Merriwa vs Wollar
Wollar is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 45 in Merriwa. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merriwa, most households own their home. In Wollar, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Wollar: a median of $680,000, against $402,000 in Merriwa, though rent is higher in Merriwa. On these figures, Merriwa tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Wollar suits renters, families with children, 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
Merriwa
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
- has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 90/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Merriwa
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($402,500 vs $680,000)
Weighs house prices.
Renters
Wollar
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (73% vs 26%)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 20%)
- has cheaper rent ($163/wk vs $245/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Merriwa
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (231 min vs 260 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (318.6 km vs 355.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Merriwa
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 90/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Merriwa
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.6% vs -24.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Merriwa and Wollar 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
Merriwa has more residents (1,825 vs 52); Wollar has higher household incomes ($97,500 vs $62,816).
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,825 +97% vs other | 52 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.6% | -24.6% |
| Median age | 45 | 35 |
| Median household income | $62,816/yr | $97,500/yr +55% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $245/wk +33% vs other | $163/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).
Property market
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $402,500 | $680,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $248,750 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 72 days from 22 sales | — |
Zoning mix
Merriwa has more rural and farming land (84% vs 52%); Wollar has more land zoned for conservation (44% vs 16%).
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 84% | 52% |
| Environmental | 16% | 44% |
| Residential | 0% | 4% |
| 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 | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 41 across Upper Hunter | 131 across Mid-Western |
| Approvals change year on year | -20% | -4% |
Gross rental yield
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4.2% $420/wk on $515K | — |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 25% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 25% of NSW | Higher than 65% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 41% of NSW | Higher than 7% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 87% of NSW | Higher than 85% of NSW |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 23% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 40% of NSW | Higher than 4% of NSW |
| Rental yield (houses) | Higher than 83% of NSW | — |
Liveability
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 16/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Wollar carries more crime risk (90 vs 73).
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 49/100 | Moderate 58/100 |
| Crime | High 73/100 | High 90/100 |
| 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 | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Wollar
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 1 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 275 | 14 |
Mobility
Wollar sits further from the CBD (355.1 km vs 318.6 km).
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 318.6 km | 355.1 km +11% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 231 min | 260 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 2329 | 0.2% postcode 2850 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 46 postcode 2329 | 50 postcode 2850 |
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 (67.2%).
Setting
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 433 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 391 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 27/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 883 premises | 0% 9 premises |
Climate
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 659 mm | 665 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 30.3°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 1.8°C |
Council rates
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $968/yr | $1,083/yr |
| Council | Upper Hunter | Mid-Western |
Federal electorate
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | New England | Calare |
| Member | Barnaby Joyce | Andrew Gee |
| Party | The Nationals | Independent |
First Home Owner Grant
| Merriwa | Wollar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Merriwa
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Merriwa
Other comparisons with Wollar
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.