Merriwagga vs Hillston
Hillston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 49 in Merriwagga. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merriwagga, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Hillston: a median of $282,000, against $206,000 in Merriwagga, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Merriwagga tends to suit people living alone, couples, and older residents, while Hillston suits young adults.
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
Hillston
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (11 vs 2)
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
- But Merriwagga carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 68/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Merriwagga
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (7% vs 14%)
- has cheaper land ($40,000 vs $62,500)
- has cheaper houses ($206,000 vs $282,500)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Merriwagga
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($101/wk vs $220/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 15%)
- But Hillston has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 18%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Merriwagga
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (452 min vs 485 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (648.3 km vs 694 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Merriwagga
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 68/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 16%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Merriwagga
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (15.9% vs 5.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Merriwagga and Hillston 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
Hillston has more residents (1,547 vs 124); Hillston rents higher ($220/wk vs $101/wk).
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 124 | 1,547 +1148% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +15.9% | +5.6% |
| Median age | 49 | 36 |
| Median household income | $55,224/yr | $77,272/yr +40% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $101/wk | $220/wk +118% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).
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 (15.3%).
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 (3.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $206,000 | $282,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $40,000 | $62,500 |
Zoning mix
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 95% |
| Environmental | 1% | 5% |
| 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
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3 across Carrathool same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 4% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 15% of NSW | Higher than 45% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 44% of NSW | Higher than 1% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 95% of NSW | Higher than 96% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 4% of NSW | Higher than 22% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 23% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
Liveability
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 25/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Hillston carries more crime risk (68 vs 35).
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 18/100 | Low 26/100 |
| Crime | Low 35/100 | Moderate 68/100 |
| 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
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 2 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 2 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Merriwagga
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Hillston
- Hillston Central School Government · Combined at peers
- St Joseph's Parish School Catholic · Primary at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 4 |
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 11 |
| Childcare | 0 | 2 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Hospitals | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 3 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 0 | 83 |
Mobility
Hillston sits further from the CBD (694 km vs 648.3 km).
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 648.3 km | 694 km +7% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 452 min | 485 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 2652 | 0.2% postcode 2675 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 58 postcode 2652 | 58 postcode 2675 |
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 (69.1%).
Setting
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 104 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 117 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 48/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 21 premises | 11% 724 premises |
Council rates
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $510/yr same for both | |
| Council | Carrathool same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Farrer same for both | |
| Member | David Farley same for both | |
| Party | One Nation same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Merriwagga | Hillston | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Merriwagga
Hillston
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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.