Merricks is a rural locality in Victoria, 88 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Population is 184; the median age is 57 and the median household income is $143,000 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The locality fell 3.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $258 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,500. Merricks is characterised by 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 184. 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 Merricks?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Short-Stay Rentals
5 active Airbnb listings: 5 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 4.7% of the locality's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Merricks safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Merricks sits in the low band, with 4 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
4 offences
100.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20257 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
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
Merricks is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, nearly all errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Merricks.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 137
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
Mornington Peninsula: 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
Merricks is home to 184 residents, with a median age of 57 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $143,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
184
Median Age
57
Median Household Income
$143,000/yr
Census Median Rent
$258/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,500/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$68,588/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
37.2%
Total Dwellings
78
Owner-Occupier Rate
92.4%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
9.4%
Mortgage Stress
29.4%
Work From Home
50.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.4%
- Employment Rate
- 56.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 57.6%
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 $1,659 a year through Mornington Peninsula based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 95%
- Parks and recreation 2%
- Residential 1%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
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: Mornington Peninsula
In the year to August 2026, 791 new dwellings were approved across Mornington Peninsula. That mix is 511 houses and 280 units. Approvals are up 9.2% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
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 Cerberus, 9.0 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 65 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.8 km
- Annual rainfall
- 696 mm
- 106 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 24.5°C
- 7 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.5°C
- 3 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 1.2 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Ethanol · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 3916, 34 of 1,084 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (22 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3916, 351 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 744 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 28 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.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3916 in 2025-26. The most was 2, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Zoe Mckenzie Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Zoe Mckenzie | 45.2% | 54.8% | +1.4 |
| 2022 | Zoe Mckenzie | 43.3% | 56.7% | +1.1 |
| 2019 | Greg Hunt | 44.4% | 55.6% | -1.4 |
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 Anthony Marsh Liberal — elected at the May 2026 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sam Groth LP | 50.5% | 43.3% | 56.7% |
| 2018 | Chris Brayne ALP | 50.9% | 50.9% | 49.1% |
| 2014 | Martin Dixon LP | 53.3% | 42.4% | 57.6% |
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 Merricks?
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 184 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
Balnarring VIC 3926
Red Hill South VIC 3937
Shoreham VIC 3916
Merricks North VIC 3926
Point Leo VIC 3916
Merricks Beach VIC 3926
Compare Merricks 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 Merricks
Is Merricks a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Merricks is low (30/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Merricks?
Merricks has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a low share of it (19/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Merricks?
Merricks, VIC had a population of 184 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Merricks, VIC?
The postcode for Merricks, VIC is 3916.
How far is Merricks from Melbourne?
Merricks is 88 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 75 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Merricks?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merricks was $143,000 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 Merricks?
There are too few current rental listings in Merricks for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $258, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Merricks?
The median age of residents in Merricks was 57 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Merricks walkable?
Merricks scores 10/100 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 Merricks?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merricks, Cerberus (9 km away), summer days average 24.5°C, winter nights 6.5°C, 696 mm of rain a year over 106 rainy days, and 7 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merricks?
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 Merricks belong to?
Merricks sits within the Mornington Peninsula local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Merricks?
The average residential rates bill through Mornington Peninsula is $1,659 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Merricks?
Across Mornington Peninsula, 791 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 9.2% 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 Merricks in?
Merricks sits within the federal Division of Flinders, currently held by Zoe Mckenzie (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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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