Merrijig VIC 3723

Merrijig sits 213 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 3 hours 5 minutes by car. Census data records 721 residents with a median age of 32 and a median household income of $91,624 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 31.3% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $320 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. The area shows high bushfire risk and no recorded flood exposure. 2 schools sit within the locality boundary, and walkability is low.

Is Merrijig a good place to live?

Merrijig scores a B (53/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on community, weaker on transit and safety.

Schools

Mixed results

2 schools

Transit

Car-dependent

Walkability 0/100 · 212.9 km · 185 min drive to Melbourne

Prices

Median available

Median $760K

Safety

High bushfire risk

Fire 87/100 · Crime 17/100 · Flood 0/100

Community

Very advantaged

SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 32 · 721 residents

B

Liveability Rating

53 / 100 · Ranked #391 in VIC

Each bar is Merrijig's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.

Schools quality no data
too few schools to rate
Safety
73
Bushfire High · Crime Low · Flood None
Socio-economic
73
Very advantaged
Walkability
9
Very car-dependent
CBD access
15
212.9 km · 185 min drive to Melbourne
How it's calculated: Safety rank 73 × 25% + Socio-economic rank 73 × 25% + Walkability rank 9 × 15% + CBD access rank 15 × 10% = 53 / 100. Missing components rebalance the remaining weights.

How do you rate the liveability in Merrijig?

Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.

Our score

53 / 100

From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.

Residents say

…

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What applies here? (optional)

One rating per person. You can change yours at any time.

Median House Price

Public listings data

The median house sale price in Merrijig sits at $760,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only nine sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.

Houses

$760,000

Based on only 9 sales — small sample, take as indicative.

By bedrooms

  • 3 bed 5 sales $760K

Land

$690,500

Based on only 4 sales — small sample, take as indicative.

Currently for Sale

Last 6 months

Houses in Merrijig are currently listed at around $945,000 on average, with the typical listing on the market for 1 days. Based on 25 houses listed in the past six months.

$945K

↓ −30.0% vs previous 6 months from $1.35M

25 houses listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 1 days.

26 of the suburb's 167 dwellings (15.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.

Rental Market

Advertised rents · last 6 months

Houses in Merrijig rent for around $600 a week on average, based on 5 houses listed for rent in the past six months.

$600/wk

5 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.

Gross rental yield

Indicative
House
3.3% around the typical range

$600/week ($31,000 a year) on a $945,000 median

Based on a small sample (5 listings) — indicative only.

Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Is Merrijig safe? Crime statistics

2026

Crime in Merrijig sits in the low band, with 7 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 133% on the prior year.

7 offences

133.3% since 2025
Theft 3 (42.9%)
Fraud & Deception 2 (28.6%)
Assault 1 (14.3%)
Drug Offences 1 (14.3%)

Crime Trend

Serious Road Crashes

2021–2025

1 crash

where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal

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

Two schools serve Merrijig, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.

38
out of 100
Weak
2 schools in this locality
1 below similar · 1 unrated
  • • 16 students in one school (avg 16)
  • • Sectors: 1 Independent, 1 Government
  • • Largest: Merrijig Primary School (16 students)

Primary

Government · Prep-6 · 16 students
ICSEA 918 (higher than 15% of Australian schools) · 3% top-SEA students
Below similar

Combined

Geelong Grammar School - Timbertop Campus
Independent

Walkability

Merrijig is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.

0
out of 100
Very Car-Dependent
Public Transport within 1 km not measured
Schools within 1.5 km 0
Parks within 800 m 0
Supermarkets within 1 km 0
GPs within 1 km 0
Pharmacies within 1 km 0
Childcare within 1 km 0
Hospitals within 5 km 0

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 Merrijig.

25
connectivity score / 100
Most common
Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share
0%
Premises covered
268
Technology mix
Fixed wireless (WIRELESS) 66%
Satellite (Sky Muster) (SATELLITE) 34%

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

Supermarkets
None
Shopping Centres
None
Cafes & Restaurants
2 in locality
Parks & Reserves
1 in locality
Sport & Recreation
1 in locality
Beaches
None
Waterways
144 in locality
Childcare
None
GPs
None
Pharmacies
None
Hospitals
None
Police Stations
None
Banks & Bank@Post
None
Fuel Stations
None
EV Chargers
None
Pubs & Bars
2 in locality
Arts & Culture
1 in locality
Places of Worship
1 in locality

