Merrimac QLD 4226
Merrimac sits 79 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 1 hour by car. Census data records 7,212 residents with a median age of 38 and a median household income of $87,776 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The suburb grew 2.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $463 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Merrimac is characterised by no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 4 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Merrimac a good suburb?
Merrimac scores a B (64/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade.
Mixed results
4 schools · 1 above peer schools
Some car dependence
Walkability 58/100 · 78.8 km · 61 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $1.1M
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 43/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 38 · 7,212 residents
Liveability Rating
64 / 100 · Ranked #279 in QLDEach bar is Merrimac's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Merrimac?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
64 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMerrimac's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.1 million, about 9% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,100,000
22% below its 5 neighbours (median $1,410,000)
Based on 90 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 30 days — median across 45 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $775K
- 3 bed 48 sales $1.05M
- 4 bed 24 sales $1.22M
- 5 bed 8 sales $2.16M
Units
$810,000
7% below its 4 neighbours (median $870,000)
Based on 41 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 49 days — median across 21 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 20 sales $760K
- 3 bed 17 sales $820K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Merrimac are currently listed at around $995,000 on average. Based on 31 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$995K
31 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$820K
8 units listed in the last 6 months.
39 of the suburb's 2,592 dwellings (1.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Merrimac rent for around $895 a week on average, based on 28 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$895/wk
7% below its 5 neighbours (median $960/wk)
28 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
29 rentals advertised against an estimated 915 rented homes (3.2%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $890/wk
- 10 bonds
- +41% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202570 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 43% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4226.
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.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$895/week ($47,000 a year) on a $995,000 median
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 Merrimac safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Merrimac sits in the moderate band, with 67 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 5% on the prior year.
67 offences
4.7% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202423 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 2 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Four schools serve Merrimac, and performance is broadly at peer-suburb levels with one standout. Star of the Sea School leads the pack.
- • 3,484 students across 4 schools (avg 871)
- • Sectors: 2 Catholic, 1 Independent, 1 Government
- • ICSEA 1020-1137, median 1046 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: All Saints Anglican School (1,828 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 3.1 kmGold Coast campusBond University · 180 courses
- 9.0 kmGold CoastGriffith University · 218 courses
2.0% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Merrimac is somewhat walkable on foot — at 58/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Merrimac.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 15.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 19.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 13.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 2 min
- Span of service
- 13.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Merrimac.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 43%
- Premises covered
- 3,127
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
Gold Coast: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 15 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 6 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Merrimac is home to about 7,200 residents, with a median age of 38, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $88,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
7,212
Median Age
38
Median Household Income
$87,776/yr
Census Median Rent
$463/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.6
Median Personal Income
$40,976/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
4.3%
Total Dwellings
2,592
Owner-Occupier Rate
64.7%
Houses
48.1%
Rental Stress
27.4%
Mortgage Stress
23.7%
Work From Home
12.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
21 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 26 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 891 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 63.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 77.3%
- Employment Rate
- 61.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
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.
262 residents (3.6%) 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.
6.8% of residents (464) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (165).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 6,813 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.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (67 of 3,610).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 1,767 people work here; 3,610 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 46% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,298 a year through Gold Coast based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Gold Coast
In the year to August 2026, 7,196 new dwellings were approved across Gold Coast. That mix is 1,146 houses and 6,050 units. Approvals are down 34.9% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: at least 602 homes
- In 5 to 10 years 101 to 500 homes
- In 10 years or more at least 501 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (2 parcels), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Gold Coast Native Title Group.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. No native title claim is currently registered here, so the last registered claimant remains the Aboriginal party.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.9 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 14.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.43 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Southport (Gold Coast, South East Queensland) monitoring station, 10.3 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Hinze Dam, 8.4 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 2 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.6 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 3.0% of addresses
- 94 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,556 mm
- 102 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.7°C
- 3 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 10.8°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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
4 facilities within 5 km- 1.2 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 2.4 kmMining and Construction Machinery ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Acetone · Styrene (ethenylbenzene)
- 2.6 kmBread Manufacturing (Factory based)Top reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Oxides of Nitrogen
- 3.0 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen
EV adoption
In postcode 4226, 518 of 29,682 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.3% (994 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4226, 7,239 rooftop-solar systems totalling 46.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 14,300 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 388 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$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
4 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 50 across postcode 4226.
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 Queensland Revenue Office
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 $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $1,100,000 this is $350,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
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
Currently held by Leon Rebello Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Leon Rebello | 45.6% | 54.4% | +4.9 |
| 2022 | Karen Andrews | 40.7% | 59.3% | -2.9 |
| 2019 | Karen Andrews | 37.8% | 62.2% | +0.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Ros Bates Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ros Bates LNP | 63.9% |
| 2020 | Ros Bates LNP | 60.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Merrimac?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 7,212 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.
Featured in
- #1 in Best Gold Coast suburbs for good private primary schools
- #3 in Gold Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- #6 in Best Gold Coast suburbs for good private high schools
- #6 in Highest-yielding Gold Coast suburbs (houses)
- #6 in Gold Coast suburbs where the most Italian is spoken at home
- #9 in Gold Coast suburbs where the most Spanish is spoken at home
- #10 in Best Gold Coast suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #10 in Gold Coast suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #11 in Best Gold Coast suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #12 in The safest suburbs in Gold Coast
- #14 in Where the Korean community lives in Gold Coast
- #15 in Where the Chinese community lives in Gold Coast
Nearby suburbs
Compare Merrimac to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Merrimac
Is Merrimac a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Merrimac is moderate (43/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Merrimac?
Merrimac has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Merrimac a good place to live?
Merrimac has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (64/100), ranked against other QLD 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 Merrimac?
Merrimac, QLD had a population of 7,212 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Merrimac, QLD?
The postcode for Merrimac, QLD is 4226.
How far is Merrimac from Brisbane?
Merrimac is 79 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 61 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Merrimac?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merrimac was $87,776 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 Merrimac?
The median advertised rent in Merrimac is $895 a week for houses (28 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Merrimac?
The median age of residents in Merrimac was 38 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Merrimac?
There are 4 schools inside the Merrimac boundary: 1 above and 3 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Merrimac walkable?
Merrimac scores 58/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Merrimac?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Merrimac (Southport (Gold Coast, South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.9 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.3 µg/m³. That puts Merrimac below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Merrimac?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merrimac, Hinze Dam (8.4 km away), summer days average 28.7°C, winter nights 10.8°C, 1,556 mm of rain a year over 102 rainy days, and 3 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merrimac?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Merrimac belong to?
Merrimac sits within the Gold Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Merrimac?
The average residential rates bill through Gold Coast is $1,298 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Merrimac?
Across Gold Coast, 7,196 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 34.9% 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 Merrimac in?
Merrimac sits within the federal Division of McPherson, currently held by Leon Rebello (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- 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.