Menai, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Menai NSW is 10,419 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Menai is $994 per week ($51,688 per year). Median rent in Menai is $560 per week ($2,427 per month). Menai has a median age of 39 years, older than the national median of 38. Menai has a population density of 805 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Menai is England. The most common religion is Catholic (30.7% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Greek. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Menai is $2,600.

There were 53 recorded offences in Menai in 2025-26, a rate of 5 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (12 offences).

Population
10,419
Census 2021
Median income
$994/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$560/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
39years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Menai vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Menai is $994 a week, 30% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 367th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $560 a week, $175 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 21.7% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 39, 4 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureMenaiTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$994/wk$765/wk +30%$766/wk
Household income$2,575/wk$1,704/wk +51%$1,637/wk
Rent$560/wk$385/wk +45%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,600/mo$1,965/mo +32%$1,733/mo
Median age3943 −4 yrs42
Rent share of household income21.7%22.6% −0.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Menai, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Menai Population

10,419 residents at the 2021 Census.

Menai Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$994/wk
$51,688 per year
Ranked 1,260 of 14,663
Median Rent
$560/wk
$2,427 per month
Ranked 337 of 14,663
Median Age
39years
1 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,600/mo
Avg household size: 3 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Menai Rent Prices & Affordability

22% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,575/wk
Median rent $560/wk
Rent to income 21.7%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Menai against your income

About $11,158 a month
Median rent $560/wk
Left after rent $2,015/wk
Rent share 21.7%

Menai Schools

9
schools nearby
5
government
1073
avg ICSEA score
5,366
total students
Inaburra School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,211 students
1123
ICSEA
Holy Family Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 803 students
1098
ICSEA
Tharawal Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 328 students
1085
ICSEA
Aquinas Catholic College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,140 students
1082
ICSEA
Bangor Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 503 students
1077
ICSEA
Menai High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,062 students
1046
ICSEA
Alfords Point Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 165 students
1037
ICSEA
Menai Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 154 students
1036
ICSEA
Aspect South East Sydney School, Menai Independent
Secondary

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Menai, with a map

Menai Map

Menai, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Menai, New South Wales: 34.0025°S, 151.0027°E

Menai Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (9)

People in Menai

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.0% (5,103) Female 51.0% (5,314)

Population Density

805
people per km²
10,419 people · 12.9 km²

Households

3
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,824
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
2.5%
China
1.4%
South Africa
1.2%
New Zealand
1.1%
North Macedonia
0.9%
India
0.7%
Egypt
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Greek
2.5%
Arabic
2.0%
Mandarin
1.8%
Macedonian
1.8%
Cantonese
1.1%
Spanish
1.0%
Italian
0.8%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
35.7%
English
33.5%
Irish
10.2%
Scottish
8.4%
Italian
6.2%
Greek
5.2%
Chinese
4.1%
German
3.1%
Macedonian
2.8%
Lebanese
2.2%
Maltese
1.6%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

Catholic
30.7%
No religion
25.0%
Anglican
16.5%
Eastern Orthodox
7.4%
Christian (other)
3.4%
Not stated
3.1%
Baptist
2.4%
Uniting Church
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.3%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
56.2% 4,702
Separated
2.3% 195
Divorced
7.0% 586
Widowed
3.6% 299
Never married
30.8% 2,578

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
42.8%
Couple: no children under 15
26.0%
Couple: no children
19.1%
One parent: no children under 15
6.8%
One parent: children under 15
5.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
13.6%
2 persons
29.4%
3 persons
19.6%
4 persons
24.6%
5 persons
9.7%
6+ persons
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Menai

Housing Tenure

Of the 3,436 occupied private dwellings in Menai at the 2021 Census, 14.7% were rented, 36.0% owned outright and 47.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
0.9% 32 dwellings
Owned outright
36.0% 1,238 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
47.6% 1,634 dwellings
Rented
14.7% 505 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.8% 26 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
77.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
21.4%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
0.1%
2 bedrooms
5.1%
3 bedrooms
40.7%
4 bedrooms
41.5%
5 bedrooms
11.4%
6+ bedrooms
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.9%
$300-$449/mo
1.6%
$450-$599/mo
1.5%
$600-$799/mo
2.0%
$800-$999/mo
2.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
7.7%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
9.1%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
21.3%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
18.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
29.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
3.2%
1 vehicle
24.7%
2 vehicles
46.0%
3 vehicles
15.6%
4+ vehicles
10.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Menai

