Strathbogie vs Merton

Merton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 57 in Strathbogie. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Strathbogie, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Strathbogie tends to suit people living alone.

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

Strathbogie

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 88/100)
  • But Merton is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 41%)

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

First-home buyers

Strathbogie

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 32%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Merton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Merton

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (151.2 km vs 189.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (130 min vs 139 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Strathbogie carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 88/100)
  • Merton is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Strathbogie Merton
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.

Strathbogie Merton
Walkability 0 / 23
Strathbogie — Walkability: 0/100 Merton — Walkability: 23/100
Safety 62 / 12
Strathbogie — Safety: 62/100 Merton — Safety: 12/100
Low fire risk 38 / 35
Strathbogie — Low fire risk: 38/100 Merton — Low fire risk: 35/100
Low flood risk 100 / 68
Strathbogie — Low flood risk: 100/100 Merton — Low flood risk: 68/100

Demographics

Strathbogie has more residents (351 vs 216); Strathbogie rents higher ($250/wk vs $200/wk).

Strathbogie Merton
Population 351
+38% vs other
 216
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.5% +13.7%
Median age 57 53
Median household income $59,852/yr
+5% vs other
 $56,732/yr
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+20% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Strathbogie Merton
0-4 2.0% / 5.1%
Strathbogie — 0-4: 2.0% Merton — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 9.1% / 8.3%
Strathbogie — 5-14: 9.1% Merton — 5-14: 8.3%
15-19 2.6% / 5.6%
Strathbogie — 15-19: 2.6% Merton — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 2.3% / 1.4%
Strathbogie — 20-24: 2.3% Merton — 20-24: 1.4%
25-34 5.1% / 5.6%
Strathbogie — 25-34: 5.1% Merton — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 5.7% / 13.9%
Strathbogie — 35-44: 5.7% Merton — 35-44: 13.9%
45-54 17.1% / 14.4%
Strathbogie — 45-54: 17.1% Merton — 45-54: 14.4%
55-64 22.8% / 16.7%
Strathbogie — 55-64: 22.8% Merton — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 23.1% / 21.8%
Strathbogie — 65-74: 23.1% Merton — 65-74: 21.8%
75-84 9.1% / 7.4%
Strathbogie — 75-84: 9.1% Merton — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 0.9% / —
Strathbogie — 85+: 0.9% Merton — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Strathbogie 55.4% lone person
Strathbogie — Lone Person: 55.4% Strathbogie — Couple Families: 31.3% Strathbogie — One Parent Families: 9.6% Strathbogie — Group Household: 3.6%
Merton 43.6% lone person
Merton — Lone Person: 43.6% Merton — Couple Families: 38.2% Merton — One Parent Families: 12.7% Merton — Group Household: 5.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Strathbogie 9.0% renting
Strathbogie — Owned Outright: 66.2% Strathbogie — Mortgage: 24.8% Strathbogie — Renting: 9.0%
Merton 4.8% renting
Merton — Owned Outright: 59.5% Merton — Mortgage: 35.7% Merton — Renting: 4.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Strathbogie Merton
England 4.8% / 2.3%
Strathbogie — England: 4.8% Merton — England: 2.3%
New Zealand 2.0% / 1.9%
Strathbogie — New Zealand: 2.0% Merton — New Zealand: 1.9%
South Africa 1.1% / —
Strathbogie — South Africa: 1.1% Merton — South Africa: not among its largest
Netherlands 1.1% / —
Strathbogie — Netherlands: 1.1% Merton — Netherlands: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Strathbogie — Italy: 0.9% Merton — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

Qualifications

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

Strathbogie Merton
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 18.1%
Strathbogie — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Merton — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 14.8%
Strathbogie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Merton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.8%
Bachelor Degree 13.4% / 6.9%
Strathbogie — Bachelor Degree: 13.4% Merton — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / 3.2%
Strathbogie — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Merton — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / 3.2%
Strathbogie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Merton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Strathbogie 97.9% houses
Strathbogie — Houses: 97.9% Strathbogie — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Merton 101.1% houses
Merton — Houses: 101.1% Merton — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Strathbogie Merton
Median house price $565,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $645,000 —

Zoning mix

Merton has more rural and farming land (97% vs 81%).

Strathbogie Merton
Rural and farming 81% 97%
Parks and recreation 17% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
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

Strathbogie Merton
New dwellings approved 75
across Strathbogie
 76
across Mansfield
Approvals change year on year +167% -50%

Ranking within VIC

Strathbogie Merton
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 15% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC

Liveability

Merton is more walkable (23 vs 0).

Strathbogie Merton
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Merton carries more flood risk (32 vs 0); Merton carries more crime risk (88 vs 38).

Strathbogie Merton
Bushfire Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Low
38/100
 High
88/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
32/100
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

Strathbogie Merton
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Strathbogie

  • Peranbin Primary College-Strathbogie Campus Government · Primary

Schools in Merton

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

Amenities in the suburb

Strathbogie Merton
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 5 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 5 3

Mobility

Strathbogie sits further from the CBD (189.5 km vs 151.2 km).

Strathbogie Merton
Walkability score 0/100 23/100
Distance to Melbourne 189.5 km
+20% vs other
 151.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 139 min 130 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3666
 0.6%
postcode 3715
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 3666
 35
postcode 3715

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.

Strathbogie Merton
Car (driver) 60.5% / 61.1%
Strathbogie — Car (driver): 60.5% Merton — Car (driver): 61.1%
Worked from Home 31.9% / 25.6%
Strathbogie — Worked from Home: 31.9% Merton — Worked from Home: 25.6%
Walked Only 5.0% / 6.7%
Strathbogie — Walked Only: 5.0% Merton — Walked Only: 6.7%
Car (passenger) 2.5% / 6.7%
Strathbogie — Car (passenger): 2.5% Merton — Car (passenger): 6.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.1%).

Setting

Strathbogie Merton
Elevation 517 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 343 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Strathbogie Merton
Connectivity score 28/100 16/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
194 premises
 0%
63 premises

Climate

Strathbogie Merton
Annual rainfall 865 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 2.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Strathbogie Merton
Average residential rate $2,476/yr $1,697/yr
Council Strathbogie Mansfield

Federal electorate

Strathbogie Merton
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Strathbogie Merton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Strathbogie

Affordable Retirees Rural

Merton

Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Strathbogie

Strathbogie vs Bonnie Doon Strathbogie vs Gooram Strathbogie vs Ancona Strathbogie vs Kelvin View Strathbogie vs Kithbrook

Other comparisons with Merton

Merton vs Gooram Merton vs Gobur Merton vs Ancona Merton vs Terip Terip Merton vs Woodfield Merton vs Kanumbra
Full data on Strathbogie Full data on Merton
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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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