Merivale WA 6450
Merivale is a rural locality in Western Australia, 724 km from Perth CBD, around 8 hours 20 minutes by car. Population is 87; the median age is 53 and the median household income is $87,724 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 1.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $182 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,083. The area shows high bushfire risk and no recorded flood exposure. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 87. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025147 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 20% of its income on the median rent in postcode 6450.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Short-Stay Rentals
2 active Airbnb listings: 2 whole homes and 0 rooms.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2024Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 11.5 km
- Rate
- -0.04 m/yr
- Net Movement
- 0.0 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Merivale is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Merivale.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 16
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Esperance: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Merivale is home to 87 residents, with a median age of 53 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $88,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
87
Median Age
53
Median Household Income
$87,724/yr
Census Median Rent
$182/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,083/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$50,908/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
46.9%
Total Dwellings
32
Owner-Occupier Rate
100.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
10.8%
Mortgage Stress
14.8%
Work From Home
29.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 73.6%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.9%
- Employment Rate
- 60%
- Completed Year 12
- 37.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $4,175 a year through Esperance based on 2023 figures.
Building Approvals: Esperance
In the year to August 2026, 55 new dwellings were approved across Esperance. That mix is 41 houses and 14 units. Approvals are down 11.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Esperance, 25.9 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 72 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 11.5 km
- Annual rainfall
- 606 mm
- 87 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.8°C
- 11 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 9.0°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 6450, 18 of 13,104 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.8% (238 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 6450, 1,299 rooftop-solar systems totalling 8.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,824 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 53 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $800,000.
Cap is $800,000 SOUTH of the 26th parallel (which includes all of metropolitan Perth) and $1,000,000 NORTH of it. We store the southern figure because that is where almost every buyer is; the northern cap is higher, so the stored value never overstates eligibility. The southern cap rose from $750,000 on 7 May 2026 in the 2026-27 Housing Taxation Package. The same package moved the first home owner RATE OF DUTY thresholds, which is a different scheme and lives in the web repo's app/stamp_duty.py.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Rick Wilson Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rick Wilson | 36.7% | 63.3% | -6.6 |
| 2022 | Rick Wilson | 43.0% | 57.0% | -8.4 |
| 2019 | Rick Wilson | 35.5% | 64.5% | -0.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Peter Rundle The Nationals WA
Next state election: 10 March 2029.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Peter Rundle NP | 75.1% |
| 2021 | Peter Rundle NP | 61.1% |
| 2017 | Peter Rundle NP | 64.4% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2023, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Western Australian Electoral Commission.
Looking at a specific address in Merivale?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 87 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Merivale to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other WA suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Merivale
Is Merivale a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Merivale is low (21/100, ranked against other WA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Merivale?
Merivale has a moderate recorded bushfire history (60/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Merivale?
Merivale, WA had a population of 87 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Merivale, WA?
The postcode for Merivale, WA is 6450.
How far is Merivale from Perth?
Merivale is 724 km from Perth CBD by road, about 498 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Merivale?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merivale was $87,724 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Merivale?
There are too few current rental listings in Merivale for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $182, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Merivale?
The median age of residents in Merivale was 53 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Merivale at risk of bushfire?
Merivale has a moderate recorded bushfire history (60/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
What is the weather like in Merivale?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merivale, Esperance (25.9 km away), summer days average 25.8°C, winter nights 9°C, 606 mm of rain a year over 87 rainy days, and 11 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merivale?
First-home buyers in WA may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $800,000. The grant is administered by Department of Finance WA; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Merivale belong to?
Merivale sits within the Esperance local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Merivale?
The average residential rates bill through Esperance is $4,175 a year (2023). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Merivale?
Across Esperance, 55 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 11.1% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Merivale in?
Merivale sits within the federal Division of O'connor, currently held by Rick Wilson (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2023–24
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2025
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.