Mansfield: council population

The whole council area, not just Merrijig · estimated residents
at 30 June 2025
Residents
10,979
+1.9% in a year
Change
+209
people since 2024
Density
2.9
people per km² across the council area
What drove the change
Natural increase
-2
births minus deaths
Net internal migration
+158
moves within Australia
Net overseas migration
+53
arrivals minus departures

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

ABS SEIFA · ranked against every suburb in Australia, and within the state
2021 census
Advantage and disadvantage
9/10
9/10 within VIC
income, education, jobs and housing together
Economic resources
7/10
7/10 within VIC
income against housing cost and household size
Education and occupation
9/10
8/10 within VIC
qualifications and job type, income excluded

Merrijig is home to 721 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 32 against the national 38. Median household income runs at $92,000 a year, with unemployment at 1.0%.

2021 Census · change since 2016

Population

721

31.3% since 2016

Median Age

32

23.1% since 2016

Median Household Income

$91,624/yr

19.9% since 2016

Census Median Rent

$320/wk

540.0% since 2016

Census Median Mortgage

$1,733/mo

5.9% since 2016

Avg Household Size

2.3

9.5% since 2016

Median Personal Income

$40,300/yr

56.9% since 2016

Unemployment Rate

1.0%

28.6% since 2016

Unoccupied Dwellings

128.1%

21.9% since 2016

Total Dwellings

167

20.1% since 2016

Owner-Occupier Rate

88.8%

18.4% since 2016

Houses

96.4%

6.3% since 2016

Rental Stress

18.2%

435.3% since 2016

Mortgage Stress

22.7%

11.7% since 2016

Work From Home

21.8%

35.4% since 2016

Dwelling Types

Houses 161 (96.4%)
Flats / Apartments 6 (3.6%)

Property Ownership

Owned Outright 88 (55.0%)
Mortgage 54 (33.8%)
Renting 18 (11.2%)

Demographics

Born in Australia
74.8%
English Spoken at Home
82.5%
Employment Rate
52.3%
6.7% since 2016
Completed Year 12
37.4%

Occupations

Professionals 75 (26.6%)
Managers 75 (26.6%)
Community & Personal Service 34 (12.1%)
Labourers 24 (8.5%)
Technicians & Trades 20 (7.1%)
Clerical & Administrative 19 (6.7%)
Sales 13 (4.6%)
Machinery Operators & Drivers 12 (4.3%)

Religion

No Religion 398 (55.2%)
Christianity 211 (29.3%)
Judaism 13 (1.8%)
Buddhism 4 (0.6%)
Hinduism 3 (0.4%)

Country of Birth (overseas)

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.

England 23 (3.2%)
China 15 (2.1%)
New Zealand 7 (1.0%)
Canada 4 (0.6%)
Philippines 3 (0.4%)
Scotland 3 (0.4%)
Taiwan 3 (0.4%)
Singapore 3 (0.4%)

When They Arrived

Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.

2016-2021 31 (4.3%)
2011-2015 18 (2.5%)
2001-2010 18 (2.5%)
1991-2000 3 (0.4%)
1981-1990 10 (1.4%)
Before 1981 19 (2.6%)

31 residents (4.3%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.

Where New Residents Came From

Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.

25.7% of residents (180) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (133).

Overseas 42 (6.0%)
Melbourne - Inner 40 (5.7%)
Geelong 23 (3.3%)

Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 701 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.

Languages Spoken at Home

Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.

Cantonese 4 (0.6%)
Mandarin 3 (0.4%)

Age Distribution

0-4 20 (2.8%)
5-14 160 (22.2%)
15-19 121 (16.8%)
20-24 21 (2.9%)
25-34 54 (7.5%)
35-44 79 (11.0%)
45-54 72 (10.0%)
55-64 85 (11.8%)
65-74 90 (12.5%)
75-84 16 (2.2%)
85+ 3 (0.4%)

Family & Household Composition

Lone Person 49 (48.0%)
Couple Families 40 (39.2%)
One Parent Families 8 (7.8%)
Group Household 5 (4.9%)

Commute to Work

Car (driver) 126 (51.9%)
Walked Only 56 (23.0%)
Worked from Home 53 (21.8%)
Car (passenger) 5 (2.1%)
Bus 3 (1.2%)

2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (7 of 282).

City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.

