Mernda, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Mernda VIC is 23,369 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Mernda is $879 per week ($45,708 per year). Median rent in Mernda is $381 per week ($1,651 per month). Mernda has a median age of 33 years, younger than the national median of 38. Mernda has a population density of 981 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Mernda is India. The most common religion is No religion (28.2% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Punjabi. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mernda is $1,937.

There were 1,623 recorded offences in Mernda in 2025-25, a rate of 69 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (588 offences).

Population
23,369
Census 2021
Median income
$879/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$381/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
33years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Mernda vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Mernda is $879 a week, 15% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 310th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $381 a week, $65 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 18.9% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 33, 10 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureMerndaTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$879/wk$767/wk +15%$766/wk
Household income$2,011/wk$1,687/wk +19%$1,637/wk
Rent$381/wk$316/wk +21%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,937/mo$1,723/mo +12%$1,733/mo
Median age3343 −10 yrs42
Rent share of household income18.9%19.1% −0.1 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 Mernda, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Mernda Population

23,369 residents at the 2021 Census.

Mernda Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$879/wk
$45,708 per year
Ranked 2,389 of 14,663
Median Rent
$381/wk
$1,651 per month
Ranked 2,430 of 14,663
Median Age
33years
5 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,937/mo
Avg household size: 3 · 0.8 per bedroom

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

Mernda Rent Prices & Affordability

19% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $2,011/wk
Median rent $381/wk
Rent to income 18.9%

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

Median rent in Mernda against your income

About $8,714 a month
Median rent $381/wk
Left after rent $1,630/wk
Rent share 18.9%

Mernda Schools

7
schools nearby
3
government
1063
avg ICSEA score
3,815
total students
Mernda Hills Christian College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 359 students
1119
ICSEA
St Joseph's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 497 students
1094
ICSEA
Mernda Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 369 students
1057
ICSEA
Mernda Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 844 students
1035
ICSEA
Mernda Central P-12 College Government
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,746 students
1009
ICSEA
Gilson College - Mernda Campus Independent
Combined
Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education - Mernda Campus 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 Mernda, with a map

Mernda Map

Mernda, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Mernda, Victoria: 37.5922°S, 145.0816°E

Mernda Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (7)

People in Mernda

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.9% (11,437) Female 51.1% (11,930)

Population Density

981
people per km²
23,369 people · 23.8 km²

Households

3
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,141
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

India
10.3%
Sri Lanka
2.2%
Philippines
1.7%
New Zealand
1.6%
England
1.5%
Iran
1.3%
Italy
1.1%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Punjabi
4.8%
Hindi
3.0%
Arabic
2.5%
Malayalam
2.2%
Sinhalese
2.0%
Greek
1.9%
Macedonian
1.9%

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

Ancestry

Australian
22.9%
English
21.0%
Indian
11.4%
Italian
10.0%
Irish
5.7%
Scottish
4.8%
Greek
3.9%
Macedonian
3.6%
Chinese
3.0%
Filipino
2.6%
Maltese
1.9%

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

No religion
28.2%
Catholic
23.4%
Hinduism
9.4%
Eastern Orthodox
6.0%
Islam
5.3%
Not stated
4.9%
Other religions
4.4%
Anglican
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
54.2% 9,258
Separated
3.5% 597
Divorced
7.3% 1,250
Widowed
2.5% 429
Never married
32.4% 5,536

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
58.2%
Couple: no children
16.2%
Couple: no children under 15
11.8%
One parent: children under 15
8.4%
One parent: no children under 15
5.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
15.0%
2 persons
25.8%
3 persons
20.2%
4 persons
25.0%
5 persons
10.1%
6+ persons
3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Mernda

Housing Tenure

Of the 7,530 occupied private dwellings in Mernda at the 2021 Census, 27.3% were rented, 14.3% owned outright and 55.1% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
2.2% 162 dwellings
Owned outright
14.3% 1,075 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
55.1% 4,147 dwellings
Rented
27.3% 2,057 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.3% 95 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
90.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
5.0%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
0.5%
2 bedrooms
6.5%
3 bedrooms
34.5%
4 bedrooms
54.4%
5 bedrooms
3.8%
6+ bedrooms
0.4%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
2.7%
$300-$449/mo
1.3%
$450-$599/mo
1.2%
$600-$799/mo
1.8%
$800-$999/mo
2.7%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
11.5%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
22.3%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
36.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
12.7%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
7.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
2.0%
1 vehicle
33.0%
2 vehicles
47.5%
3 vehicles
12.2%
4+ vehicles
5.3%

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

Work, income and education in Mernda

Employment

Employed full-time
45.3% 7,119 people
Employed part-time
22.7% 3,571 people
Unemployed
4.4% 690 people
Not in labour force
27.6% 4,328 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
27.3%
Community & Personal Service
16.2%
Technicians & Trade Workers
14.7%
Clerical & Administrative
13.1%
Managers
11.0%
Sales Workers
6.3%
Labourers
5.8%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
5.5%

