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Mermaid Waters vs Merrimac

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 4.6 km apart · Mermaid Waters profile · Merrimac profile

Mermaid Waters Merrimac

Mermaid Waters and Merrimac are neighbouring areas on the Gold Coast with different housing and transport profiles. Merrimac is far more school-focused, with 2.96 schools per 1,000 children compared to 0.88 in Mermaid Waters, and 93.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school. Homes in Merrimac also tend to be larger, with 83.7% having three or more bedrooms, while Mermaid Waters has 68.5%. Conversely, Mermaid Waters is more walkable and connected, with far more public transport departures and 34.3% of homes owned outright compared to 19.7% in Merrimac.

These two areas have tracked in different directions since 2011, as gaps in home ownership and house size have narrowed, while the divide in high incomes and university qualifications has widened. Despite these shifts, they remain very similar in other ways, such as having roughly the same typical weekly household income and a similar share of residents who identify as having no religion. Both areas also sit near the national figure for the number of people per home.

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Where they differ most

3+ bedrooms: 15.3 pts higher in Merrimac Owned outright: 14.5 pts higher in Mermaid Waters Population: 5,995 larger in Mermaid Waters Separate houses: 10.5 pts higher in Mermaid Waters Needs assistance: 1.6 pts higher in Merrimac

Demographics & Identity

Population in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5,995 larger in Mermaid Waters gap steady
13,205 68th pct 7,210 36th pct
Median age in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2 yrs older in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
40 yrs 52nd pct 38 yrs 43rd pct
First Nations in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.5 pts higher in Merrimac gap steady
1.3% 35th pct 1.8% 45th pct
Aged 65+ in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.7 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
18.9% 60th pct 17.3% 49th pct
Under 15 in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.5 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
17.2% 42nd pct 18.8% 60th pct
De facto in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.6 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
13.3% 66th pct 14.9% 80th pct

Age structure

28.2% Young adults (25–44) +0.1 pts ▸ 28.3%
24.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.1 pts 23.9%
18.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.7 pts 17.3%
17.2% Children (0–14) +1.5 pts ▸ 18.8%
10.7% Youth (15–24) +1.2 pts ▸ 11.9%

Marital status

43.4% Married ◂ +3.3 pts 40.2%
37.4% Never married ◂ +0.5 pts 36.9%
10.8% Divorced +1.7 pts ▸ 12.6%
5.4% Widowed +0.6 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.0% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Age & sex structure

Mermaid Waters Merrimac

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.4 pts higher in Merrimac gap steady
28.6% 65th pct 30.0% 68th pct

Country of birth

66.4% Australia ◂ +2.5 pts 63.9%
5.8% New Zealand +1.6 pts ▸ 7.4%
4.8% England ◂ +0.5 pts 4.2%
1.8% China ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%
0.8% South Africa +0.7 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.6% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.8% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%
0.4% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Ancestry

39.2% English ◂ +0.4 pts 38.8%
30.2% Australian ◂ +1.0 pts 29.2%
11.3% Irish ◂ +1.8 pts 9.6%
10.1% Scottish +0.1 pts ▸ 10.1%
5.0% Italian ◂ +1.3 pts 3.6%
4.4% German ◂ +0.2 pts 4.2%
4.3% Chinese ◂ +0.4 pts 3.9%
1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.4 pts 1.2%
1.1% Filipino +0.4 pts ▸ 1.5%
1.4% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%
0.6% Indian +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.4 pts higher in Merrimac gap steady
14.8% 55th pct 16.2% 58th pct
Limited English in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.2 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap steady
2.1% 61st pct 1.9% 59th pct

Language used at home

80.4% English only ◂ +3.0 pts 77.4%
2.2% Mandarin ◂ +0.8 pts 1.4%
1.0% Cantonese +0.5 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.8% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%
0.3% Arabic even 0.2%
0.3% Tagalog even 0.3%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.7 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
44.0% 62nd pct 44.7% 65th pct

Religious affiliation

45.9% Christianity ◂ +2.6 pts 43.2%
44.0% No religion +0.7 pts ▸ 44.7%
6.7% Not stated +1.4 pts ▸ 8.1%
1.8% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 1.7%
0.3% Hinduism +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.4% Islam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.6% Other religions ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.4% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.1 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
64.4% 66th pct 59.4% 56th pct
Bachelor+ in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.2 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
24.9% 59th pct 19.8% 46th pct
Schools in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2 more in Merrimac
2 14th pct 4 57th pct
Schools/1k kids in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.08 more in Merrimac
0.88 11th pct 2.96 68th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +9 more in Merrimac
10 25th pct 19 49th pct
Students in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1,719 more in Merrimac
1,765 57th pct 3,484 85th pct
Avg size in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +12 larger in Mermaid Waters
883 88th pct 871 88th pct
ICSEA in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +49 higher in Merrimac
1,040 61st pct 1,090 80th pct