Education

Bachelor Degree 78 (10.8%)
Certificate III & IV 70 (9.7%)
Postgraduate Degree 45 (6.2%)
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 41 (5.7%)
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 19 (2.6%)

Cars per Dwelling

1 car 38 (23.8%)
2 cars 59 (36.9%)
3 cars 30 (18.8%)
4+ cars 30 (18.8%)

Council Rates

Mansfield
FY 2024-25

Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,697 a year through Mansfield based on 2024 figures.

Avg residential rate
$1,697/yr
12% below the VIC average of $1,937 · median of 79 councils
Rate in the dollar
0.240¢ / $
of property valuation
Valuation basis
Capital Improved Value
land + buildings

How this land is zoned

Share of Merrijig's area by planning zone
2026-09
  • Rural and farming 50%
  • Parks and recreation 49%
  • Zones under 1% 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: Mansfield

The whole council area, not just Merrijig · new residential dwellings
to 2026-08

In the year to August 2026, 76 new dwellings were approved across Mansfield. That mix is 69 houses and 7 units. Approvals are down 50.0% on the same period a year earlier.

Trailing 12 months
76dwellings
-50.0% YoY
Houses
69
detached dwellings
Units
7
townhouses + apartments

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 Buller, 13.5 km

High rainfall — mild summers, frosty winters.

Elevation
686 m
above sea level, at the locality centre
Annual rainfall
1,633 mm
130 rainy days
Summer max (Jan)
17.1°C
0 days ≥ 35°C
Winter min (Jul)
-2.1°C
136 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

0.6%
of light vehicles are electric
Up from 0.08% in 2021
+0.2 points this year

In postcode 3723, 24 of 3,968 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.0% (40 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.6%.

Electric share, year by year
2021
0.08%
2022
0.30%
2023
0.27%
2024
0.41%
2025
0.60%

Rooftop solar

33
systems per 100 dwellings
Averaging 7.0 kW each

In postcode 3723, 899 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,729 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 44 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.

Systems installed, year by year
2019
60
2020
83
2021
78
2022
59
2023
65
2024
58
2025
43
2026
18

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.

1 first-home grant was paid in postcode 3723 in 2025-26, rank 213 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 23, in 2002-03.

2000-01 to 2025-26

Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.

Verify eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria

Mortgage repayments

I'm looking for
Deposit
$
%
Monthly repayment
$3,964
Loan amount
$608,000
Total interest over 30 years
$818,934
Deposit
$152,000
Stamp duty
$40,670
Cash needed at settlement
$192,670

Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria

The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.

Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.

Federal Electorate

Division of Indi

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

Eildon District

Currently held by Cindy McLeish Liberal

Next state election: 28 November 2026.

Year Winner Won with 2PP ALP 2PP LNP
2022 Cindy McLeish LP 53.3% 42.9% 57.1%
2018 Cindy McLeish LP 50.2% 47.6% 52.4%
2014 Cindy McLeish LP 51.7% 46.2% 53.8%

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 Merrijig?

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.

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Nearby suburbs

Compare Merrijig to another suburb

Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.

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Common questions about Merrijig

Is Merrijig a safe place to live?

Recorded crime in Merrijig is low (17/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).

What natural hazards affect Merrijig?

Merrijig has a high recorded bushfire history (87/100, 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.

Is Merrijig a good place to live?

Merrijig has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (53/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.

What is the population of Merrijig?

Merrijig, VIC had a population of 721 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.

What is the postcode for Merrijig, VIC?

The postcode for Merrijig, VIC is 3723.

How far is Merrijig from Melbourne?

Merrijig is 213 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 185 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.

What is the median household income in Merrijig?

At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merrijig was $91,624 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 Merrijig?

The median advertised rent in Merrijig is $600 a week for houses (5 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.

What is the median age in Merrijig?

The median age of residents in Merrijig was 32 at the 2021 ABS Census.

Is Merrijig at risk of bushfire?

Merrijig has a high recorded bushfire history (87/100). 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.

How are the schools in Merrijig?

There are 2 schools inside the Merrijig boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).

What is the weather like in Merrijig?

At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merrijig, Mount Buller (13.5 km away), summer days average 17.1°C, winter nights -2.1°C, 1,633 mm of rain a year over 130 rainy days, and 0 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.

Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merrijig?

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 Merrijig belong to?

Merrijig sits within the Mansfield local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.

How much are council rates in Merrijig?

The average residential rates bill through Mansfield is $1,697 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.

How much is being built near Merrijig?

Across Mansfield, 76 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 50.0% 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 Merrijig in?

Merrijig sits within the federal Division of Indi, currently held by Helen Haines (Independent).

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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.

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