Merrygoen vs Mendooran
Merrygoen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 45 in Mendooran. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merrygoen, most households are people living alone. In Mendooran, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Merrygoen: a median of $412,000, against $300,000 in Mendooran, though rent is higher in Mendooran. On these figures, Merrygoen tends to suit people living alone, while Mendooran suits older residents and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Mendooran
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (47% vs 37%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Mendooran
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($300,000 vs $412,000)
Weighs house prices.
Renters
Merrygoen
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 15%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $205/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 22%)
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
- Merrygoen sits closer to the CBD (399.6 km vs 404.3 km)
- Mendooran has a shorter drive in (334 min vs 343 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Mendooran
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 16%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Mendooran
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (12.0% vs -31.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Merrygoen and Mendooran 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
Mendooran has more residents (626 vs 79); Mendooran rents higher ($205/wk vs $150/wk).
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 79 | 626 +692% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -31.3% | +12.0% |
| Median age | 41 | 45 |
| Median household income | $46,800/yr | $48,256/yr +3% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk | $205/wk +37% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).
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 (22.8%).
Property market
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $412,000 | $300,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $100,000 |
Zoning mix
Merrygoen has more rural and farming land (100% vs 88%); Mendooran has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 0%).
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 88% |
| Environmental | 0% | 12% |
| 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
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 10 across Warrumbungle | 12 across Gilgandra |
| Approvals change year on year | -75% | — |
Ranking within NSW
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 11% of NSW | Higher than 5% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 9% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 19% of NSW | Higher than 23% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 73% of NSW | Higher than 92% of NSW |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 10% of NSW | Higher than 12% of NSW |
Liveability
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 14/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
Mendooran carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 0).
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 34/100 |
| Crime | High 88/100 | 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
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Merrygoen
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Mendooran
- Mendooran Central School Government · Combined above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 3 | 11 |
Mobility
Mendooran sits further from the CBD (404.3 km vs 399.6 km).
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 399.6 km | 404.3 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 343 min | 334 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 2831 | 0.0% postcode 2842 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | — postcode 2831 | 63 postcode 2842 |
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 (57.1%).
Setting
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 497 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 342 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 19 premises | 0% 62 premises |
Climate
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 640 mm | 605 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.2°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.1°C | — |
Council rates
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $671/yr | $800/yr |
| Council | Warrumbungle | Gilgandra |
Federal electorate
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Parkes same for both | |
| Member | Jamie Chaffey same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Merrygoen | Mendooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Merrygoen
Mendooran
More comparisons
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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.