Merriang sits 285 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 3 hours 10 minutes by car. Census data records 182 residents with a median age of 47 and a median household income of $96,200 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The locality grew 2.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $300 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. Merriang is characterised by high flood risk and no recorded bushfire 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 182. 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.
How do you rate the liveability in Merriang?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025109 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3737.
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.
Is Merriang safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Merriang sits in the low band, with 3 incidents recorded in 2026.
3 offences
no change since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Walkability
Merriang is very car-dependent on foot — at 4/100, 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 Merriang.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 63
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
Alpine: 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
Merriang is home to 182 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $96,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
182
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$96,200/yr
Census Median Rent
$300/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$37,908/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
4.7%
Total Dwellings
64
Owner-Occupier Rate
88.7%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
16.2%
Mortgage Stress
27.0%
Work From Home
15.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 79.1%
- Employment Rate
- 58.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.7%
Occupations
Religion
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, 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 $1,945 a year through Alpine based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 91%
- Parks and recreation 6%
- Residential 3%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Alpine
In the year to August 2026, 32 new dwellings were approved across Alpine. That mix is 28 houses and 4 units. Approvals are down 41.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Taungurung Land and Waters Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2009).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Mount Buffalo Chalet, 21.1 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 231 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 1,451 mm
- 84 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
3 facilities within 5 km- 2.4 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 2.8 kmIndustrial Gas ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.1 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
EV adoption
In postcode 3737, 14 of 4,599 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (70 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3737, 1,018 rooftop-solar systems totalling 7.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,050 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 57 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 $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
2 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3737 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 30, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Helen Haines Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Helen Haines | 43.3% | 56.7% | -1.4 |
| 2022 | Helen Haines | 44.7% | 55.3% | -7.5 |
| 2019 | Helen Haines | 37.3% | 62.7% | +7.7 |
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 Tim McCurdy The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tim McCurdy NP | 52.1% | 32.0% | 68.0% |
| 2018 | Tim McCurdy NP | 51.9% | 37.4% | 62.6% |
| 2014 | Tim McCurdy NP | 55.5% | 33.4% | 66.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Merriang?
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 182 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 Merriang to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Merriang
Is Merriang a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Merriang is low (24/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Merriang?
Merriang has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (79/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Merriang?
Merriang, VIC had a population of 182 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Merriang, VIC?
The postcode for Merriang, VIC is 3737.
How far is Merriang from Melbourne?
Merriang is 285 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 191 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Merriang?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merriang was $96,200 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 Merriang?
There are too few current rental listings in Merriang for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $300, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Merriang?
The median age of residents in Merriang was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Merriang walkable?
Merriang scores 4/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Merriang?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merriang, Mount Buffalo Chalet (21.1 km away), 1,451 mm of rain a year over 84 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merriang?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Merriang belong to?
Merriang sits within the Alpine local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Merriang?
The average residential rates bill through Alpine is $1,945 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Merriang?
Across Alpine, 32 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 41.7% 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 Merriang in?
Merriang sits within the federal Division of Indi, currently held by Helen Haines (Independent).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2022
- 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.
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