Tanah Merah, QLD: suburb profile

The population of Tanah Merah QLD is 4,754 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Tanah Merah is $841 per week ($43,732 per year). Median rent in Tanah Merah is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Tanah Merah has a median age of 37 years, younger than the national median of 38. Tanah Merah has a population density of 1,176 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Tanah Merah is New Zealand. The most common religion is No religion (43.1% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Tanah Merah is $1,733.

Population
4,754
Census 2021
Median income
$841/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$380/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
37years
Census 2021

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

Tanah Merah vs the typical QLD suburb

The median personal income in Tanah Merah is $841 a week, 13% above the typical QLD suburb ($747). That ranks 478th of 1,527 QLD suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $380 a week, $60 more than the typical QLD suburb. Rent takes 20.0% of the median household income here, against 20.4% in the typical QLD suburb. The median resident is 37, 5 years younger than in the typical QLD suburb (42).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureTanah MerahTypical QLDDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$841/wk$747/wk +13%$766/wk
Household income$1,899/wk$1,593/wk +19%$1,637/wk
Rent$380/wk$320/wk +19%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,733/mo$1,625/mo +7%$1,733/mo
Median age3742 −5 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.0%20.4% −0.4 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 Tanah Merah, the typical QLD suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Tanah Merah Population

4,754 residents at the 2021 Census.

Tanah Merah Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$841/wk
$43,732 per year
Ranked 2,928 of 14,663
Median Rent
$380/wk
$1,647 per month
Ranked 2,445 of 14,663
Median Age
37years
1 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg household size: 2.8 · 0.8 per bedroom

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

Tanah Merah Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,899/wk
Median rent $380/wk
Rent to income 20.0%

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

Median rent in Tanah Merah against your income

About $8,229 a month
Median rent $380/wk
Left after rent $1,519/wk
Rent share 20.0%

Tanah Merah Schools

11
schools nearby
7
government
988
avg ICSEA score
5,431
total students
St Matthew's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 561 students
1055
ICSEA
Bethania Lutheran Primary School Independent
Primary · Prep-6 · 353 students
1043
ICSEA
Kimberley Park State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 667 students
1034
ICSEA
Shailer Park State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 958 students
998
ICSEA
Shailer Park State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 447 students
994
ICSEA
Loganholme State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 507 students
967
ICSEA
Ohana College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 237 students
964
ICSEA
Waterford State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 532 students
955
ICSEA
Daisy Hill State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 241 students
940
ICSEA
Loganlea State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 928 students
930
ICSEA
The BUSY School - Shailer Park 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 Tanah Merah, with a map

Tanah Merah Map

Tanah Merah, Queensland Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Tanah Merah

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.9% (2,371) Female 50.1% (2,385)

Population Density

1,176
people per km²
4,754 people · 4.0 km²

Households

2.8
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,134
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

New Zealand
8.0%
England
3.6%
Philippines
1.0%
South Africa
0.9%
India
0.7%
China
0.7%
Fiji
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

Mandarin
1.3%
Hindi
0.7%
Arabic
0.6%
Samoan
0.5%
Tagalog
0.5%
Vietnamese
0.5%
Italian
0.5%

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

Ancestry

English
39.8%
Australian
33.5%
Irish
10.9%
Scottish
10.6%
German
5.9%
Maori
3.1%
Italian
2.7%
Australian Aboriginal
2.6%
Chinese
2.5%
New Zealander
2.4%
Dutch
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
43.1%
Catholic
17.4%
Anglican
9.0%
Not stated
5.7%
Christian (other)
4.2%
Uniting Church
3.7%
Pentecostal
2.4%
Baptist
2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

2.8%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
46.6% 1,750
Separated
4.2% 156
Divorced
10.6% 399
Widowed
2.9% 109
Never married
35.8% 1,344

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
46.0%
Couple: no children
23.6%
Couple: no children under 15
14.2%
One parent: children under 15
9.5%
One parent: no children under 15
6.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
20.6%
2 persons
31.7%
3 persons
18.1%
4 persons
17.1%
5 persons
8.0%
6+ persons
4.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Tanah Merah

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,659 occupied private dwellings in Tanah Merah at the 2021 Census, 24.7% were rented, 21.9% owned outright and 49.3% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
0.5% 9 dwellings
Owned outright
21.9% 363 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
49.3% 818 dwellings
Rented
24.7% 409 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
3.7% 62 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
85.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
11.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
1.2%
2 bedrooms
6.6%
3 bedrooms
38.0%
4 bedrooms
43.8%
5 bedrooms
8.7%
6+ bedrooms
1.8%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
2.8%
$300-$449/mo
1.1%
$450-$599/mo
1.9%
$600-$799/mo
3.6%
$800-$999/mo
4.4%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
14.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
26.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
27.3%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
10.1%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
8.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
2.7%
1 vehicle
28.3%
2 vehicles
42.0%
3 vehicles
16.8%
4+ vehicles
10.2%

