Meru vs Moonyoonooka

Meru is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 43 in Moonyoonooka. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Moonyoonooka, most households are couple families. On these figures, Meru tends to suit young adults, while Moonyoonooka suits people living alone, 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

Moonyoonooka

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 31%)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 76/100)

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

First-home buyers

Moonyoonooka

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 29%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Moonyoonooka

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($271/wk vs $310/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Meru

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (411.8 km vs 419.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (272 min vs 277 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Moonyoonooka

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 2%)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 76/100)

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

Investors

Meru

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (525.7% vs 16.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Meru Moonyoonooka
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.

Meru Moonyoonooka
Walkability 0 / 0
Meru — Walkability: 0/100 Moonyoonooka — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 24 / 46
Meru — Safety: 24/100 Moonyoonooka — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 100 / 56
Meru — Low fire risk: 100/100 Moonyoonooka — Low fire risk: 56/100
Low flood risk 100 / 69
Meru — Low flood risk: 100/100 Moonyoonooka — Low flood risk: 69/100

Demographics

Moonyoonooka has more residents (286 vs 219); Moonyoonooka skews older (43 vs 35).

Meru Moonyoonooka
Population 219 286
+31% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +525.7% +16.7%
Median age 35 43
Median household income $84,500/yr $97,500/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+13% vs other
 $271/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Meru Moonyoonooka
0-4 — / 4.9%
Meru — 0-4: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 1.8% / 15.7%
Meru — 5-14: 1.8% Moonyoonooka — 5-14: 15.7%
15-19 3.7% / 7.7%
Meru — 15-19: 3.7% Moonyoonooka — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 9.6% / 4.2%
Meru — 20-24: 9.6% Moonyoonooka — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 34.2% / 7.7%
Meru — 25-34: 34.2% Moonyoonooka — 25-34: 7.7%
35-44 27.9% / 12.6%
Meru — 35-44: 27.9% Moonyoonooka — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 12.8% / 16.4%
Meru — 45-54: 12.8% Moonyoonooka — 45-54: 16.4%
55-64 7.8% / 12.9%
Meru — 55-64: 7.8% Moonyoonooka — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 — / 12.6%
Meru — 65-74: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 2.3% / 2.1%
Meru — 75-84: 2.3% Moonyoonooka — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ — / 1.4%
Meru — 85+: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Meru 30.8% couple families
Meru — Couple Families: 30.8% Meru — Lone Person: 23.1% Meru — Other Families: 46.2% Meru — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Moonyoonooka 56.6% couple families
Moonyoonooka — Couple Families: 56.6% Moonyoonooka — Lone Person: 35.8% Moonyoonooka — Other Families: 0.0% Moonyoonooka — One Parent Families: 7.5%
Couple Families Lone Person Other Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Meru 0.0% renting
Meru — Owned Outright: 75.0% Meru — Mortgage: 25.0% Meru — Renting: 0.0%
Moonyoonooka 12.3% renting
Moonyoonooka — Owned Outright: 49.3% Moonyoonooka — Mortgage: 38.4% Moonyoonooka — Renting: 12.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Meru 100.0% houses
Meru — Houses: 100.0% Meru — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Moonyoonooka 93.7% houses
Moonyoonooka — Houses: 93.7% Moonyoonooka — Flats / Apartments: 6.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Meru Moonyoonooka
Certificate III & IV 2.7% / 13.6%
Meru — Certificate III & IV: 2.7% Moonyoonooka — Certificate III & IV: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 5.6%
Meru — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Bachelor Degree 2.7% / 1.7%
Meru — Bachelor Degree: 2.7% Moonyoonooka — Bachelor Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.7%
Meru — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.0%
Meru — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.6%).

Development activity

Meru Moonyoonooka
New dwellings approved 183
across Greater Geraldton
same for both
Approvals change year on year -30%
same for both

Ranking within WA

Meru Moonyoonooka
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 48% of WA Higher than 65% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 37% of WA Higher than 58% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 9% of WA Higher than 24% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of WA Higher than 66% of WA

Liveability

Meru Moonyoonooka
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Moonyoonooka carries more bushfire risk (44 vs 0); Moonyoonooka carries more flood risk (31 vs 0).

Meru Moonyoonooka
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
44/100
Crime High
76/100
 Moderate
54/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
31/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Meru Moonyoonooka
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Meru Moonyoonooka
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Moonyoonooka sits further from the CBD (419.7 km vs 411.8 km).

Meru Moonyoonooka
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 411.8 km 419.7 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 272 min 277 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 6530
 0.2%
postcode 6532
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 6530
 60
postcode 6532

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.

Meru Moonyoonooka
Car (driver) 100.0% / 81.9%
Meru — Car (driver): 100.0% Moonyoonooka — Car (driver): 81.9%
Worked from Home — / 11.4%
Meru — Worked from Home: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — Worked from Home: 11.4%
Walked Only — / 3.8%
Meru — Walked Only: not among its largest Moonyoonooka — Walked Only: 3.8%
Car (passenger) — / 2.9%
Meru — Car (passenger): not among its largest Moonyoonooka — Car (passenger): 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Meru Moonyoonooka
Elevation 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 87 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.4 km 14.7 km

NBN connectivity

Meru Moonyoonooka
Connectivity score 86/100 42/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 80%
30 premises
 20%
180 premises

Climate

Meru Moonyoonooka
Annual rainfall 353 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Meru Moonyoonooka
Average residential rate $3,162/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geraldton
same for both

Federal electorate

Meru Moonyoonooka
Division Durack
same for both
Member Melissa Price
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Meru Moonyoonooka
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Meru

Multicultural Rural

Moonyoonooka

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Meru

Meru vs Deepdale

Other comparisons with Moonyoonooka

Moonyoonooka vs Deepdale Moonyoonooka vs Moresby Moonyoonooka vs Narra Tarra Moonyoonooka vs Georgina
Full data on Meru Full data on Moonyoonooka
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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.

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