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
0.8%
$300-$399/wk
1.2%
$400-$499/wk
3.4%
$500-$649/wk
3.0%
$650-$799/wk
4.5%
$800-$999/wk
5.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.4%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
16.6%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
11.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.0%
$4,000+/wk
9.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
13.5%
$1-$149/wk
3.5%
$150-$299/wk
5.3%
$300-$399/wk
2.8%
$400-$499/wk
2.4%
$500-$649/wk
2.5%
$650-$799/wk
8.2%
$800-$999/wk
11.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
13.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
10.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
9.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.6%
$3,500+/wk
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
75.1%
Did not go to work
14.6%
Car (passenger)
4.4%
Train
3.2%
Walked only
0.7%
Truck
0.6%
Bus
0.5%
Other
0.5%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.1%
Bicycle
0.1%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
73.3%
Year 10 or equivalent
12.2%
Year 11 or equivalent
10.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
4.4%

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
31.2%
Certificate III/IV
27.9%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
20.9%
Postgraduate Degree
13.7%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.1%
Certificate I/II
2.1%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
22.1%
Engineering
14.3%
Society & Culture
13.9%
Health
12.4%
Information Technology
8.3%
Education
8.2%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.0%
Architecture & Building
6.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.4%
Creative Arts
3.0%
Agriculture & Environment
1.1%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
33.5%
Secondary: Government
18.9%
Pre-school
14.9%
Primary: Catholic
10.6%
Vocational Education
10.2%
Secondary: Catholic
5.3%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.7%

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
91.9%
Has need for assistance
4.2%
Need for assistance not stated
3.9%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,718
Asthma
801
Diabetes
518
Arthritis
422
Heart disease
331
Cancer
171
Lung condition
163
Kidney disease
137
Stroke
123
Dementia
22

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.6% 2,052
Did not provide
87.4% 14,255

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
8.8% 1,434
Not a volunteer
91.2% 14,929

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 23
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 16
Previously served
1.2% 198
Never served
98.6% 16,217

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
30.4%
1 child
16.7%
2 children
32.8%
3 children
14.1%
4 children
4.4%
5+ children
1.5%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
17
1951: 1960
161
1961: 1970
383
1971: 1980
257
1981: 1990
432
1991: 2000
540
2001: 2010
2,719
2011: 2015
1,912
2016
343
2017
389
2018
398
2019
347
2020
132
2021
44

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

Population Mobility

13.8%
moved in the last year
52.6%
moved in the last 5 years
5.7%
unemployment rate (Census)
71.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
19,152
Moved from VIC
2,309
Moved: same area (SA2)
451
Moved from overseas
131
Moved from QLD
49
Moved from NSW
31
Moved from NT
18
Moved from WA
10
Moved from SA
9
Moved from ACT
7
Moved from TAS
4

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
19.6%
5: 14 hours
26.1%
15: 29 hours
12.4%
30+ hours
10.2%
Did not do domestic work
31.8%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
89.2%
Step family: no other children
5.8%
Blended family: no other children
3.9%
Intact family: other children present
0.8%
Other couple: children only
0.2%
Blended family: other children present
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Mernda Crime Statistics

1,623 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
588
Justice Procedures
422
Assault
276
Property Damage
145
Fraud
56
Break & Enter
43
Drug Offences
32
Weapons
31
Public Order
18
Robbery
10
Traffic
2

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Travancore
Income: $1,027/wk Rent: $351/wk $30/wk less rent
Wallan
Income: $844/wk Rent: $360/wk $21/wk less rent
Miners Rest
Income: $927/wk Rent: $360/wk $21/wk less rent
Maddingley
Income: $895/wk Rent: $366/wk $15/wk less rent
Flora Hill
Income: $705/wk Rent: $290/wk $91/wk less rent
Flemington
Income: $890/wk Rent: $300/wk $81/wk less rent
Lang Lang
Income: $811/wk Rent: $310/wk $71/wk less rent
Koo Wee Rup
Income: $809/wk Rent: $320/wk $61/wk less rent

Suburbs near Mernda

The closest suburb to Mernda is South Morang, 5.0 km away.

South Morang
5.0 km away · income $824/wk · rent $390/wk
Doreen
5.6 km away · income $928/wk · rent $397/wk
Wollert
6.8 km away · income $843/wk · rent $391/wk
Yarrambat
6.9 km away · income $867/wk · rent $450/wk
Mill Park
8.1 km away · income $716/wk · rent $366/wk
Epping (Vic.)
8.4 km away · income $709/wk · rent $361/wk

Compare Mernda

Frequently Asked Questions About Mernda

What is the population of Mernda VIC?

The population of Mernda VIC is 23,369 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 981 people per km². Mernda is ranked #105 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Mernda?

The median personal income in Mernda VIC is $879 per week, or $45,708 per year. The median household income is $2,011 per week. Family income is $2,141 per week. Mernda is ranked #2,389 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Mernda?

Median rent in Mernda VIC is $381 per week ($1,651 per month). Rent represents 18.9% of household income, which is considered affordable. Mernda ranks #2,430 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Mernda?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mernda VIC is $1,937. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Mernda?

The median age in Mernda VIC is 33 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Mernda a good suburb to live in?

Mernda is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 23,369. The median income is $879/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (18.9% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Melbourne Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 21659. All dollar figures in AUD.