Highest year of school

64.4% Year 12 ◂ +5.1 pts 59.4%
16.9% Year 10 +1.8 pts ▸ 18.8%
6.5% Year 11 +0.9 pts ▸ 7.4%
6.3% Year 9 or below +0.6 pts ▸ 6.9%

Highest qualification level

26.8% Certificate III / IV +3.5 pts ▸ 30.3%
27.1% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.8 pts 22.3%
17.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.8 pts ▸ 19.0%
8.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.8 pts 5.5%
2.8% Graduate diploma / certificate even 2.8%
1.9% Certificate I / II even 2.0%

Field of qualification

22.0% Management & commerce ◂ +2.0 pts 20.0%
11.0% Society & culture +2.3 pts ▸ 13.3%
11.4% Health ◂ +0.8 pts 10.6%
11.2% Engineering & related ◂ +0.9 pts 10.3%
7.8% Education +0.3 pts ▸ 8.0%
7.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.2 pts ▸ 7.7%
7.5% Architecture & building ◂ +1.5 pts 6.0%
4.2% Creative arts ◂ +0.2 pts 4.0%
1.9% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 2.2%
1.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%
1.1% Agriculture & environment +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

Income

Personal income in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$29 higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
$817 53rd pct $788 46th pct
Household income in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$64 higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
$1,753 50th pct $1,689 47th pct
Family income in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$227 higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
$2,118 52nd pct $1,891 37th pct
High earners in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.8 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
12.3% 59th pct 6.5% 24th pct
High-income homes in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +10.0 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
24.5% 61st pct 14.5% 30th pct

Household income distribution

26.9% $1,500–$2,999 +10.7 pts ▸ 37.6%
26.6% $650–$1,499 +0.5 pts ▸ 27.1%
15.2% Under $650 ◂ +1.9 pts 13.4%
13.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +8.2 pts 5.1%
11.3% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.8 pts 9.5%

Personal income distribution

37.9% Under $650 ◂ +0.3 pts 37.6%
33.3% $650–$1,499 +3.4 pts ▸ 36.7%
17.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.1 pts 15.0%
5.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 1.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.5 pts higher in Merrimac
24.1% 25th pct 25.6% 34th pct
Mental health in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.4 pts higher in Merrimac
6.8% 25th pct 9.1% 55th pct
Needs assistance in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.6 pts higher in Merrimac gap widening
4.4% 30th pct 6.0% 60th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

6.8% Mental health +2.4 pts ▸ 9.1%
6.4% Other condition +1.5 pts ▸ 7.8%
7.6% Arthritis ◂ +0.2 pts 7.4%
6.4% Asthma +0.9 pts ▸ 7.4%
3.6% Heart disease +0.1 pts ▸ 3.6%
3.0% Diabetes +0.6 pts ▸ 3.5%
3.1% Cancer ◂ +0.5 pts 2.6%
1.6% Lung condition +0.3 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.5% Dementia +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%
1.0% Stroke even 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.9% None ◂ +3.3 pts 64.6%
17.2% One condition even 17.3%
4.7% Two conditions +0.6 pts ▸ 5.3%
2.2% Three or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.3 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap steady
11.6% 27th pct 10.4% 20th pct
Unpaid carers in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.5 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap steady
10.3% 23rd pct 9.8% 18th pct
Unpaid child care in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.4 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
25.5% 45th pct 28.0% 63rd pct
Defence service in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.4 pts higher in Merrimac
2.2% 31st pct 2.6% 42nd pct
Housework 15h+ in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.4 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap steady
19.5% 34th pct 17.1% 17th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +46 larger in Mermaid Waters
177 49th pct 131 40th pct
Median age in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2 yrs older in Mermaid Waters
26 yrs 64th pct 24 yrs 43rd pct
Year 12 in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.8 pts higher in Merrimac
62.1% 86th pct 67.9% 90th pct
Unemployment in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +3.8 pts higher in Mermaid Waters
11.1% 57th pct 7.4% 33rd pct
Median income in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$18 higher in Merrimac
$823 77th pct $841 78th pct
Household income in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$79 higher in Mermaid Waters
$1,800 56th pct $1,721 51st pct
Indigenous language in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.0 pts higher in Mermaid Waters
7.3% 66th pct 5.3% 51st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.1 larger in Merrimac gap narrowing
2.5 43rd pct 2.6 57th pct
One-parent in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.6 pts higher in Merrimac gap widening
14.4% 60th pct 20.0% 87th pct
Living alone in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +3.0 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
24.4% 46th pct 21.3% 34th pct

Family composition

55.3% Couples with children ◂ +0.4 pts 54.9%
29.1% Couples without children ◂ +4.7 pts 24.4%
14.4% One-parent families +5.6 pts ▸ 20.0%
1.3% Other families ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

