Merriwa NSW 2329
Merriwa sits 319 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 3 hours 50 minutes by car. Census data records 1,825 residents with a median age of 45 and a median household income of $62,816 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The town grew 3.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $245 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,235. Merriwa is characterised by high crime risk. All 2 schools within the town boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Merriwa a good town?
Merriwa scores a D (16/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices, weaker on transit, safety, and community.
Mixed results
2 schools · 2 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 318.6 km · 231 min drive to Sydney
More affordable than most
Median $402K · More affordable than 87% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 49/100 · Crime 73/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 45 · 1,825 residents
Liveability Rating
16 / 100 · Ranked #1522 in NSWEach bar is Merriwa's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Merriwa?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
16 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMerriwa's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $402,000, about 2% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$402,500
Based on 52 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 72 days — median across 22 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $360K
- 3 bed 25 sales $395K
- 4 bed 9 sales $550K
- 5 bed 5 sales $630K
Land
$248,750
Based on 16 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 181 days — median across 7 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Merriwa are currently listed at around $515,000 on average. Based on 13 houses listed in the past six months.
$515K
13 houses listed in the last 6 months.
13 of the suburb's 664 dwellings (2.0%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Merriwa rent for around $420 a week on average, based on 4 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$420/wk
4 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
4 rentals advertised against an estimated 171 rented homes (2.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- All rentals
- $452/wk
- 12 bonds
- +51% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2329 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$420/week ($22,000 a year) on a $515,000 median
Based on a small sample (4 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 Merriwa safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Merriwa sits in the high band, with 111 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 26% on the prior year.
111 offences
26.1% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202515 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 4 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Upper Hunter Shire Council has published 1 flood study on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Scone FRMS 2025
Schools
Two schools serve Merriwa, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Merriwa Central School and St Joseph's Primary School lead the pack.
- • 270 students across 2 schools (avg 135)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 879-1000, median 940 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Merriwa Central School (221 students)
Primary
Combined
Walkability
Merriwa 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.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Merriwa.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 13.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 5.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 9.0 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 Merriwa.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 883
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
Upper Hunter: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 5 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the town closely.
Merriwa is home to about 1,800 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $63,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,825
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$62,816/yr
Census Median Rent
$245/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,235/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$30,836/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
19.3%
Total Dwellings
664
Owner-Occupier Rate
74.2%
Houses
95.3%
Rental Stress
20.3%
Mortgage Stress
23.6%
Work From Home
18.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
9 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 3 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 157 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 83.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.2%
- Employment Rate
- 50.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 25.7%
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.
18 residents (1.0%) 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.
2.9% of residents (50) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (46).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,727 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
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $968 a year through Upper Hunter based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 84%
- Environmental 16%
- 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 town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Upper Hunter
In the year to August 2026, 41 new dwellings were approved across Upper Hunter. That mix is 39 houses and 2 units. Approvals are down 20.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Wanaruah Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.4 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 13.6 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.31 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Merriwa monitoring station, 15.4 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Cassilis (Dalkeith), 31.7 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 433 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 659 mm
- 65 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the town 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 2329, 0 of 1,977 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.9% (38 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2329, 445 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 956 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 39 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 $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
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 Revenue NSW
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 $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $402,500 this is under the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
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 Barnaby Joyce The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Barnaby Joyce | 32.9% | 67.1% | -1.9 |
| 2022 | Barnaby Joyce | 33.6% | 66.4% | -1.2 |
| 2019 | Barnaby Joyce | 32.4% | 67.6% | +1.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Dave Layzell The Nationals
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dave Layzell NP | 53.8% |
| 2019 | Michael Johnsen NP | 52.6% |
| 2015 | Michael Johnsen NP | 52.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Merriwa?
Every figure above is a town 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 1,825 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
Cassilis NSW 2329
Gungal NSW 2333
Giants Creek NSW 2328
Bunnan NSW 2337
Baerami NSW 2333
Widden NSW 2328
Compare Merriwa to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Merriwa
Is Merriwa a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Merriwa is high (73/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Merriwa?
Merriwa has a moderate recorded bushfire history (49/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Merriwa a good place to live?
Merriwa has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (16/100), ranked against other NSW 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 Merriwa?
Merriwa, NSW had a population of 1,825 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Merriwa, NSW?
The postcode for Merriwa, NSW is 2329.
How far is Merriwa from Sydney?
Merriwa is 319 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 231 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Merriwa?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merriwa was $62,816 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 Merriwa?
The median advertised rent in Merriwa is $420 a week for houses (4 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Merriwa?
The median age of residents in Merriwa was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Merriwa at risk of bushfire?
Merriwa has a moderate recorded bushfire history (49/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town 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 Merriwa?
There are 2 schools inside the Merriwa boundary: 2 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the air quality in Merriwa?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Merriwa (Merriwa) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.4 µg/m³ and PM10 of 13.6 µg/m³. That puts Merriwa below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Merriwa?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merriwa, Cassilis (Dalkeith) (31.7 km away), 659 mm of rain a year over 65 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merriwa?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Merriwa belong to?
Merriwa sits within the Upper Hunter local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Merriwa?
The average residential rates bill through Upper Hunter is $968 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Merriwa?
Across Upper Hunter, 41 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 20.0% 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 Merriwa in?
Merriwa sits within the federal Division of New England, currently held by Barnaby Joyce (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- 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 · 2023
- 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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.