Merrylands NSW 2160
Merrylands is a suburb in New South Wales, 26 km from Sydney CBD, around 28 minutes by car. Population is 32,472; the median age is 33 and the median household income is $76,440 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 9.5% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $400 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,100. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 6 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Merrylands a good suburb?
Merrylands scores a C (47/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on schools, prices, and safety.
Below the state average
6 schools · Bottom 1% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 96/100 · 26.2 km · 28 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.39M · Less affordable than 79% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 79/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 33 · 32,472 residents
Liveability Rating
47 / 100 · Ranked #810 in NSWEach bar is Merrylands's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
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 Merrylands?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
47 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataMerrylands's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $506,000, about 5% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$505,500
16% below its 9 neighbours (median $605,000)
Based on 309 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 30 days — median across 180 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 25 sales $440K
- 2 bed 251 sales $505K
- 3 bed 26 sales $695K
Houses
$1,387,000
4% below its 9 neighbours (median $1,450,000)
Based on 282 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 225 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 37 sales $1.25M
- 3 bed 115 sales $1.31M
- 4 bed 64 sales $1.39M
- 5 bed 38 sales $1.64M
- 6 bed 8 sales $1.62M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Merrylands are currently listed at around $1.25 million on average. Based on 45 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.25M
45 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$520K
110 units listed in the last 6 months.
155 of the suburb's 9,926 dwellings (1.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Merrylands rent for around $850 a week on average, based on 140 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$850/wk
6% above its 6 neighbours (median $800/wk)
140 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$650/wk
7% below its 5 neighbours (median $700/wk)
218 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
358 rentals advertised against an estimated 4,864 rented homes (7.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $750/wk
- 43 bonds
- +51% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $630/wk
- 179 bonds
- +68% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2160 (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.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025117 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 26% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2160.
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$850/week ($44,000 a year) on a $1.25 million median
$650/week ($34,000 a year) on a $520,000 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.
Short-Stay Rentals
15 active Airbnb listings: 11 whole homes and 4 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.1% of the suburb'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 Merrylands safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Merrylands sits in the high band, with 2,435 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 11% on the prior year.
2,435 offences
10.7% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202598 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.
Council Flood Studies
Cumberland Council has published 3 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Six schools serve Merrylands, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 2,547 students across 6 schools (avg 424)
- • Sectors: 5 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 895-1050, median 963 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Hilltop Road Public School (762 students)
Primary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 3.1 kmWestern Sydney University - ParramattaWestern Sydney University · 193 courses
- 3.1 kmWestern Sydney University - Parramatta CityWestern Sydney University · 78 courses
- 10.0 kmStrathfield CampusAustralian Catholic University · 85 courses
2.9% 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
Merrylands is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 96/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 38 parks and 8 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Merrylands.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 530.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 319.3 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 227.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 24.6 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 15 min wait
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 Merrylands.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 16%
- Premises covered
- 12,210
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
Cumberland: 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 75 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Merrylands is home to about 32,500 residents, with a median age of 33, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $76,000 a year, with unemployment at 9.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
32,472
Median Age
33
Median Household Income
$76,440/yr
Census Median Rent
$400/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,100/mo
Avg Household Size
3.0
Median Personal Income
$31,564/yr
Unemployment Rate
9.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
9.9%
Total Dwellings
9,926
Owner-Occupier Rate
51.0%
Houses
48.8%
Rental Stress
27.2%
Mortgage Stress
33.0%
Work From Home
34.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
573 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 176 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 4,662 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 40.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 26.2%
- Employment Rate
- 41.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 45.2%
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.
3,601 residents (11.1%) 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.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 29,908 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
13% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,387 of 10,609).
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 4,839 people work here; 10,609 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 52% 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 $1,038 a year through Cumberland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 83%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Commercial 6%
- Infrastructure and transport 4%
- 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 suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Cumberland
In the year to August 2026, 1,756 new dwellings were approved across Cumberland. That mix is 468 houses and 1,288 units. Approvals are down 27.8% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Gandangara 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
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.1 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 16.9 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.83 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Parramatta North monitoring station, 4.2 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Parramatta North (Masons Drive), 5.7 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 23 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 20.8 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,021 mm
- 94 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.4°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.2°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
19 facilities within 5 km- 3.3 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Zinc and compounds · Lead & compounds
- 3.5 kmRail Freight TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene)
- 3.7 kmSoft Drink, Cordial and Syrup ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 3.8 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 3.8 km
EV adoption
In postcode 2160, 144 of 23,892 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.6% (1,339 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 6.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2160, 2,483 rooftop-solar systems totalling 19.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 13,366 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 168 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
25 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 27 across postcode 2160.
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 $505,500 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 2026-10-26 — 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 Jason Clare Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jason Clare | 71.9% | 28.1% | +8.9 |
| 2022 | Jason Clare | 64.9% | 35.1% | -0.2 |
| 2019 | Jason Clare | 64.7% | 35.3% | +4.8 |
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 Julia Finn Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Julia Finn ALP | 71.5% |
| 2019 | Julia Finn ALP | 57.6% |
| 2015 | Julia Finn ALP | 52.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Merrylands?
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 32,472 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 Where the Afghan community lives in Sydney
- #3 in Highest-yielding Sydney suburbs (units)
- #4 in Best Sydney suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #6 in Where the Turkish community lives in Sydney
- #10 in Where the Pakistani community lives in Sydney
- #11 in Best Sydney suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #13 in Sydney suburbs where 3-bedroom house rents rose most
- #14 in Where the Lebanese community lives in Sydney
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Sydney There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Sydney suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Parramatta NSW 2150
Guildford NSW 2161
Greystanes NSW 2145
Granville NSW 2142
Westmead NSW 2145
Merrylands West NSW 2160
Compare Merrylands 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 Merrylands
Is Merrylands a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Merrylands is high (79/100, 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 Merrylands?
Merrylands has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Merrylands a good place to live?
Merrylands has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (47/100), 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 Merrylands?
Merrylands, NSW had a population of 32,472 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Merrylands, NSW?
The postcode for Merrylands, NSW is 2160.
How far is Merrylands from Sydney?
Merrylands is 26 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 28 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Merrylands?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Merrylands was $76,440 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 Merrylands?
The median advertised rent in Merrylands is $850 a week for houses (140 listings) and $650 a week for units (218 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Merrylands?
The median age of residents in Merrylands was 33 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Merrylands?
There are 6 schools inside the Merrylands boundary: 2 at and 3 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Merrylands walkable?
Merrylands scores 96/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally 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 Merrylands?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Merrylands (Parramatta North) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 16.9 µg/m³. That puts Merrylands below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Merrylands?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Merrylands, Parramatta North (Masons Drive) (5.7 km away), summer days average 28.4°C, winter nights 7.2°C, 1,021 mm of rain a year over 94 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Merrylands?
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 Merrylands belong to?
Merrylands sits within the Cumberland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Merrylands?
The average residential rates bill through Cumberland is $1,038 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Merrylands?
Across Cumberland, 1,756 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 27.8% 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 Merrylands in?
Merrylands sits within the federal Division of Blaxland, currently held by Jason Clare (Australian Labor Party).
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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
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.
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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.