
Grade D —
Score 16/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Merriwa carries more crime risk (73 vs 12); Gungal carries more bushfire risk (71 vs 49).

Merriwa Gungal
Bushfire Moderate
49/100
 High
71/100
Crime High
73/100
 Low
12/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
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

Merriwa Gungal
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Merriwa

  • Merriwa Central School Government · Combined above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers

Schools in Gungal

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

Amenities in the suburb

Merriwa Gungal
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 275 21

Mobility

Merriwa sits further from the CBD (318.6 km vs 288.7 km).

Merriwa Gungal
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 318.6 km
+9% vs other
 288.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 231 min 208 min
Public transport score 35/100
Bus
 19/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 13.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 2329
 0.2%
postcode 2333
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 2329
 42
postcode 2333

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.

Merriwa Gungal
Car (driver) 67.2% / 76.9%
Merriwa — Car (driver): 67.2% Gungal — Car (driver): 76.9%
Worked from Home 18.0% / 12.3%
Merriwa — Worked from Home: 18.0% Gungal — Worked from Home: 12.3%
Walked Only 9.0% / 4.6%
Merriwa — Walked Only: 9.0% Gungal — Walked Only: 4.6%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 6.2%
Merriwa — Car (passenger): 5.1% Gungal — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Bus 0.7% / —
Merriwa — Bus: 0.7% Gungal — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.9%).

Setting

Merriwa Gungal
Elevation 433 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 254 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Merriwa Gungal
Connectivity score 27/100 15/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
883 premises
 0%
48 premises

Climate

Merriwa Gungal
Annual rainfall 659 mm 631 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 31.6°C
Winter min (Jul) — 4.1°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Merriwa Gungal
PM2.5 4.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.31 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Merriwa Gungal
Average residential rate $968/yr
same for both
Council Upper Hunter
same for both

Federal electorate

Merriwa Gungal
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merriwa Gungal
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merriwa

Affordable Rural

Gungal

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merriwa

Merriwa vs Cassilis Merriwa vs Giants Creek Merriwa vs Bunnan Merriwa vs Baerami Merriwa vs Widden Merriwa vs Parraweena

Other comparisons with Gungal

Gungal vs Sandy Hollow Gungal vs Giants Creek Gungal vs Baerami
Full data on Merriwa Full data on Gungal
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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