Employment

Employed full-time
43.1% 3,252 people
Employed part-time
22.2% 1,675 people
Unemployed
2.5% 190 people
Not in labour force
32.2% 2,428 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
32.6%
Managers
17.9%
Clerical & Administrative
15.8%
Technicians & Trade Workers
13.9%
Community & Personal Service
9.2%
Sales Workers
5.3%
Labourers
3.1%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.4%
$150-$299/wk
1.1%
$300-$399/wk
1.2%
$400-$499/wk
3.4%
$500-$649/wk
2.0%
$650-$799/wk
3.7%
$800-$999/wk
3.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
4.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
12.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
9.2%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
10.8%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
7.1%
$4,000+/wk
24.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
11.0%
$1-$149/wk
4.1%
$150-$299/wk
5.0%
$300-$399/wk
2.5%
$400-$499/wk
2.2%
$500-$649/wk
2.9%
$650-$799/wk
7.8%
$800-$999/wk
8.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.6%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
13.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.4%
$3,500+/wk
4.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
67.3%
Did not go to work
24.2%
Car (passenger)
3.4%
Walked only
1.6%
Train
1.4%
Truck
0.9%
Other
0.7%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.3%
Bus
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
69.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
22.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
5.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
32.8%
Certificate III/IV
30.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
21.1%
Postgraduate Degree
9.7%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.1%
Certificate I/II
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
28.9%
Engineering
14.8%
Education
12.1%
Society & Culture
11.8%
Health
9.9%
Architecture & Building
6.9%
Creative Arts
4.0%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.7%
Information Technology
3.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.0%
Agriculture & Environment
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
23.5%
Secondary: Government
17.4%
Primary: Catholic
13.6%
Secondary: Catholic
13.6%
Vocational Education
12.7%
Pre-school
11.1%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
4.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
93.3%
Has need for assistance
4.3%
Need for assistance not stated
2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
776
Asthma
416
Arthritis
301
Diabetes
229
Heart disease
198
Cancer
139
Lung condition
105
Kidney disease
91
Stroke
75
Dementia
22

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.0% 1,063
Did not provide
87.0% 7,092

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
12.7% 1,040
Not a volunteer
87.3% 7,119

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 11
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 5
Previously served
1.6% 130
Never served
98.2% 8,033

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
29.3%
1 child
11.0%
2 children
36.3%
3 children
17.5%
4 children
5.0%
5+ children
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
29
1951: 1960
90
1961: 1970
244
1971: 1980
300
1981: 1990
381
1991: 2000
312
2001: 2010
377
2011: 2015
163
2016
24
2017
14
2018
28
2019
32
2021
6

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

8.9%
moved in the last year
30.2%
moved in the last 5 years
3.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
68.9%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
9,183
Moved from NSW
639
Moved: same area (SA2)
193
Moved from overseas
31
Moved from VIC
8
Moved from ACT
7
Moved from QLD
7

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
22.6%
5: 14 hours
30.4%
15: 29 hours
14.6%
30+ hours
10.3%
Did not do domestic work
22.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
89.8%
Step family: no other children
7.1%
Blended family: no other children
2.5%
Intact family: other children present
0.4%
Other couple: children only
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Menai Crime Statistics

53 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
12
Other Against Property
11
Assault
8
Sexual Offences
7
Property Damage
5
Other Against Person
4
Drug Offences
3
Weapons
3

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Yenda (NSW)
Income: $821/wk Rent: $250/wk $310/wk less rent
Narrabri
Income: $826/wk Rent: $260/wk $300/wk less rent
Hanwood
Income: $825/wk Rent: $275/wk $285/wk less rent
Scone
Income: $802/wk Rent: $290/wk $270/wk less rent
Mangerton
Income: $941/wk Rent: $353/wk $207/wk less rent
East Corrimal
Income: $840/wk Rent: $361/wk $199/wk less rent
Wallalong
Income: $922/wk Rent: $375/wk $185/wk less rent
Abercrombie
Income: $1,029/wk Rent: $393/wk $167/wk less rent

Suburbs near Menai

The closest suburb to Menai is Alfords Point, 2.7 km away.

Alfords Point
2.7 km away · income $956/wk · rent $768/wk
Bangor (NSW)
3.1 km away · income $949/wk · rent $650/wk
Picnic Point
3.3 km away · income $963/wk · rent $580/wk
Illawong
3.5 km away · income $985/wk · rent $650/wk
Barden Ridge
3.6 km away · income $1,033/wk · rent $685/wk
Revesby Heights
4.0 km away · income $1,005/wk · rent $650/wk

Compare Menai

Frequently Asked Questions About Menai

What is the population of Menai NSW?

The population of Menai NSW is 10,419 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 805 people per km². Menai is ranked #602 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Menai?

The median personal income in Menai NSW is $994 per week, or $51,688 per year. The median household income is $2,575 per week. Family income is $2,824 per week. Menai is ranked #1,260 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Menai?

Median rent in Menai NSW is $560 per week ($2,427 per month). Rent represents 21.7% of household income, which is considered affordable. Menai ranks #337 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Menai?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Menai NSW is $2,600. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Menai?

The median age in Menai NSW is 39 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Menai a good suburb to live in?

Menai is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 10,419. The median income is $994/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (21.7% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 12578. All dollar figures in AUD.