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

Work, income and education in Tanah Merah

Employment

Employed full-time
43.8% 1,503 people
Employed part-time
21.4% 734 people
Unemployed
3.9% 134 people
Not in labour force
30.9% 1,059 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
23.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
18.4%
Clerical & Administrative
14.6%
Community & Personal Service
13.1%
Managers
11.9%
Sales Workers
6.7%
Labourers
6.5%
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
0.8%
$150-$299/wk
0.9%
$300-$399/wk
2.3%
$400-$499/wk
3.7%
$500-$649/wk
3.5%
$650-$799/wk
6.1%
$800-$999/wk
6.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
15.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
10.3%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.7%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.0%
$4,000+/wk
9.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.2%
$1-$149/wk
4.4%
$150-$299/wk
5.7%
$300-$399/wk
4.1%
$400-$499/wk
3.2%
$500-$649/wk
3.4%
$650-$799/wk
8.3%
$800-$999/wk
11.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
13.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
8.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.2%
$3,500+/wk
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
78.3%
Did not go to work
12.1%
Car (passenger)
4.6%
Bus
1.6%
Truck
1.2%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Other
0.5%
Train
0.5%
Walked only
0.3%
Bicycle
0.1%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
66.1%
Year 10 or equivalent
22.2%
Year 11 or equivalent
8.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.6%

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

Certificate III/IV
42.8%
Bachelor Degree
25.1%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
20.7%
Postgraduate Degree
5.3%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.3%
Certificate I/II
2.9%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
22.2%
Engineering
17.4%
Society & Culture
14.1%
Health
11.0%
Education
9.3%
Architecture & Building
8.2%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.5%
Creative Arts
4.1%
Information Technology
2.9%
Agriculture & Environment
2.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.1%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.0%
Secondary: Government
20.0%
Pre-school
9.5%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
8.8%
Vocational Education
8.8%
Secondary: Catholic
8.7%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
7.2%
Primary: Catholic
6.9%

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
90.5%
Has need for assistance
5.3%
Need for assistance not stated
4.2%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
459
Asthma
197
Arthritis
148
Diabetes
139
Heart disease
102
Lung condition
86
Cancer
53
Stroke
46
Kidney disease
41
Dementia
12

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.8% 458
Did not provide
87.2% 3,133

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
12.4% 448
Not a volunteer
87.6% 3,153

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 4
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 3
Previously served
2.5% 92
Never served
97.3% 3,511

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
31.4%
1 child
13.6%
2 children
30.7%
3 children
15.9%
4 children
6.2%
5+ children
2.2%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
11
1951: 1960
28
1961: 1970
93
1971: 1980
141
1981: 1990
214
1991: 2000
224
2001: 2010
298
2011: 2015
135
2016
35
2017
16
2018
11
2019
18
2020
9
2021
4

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

Population Mobility

13.0%
moved in the last year
39.0%
moved in the last 5 years
5.3%
unemployment rate (Census)
67.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
3,924
Moved from QLD
443
Moved: same area (SA2)
82
Moved from VIC
13
Moved from NSW
12
Moved from overseas
11
Moved from TAS
8

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.6%
5: 14 hours
30.6%
15: 29 hours
12.9%
30+ hours
9.1%
Did not do domestic work
23.9%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
82.4%
Step family: no other children
10.5%
Blended family: no other children
5.3%
Intact family: other children present
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Tanah Merah

The closest suburb to Tanah Merah is Loganholme, 2.1 km away.

Loganholme
2.1 km away · income $815/wk · rent $395/wk
Shailer Park
2.3 km away · income $925/wk · rent $410/wk
Bethania
2.4 km away · income $602/wk · rent $340/wk
Meadowbrook
2.6 km away · income $678/wk · rent $385/wk
Loganlea
3.6 km away · income $582/wk · rent $340/wk
Edens Landing
3.6 km away · income $762/wk · rent $350/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Tanah Merah

What is the population of Tanah Merah QLD?

The population of Tanah Merah QLD is 4,754 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 1,176 people per km². Tanah Merah is ranked #1,645 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Tanah Merah?

The median personal income in Tanah Merah QLD is $841 per week, or $43,732 per year. The median household income is $1,899 per week. Family income is $2,134 per week. Tanah Merah is ranked #2,928 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Tanah Merah?

Median rent in Tanah Merah QLD is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Rent represents 20.0% of household income, which is considered affordable. Tanah Merah ranks #2,445 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Tanah Merah?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Tanah Merah QLD is $1,733. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Tanah Merah?

The median age in Tanah Merah QLD is 37 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Tanah Merah a good suburb to live in?

Tanah Merah is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 4,754. The median income is $841/wk, which is above the typical QLD suburb ($747/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.0% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 32735. All dollar figures in AUD.