Located in Victoria, Mount Mercer sits 129 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 40 minutes by car. The locality has 94 residents, a median age of 45, and a median household income of $101,816 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population grew 36.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $258 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,192. The area shows high crime risk and high bushfire risk. 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 94. 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 Mount Mercer?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025104 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3352.
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.
Is Mount Mercer safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Mount Mercer sits in the high band, with 16 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 1500% on the prior year.
16 offences
1500.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Mount Mercer killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
Mount Mercer 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.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Mount Mercer.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 32
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
Golden Plains: 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
Mount Mercer is home to 94 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $102,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
94
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$101,816/yr
Census Median Rent
$258/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,192/mo
Avg Household Size
3.0
Median Personal Income
$38,220/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.9%
Total Dwellings
31
Owner-Occupier Rate
86.7%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
13.2%
Mortgage Stress
14.0%
Work From Home
32.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 95.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.6%
- Employment Rate
- 69.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 40.4%
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 $2,052 a year through Golden Plains based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 97%
- Environmental 3%
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: Golden Plains
In the year to August 2026, 186 new dwellings were approved across Golden Plains. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 10.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 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 She Oaks, 24.2 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 334 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 502 mm
- 85 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.8°C
- 10 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.3°C
- 6 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
In postcode 3352, 81 of 19,154 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (287 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3352, 3,568 rooftop-solar systems totalling 25.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,023 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 242 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.
12 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3352 in 2025-26, rank 77 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 131, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Catherine King Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Catherine King | 60.7% | 39.3% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Catherine King | 63.0% | 37.0% | -2.7 |
| 2019 | Catherine King | 61.0% | 39.0% | -3.6 |
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 Michaela Settle Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Michaela Settle ALP | 57.2% | 57.2% | 42.8% |
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 Mount Mercer?
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 94 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
Compare Mount Mercer 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 Mount Mercer
Is Mount Mercer a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Mount Mercer is high (94/100, ranked against other VIC 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 Mount Mercer?
Mount Mercer has a moderate recorded bushfire history (66/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (24/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Mount Mercer?
Mount Mercer, VIC had a population of 94 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Mount Mercer, VIC?
The postcode for Mount Mercer, VIC is 3352.
How far is Mount Mercer from Melbourne?
Mount Mercer is 129 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 102 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Mount Mercer?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Mount Mercer was $101,816 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 Mount Mercer?
There are too few current rental listings in Mount Mercer 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 Mount Mercer?
The median age of residents in Mount Mercer was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Mount Mercer at risk of bushfire?
Mount Mercer has a moderate recorded bushfire history (66/100). 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.
What is the weather like in Mount Mercer?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Mount Mercer, She Oaks (24.2 km away), summer days average 25.8°C, winter nights 5.3°C, 502 mm of rain a year over 85 rainy days, and 10 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Mount Mercer?
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 Mount Mercer belong to?
Mount Mercer sits within the Golden Plains local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Mount Mercer?
The average residential rates bill through Golden Plains is $2,052 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Mount Mercer?
Across Golden Plains, 186 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 10.0% 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 Mount Mercer in?
Mount Mercer sits within the federal Division of Ballarat, currently held by Catherine King (Australian Labor Party).
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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
- 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.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.