Southern Brook vs Meckering

Southern Brook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 45 in Meckering. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Southern Brook, the large majority of households are couple families. In Meckering, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Southern Brook tends to suit families with children and couples, while Meckering suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Southern Brook

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 74/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (84% vs 50%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Southern Brook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $183/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Southern Brook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (117.8 km vs 138.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (97 min vs 111 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Southern Brook carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 74/100)
  • Meckering has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 9%)

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

Investors

Southern Brook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.2% vs -1.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Southern Brook Meckering
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.

Southern Brook Meckering
Walkability 0 / 0
Southern Brook — Walkability: 0/100 Meckering — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 77 / 26
Southern Brook — Safety: 77/100 Meckering — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 100 / 69
Southern Brook — Low fire risk: 100/100 Meckering — Low fire risk: 69/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Southern Brook — Low flood risk: 100/100 Meckering — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Meckering has more residents (232 vs 91); Southern Brook has higher household incomes ($97,448 vs $56,316).

Southern Brook Meckering
Population 91 232
+155% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.2% -1.7%
Median age 42 45
Median household income $97,448/yr
+42% vs other
 $56,316/yr
Median weekly rent $150/wk $183/wk
+22% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Southern Brook Meckering
0-4 7.7% / 6.0%
Southern Brook — 0-4: 7.7% Meckering — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 23.1% / 13.4%
Southern Brook — 5-14: 23.1% Meckering — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 8.8% / 5.2%
Southern Brook — 15-19: 8.8% Meckering — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 3.3% / 2.2%
Southern Brook — 20-24: 3.3% Meckering — 20-24: 2.2%
25-34 — / 6.5%
Southern Brook — 25-34: not among its largest Meckering — 25-34: 6.5%
35-44 15.4% / 14.2%
Southern Brook — 35-44: 15.4% Meckering — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 15.4% / 9.5%
Southern Brook — 45-54: 15.4% Meckering — 45-54: 9.5%
55-64 23.1% / 16.4%
Southern Brook — 55-64: 23.1% Meckering — 55-64: 16.4%
65-74 8.8% / 19.0%
Southern Brook — 65-74: 8.8% Meckering — 65-74: 19.0%
75-84 — / 5.2%
Southern Brook — 75-84: not among its largest Meckering — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ — / 2.2%
Southern Brook — 85+: not among its largest Meckering — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Southern Brook 84.2% couple families
Southern Brook — Couple Families: 84.2% Southern Brook — Lone Person: 15.8% Southern Brook — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Meckering 39.3% couple families
Meckering — Couple Families: 39.3% Meckering — Lone Person: 50.0% Meckering — One Parent Families: 10.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Southern Brook 14.3% renting
Southern Brook — Owned Outright: 57.1% Southern Brook — Mortgage: 28.6% Southern Brook — Renting: 14.3%
Meckering 11.7% renting
Meckering — Owned Outright: 55.8% Meckering — Mortgage: 32.5% Meckering — Renting: 11.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Southern Brook Meckering
Certificate III & IV 9.9% / 12.5%
Southern Brook — Certificate III & IV: 9.9% Meckering — Certificate III & IV: 12.5%
Bachelor Degree 12.1% / 2.2%
Southern Brook — Bachelor Degree: 12.1% Meckering — Bachelor Degree: 2.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.4% / 4.3%
Southern Brook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4% Meckering — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.5%).

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.

Southern Brook Meckering
England 4.4% / 4.3%
Southern Brook — England: 4.4% Meckering — England: 4.3%
New Zealand — / 4.3%
Southern Brook — New Zealand: not among its largest Meckering — New Zealand: 4.3%
Philippines 3.3% / —
Southern Brook — Philippines: 3.3% Meckering — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa — / 1.7%
Southern Brook — South Africa: not among its largest Meckering — South Africa: 1.7%
Netherlands — / 1.3%
Southern Brook — Netherlands: not among its largest Meckering — Netherlands: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Southern Brook 92.9% houses
Southern Brook — Houses: 92.9% Southern Brook — Flats / Apartments: 7.1%
Meckering 100.0% houses
Meckering — Houses: 100.0% Meckering — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Southern Brook Meckering
Median house price — $400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Southern Brook Meckering
New dwellings approved 85
across Northam
 6
across Cunderdin
Approvals change year on year -68% —

Ranking within WA

Southern Brook Meckering
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 62% of WA Higher than 13% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 47% of WA Higher than 44% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 30% of WA —
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of WA Higher than 26% of WA

Liveability

Southern Brook Meckering
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Meckering carries more bushfire risk (31 vs 0); Meckering carries more crime risk (74 vs 23).

Southern Brook Meckering
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
31/100
Crime Low
23/100
 High
74/100
Flood None
0/100
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

Southern Brook Meckering
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Southern Brook

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

Schools in Meckering

  • Meckering Primary School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Southern Brook Meckering
Parks & reserves 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 6

Mobility

Meckering sits further from the CBD (138.8 km vs 117.8 km).

Southern Brook Meckering
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 117.8 km 138.8 km
+18% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 97 min 111 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 6401
 0.0%
postcode 6405
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 6401
 35
postcode 6405

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.

Southern Brook Meckering
Car (driver) 62.2% / 66.2%
Southern Brook — Car (driver): 62.2% Meckering — Car (driver): 66.2%
Worked from Home 37.8% / 11.7%
Southern Brook — Worked from Home: 37.8% Meckering — Worked from Home: 11.7%
Car (passenger) — / 11.7%
Southern Brook — Car (passenger): not among its largest Meckering — Car (passenger): 11.7%
Bus — / 5.2%
Southern Brook — Bus: not among its largest Meckering — Bus: 5.2%
Walked Only — / 5.2%
Southern Brook — Walked Only: not among its largest Meckering — Walked Only: 5.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.2%).

Setting

Southern Brook Meckering
Elevation 219 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 244 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Southern Brook Meckering
Connectivity score 22/100 15/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
27 premises
 0%
74 premises

Climate

Southern Brook Meckering
Annual rainfall 399 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 34.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Southern Brook Meckering
Average residential rate $2,471/yr $3,921/yr
Council Northam Cunderdin

Federal electorate

Southern Brook Meckering
Division Bullwinkel Durack
Member Trish Cook Melissa Price
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Southern Brook Meckering
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Southern Brook

Family Rural

Meckering

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Southern Brook

Southern Brook vs Grass Valley Southern Brook vs Jennapullin Southern Brook vs Malabaine

Other comparisons with Meckering

Meckering vs Warding East Meckering vs Waeel
Full data on Southern Brook Full data on Meckering
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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