Household size

36.1% 2 people ◂ +2.2 pts 33.9%
24.4% 1 person ◂ +3.0 pts 21.3%
15.1% 3 people +5.8 pts ▸ 20.9%
16.5% 4 people +0.5 pts ▸ 17.0%
5.8% 5 people ◂ +0.9 pts 4.9%
2.0% 6 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 1.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$15 higher in Merrimac gap steady
$450 80th pct $465 84th pct
Mortgage in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +$434 higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
$2,167 73rd pct $1,733 43rd pct
People / bedroom in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac even gap steady
0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct
Renting in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.0 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
29.2% 57th pct 34.2% 69th pct
Owned outright in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +14.5 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
34.3% 56th pct 19.7% 16th pct
Separate houses in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +10.5 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
58.7% 19th pct 48.1% 13th pct
3+ bedrooms in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +15.3 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
68.5% 26th pct 83.7% 64th pct

How homes are owned or rented

33.9% Owned with a mortgage +9.5 pts ▸ 43.4%
34.3% Owned outright ◂ +14.5 pts 19.7%
29.2% Rented +5.0 pts ▸ 34.2%
1.3% Not stated +0.5 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.3% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%

Types of homes

58.7% Separate house ◂ +10.5 pts 48.1%
32.7% Townhouse / semi-detached +8.9 pts ▸ 41.7%
6.5% Flat or apartment +3.6 pts ▸ 10.1%
1.8% Other dwelling ◂ +1.8 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

30.9% 3 bedrooms +27.4 pts ▸ 58.2%
29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +7.2 pts 21.9%
27.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +14.9 pts 12.2%
8.5% 5 or more ◂ +5.0 pts 3.6%
2.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.4 pts 2.2%
0.4% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

48.8% $350–$549 +28.4 pts ▸ 77.3%
17.6% $550–$749 ◂ +5.9 pts 11.8%
15.9% $750 or more ◂ +13.4 pts 2.5%
12.1% $200–$349 ◂ +8.2 pts 4.0%
3.3% Under $200 ◂ +2.1 pts 1.1%

Monthly mortgage distribution

23.3% $1,000–$1,799 +14.0 pts ▸ 37.3%
30.2% $1,800–$2,999 +4.3 pts ▸ 34.6%
25.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +17.4 pts 7.7%
13.0% Under $1,000 +0.9 pts ▸ 13.9%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.0 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
5.2% 53rd pct 3.3% 33rd pct
Work from home in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +4.5 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
15.2% 52nd pct 10.7% 34th pct
PT commute in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.4 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap narrowing
1.6% 45th pct 1.2% 38th pct
PT stops in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +31 more in Mermaid Waters
50 59th pct 19 29th pct
Stops/1k in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.15 more in Mermaid Waters
3.79 42nd pct 2.64 27th pct
Departures/1k in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +873.9 more in Mermaid Waters
1,115.3 61st pct 241.5 28th pct
PT routes in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +12 more in Mermaid Waters
14 76th pct 2 14th pct
Stop walk in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +8 longer in Merrimac
4 43rd pct 12 73rd pct
Drive to city in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +3 longer in Mermaid Waters
53 75th pct 50 74th pct

How people get to work

60.7% Car (driver) +7.8 pts ▸ 68.5%
15.2% Worked at home ◂ +4.5 pts 10.7%
4.1% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.5 pts 3.6%
1.8% Walked ◂ +0.8 pts 1.0%
1.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%
0.9% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%
0.3% Train +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

Motor vehicles per home

40.1% 2 vehicles +5.1 pts ▸ 45.2%
35.7% 1 vehicle ◂ +1.1 pts 34.6%
12.7% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.5 pts 12.2%
6.3% 4 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 5.1%
5.2% No vehicle ◂ +2.0 pts 3.3%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +3.4 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
45.8% 76th pct 49.1% 83rd pct
Recent arrivals in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +6.0 pts higher in Mermaid Waters gap widening
14.6% 68th pct 8.6% 38th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.7 pts higher in Merrimac gap steady
4.4% 46th pct 5.2% 62nd pct
Participation in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1.5 pts higher in Merrimac gap narrowing
63.5% 59th pct 65.0% 66th pct
Full-time in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.8 pts higher in Merrimac gap steady
52.8% 13th pct 55.5% 25th pct

Industries people work in

13.8% Health care & social assistance +2.4 pts ▸ 16.2%
12.3% Construction ◂ +2.2 pts 10.1%
9.7% Retail trade +2.0 pts ▸ 11.7%
9.9% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.5 pts 9.4%
8.4% Education & training +1.1 pts ▸ 9.5%
7.8% Professional & technical ◂ +1.2 pts 6.7%
4.2% Manufacturing +0.6 pts ▸ 4.8%
3.6% Public administration & safety +0.8 pts ▸ 4.4%
4.0% Other services ◂ +0.4 pts 3.5%
3.9% Arts & recreation ◂ +1.0 pts 3.0%
3.9% Administrative & support ◂ +0.2 pts 3.7%
3.1% Transport & warehousing +0.4 pts ▸ 3.5%

Occupations people work in

23.2% Professionals ◂ +3.7 pts 19.6%
12.2% Community & personal service +3.2 pts ▸ 15.5%
14.7% Managers ◂ +4.5 pts 10.2%
13.6% Technicians & trades +0.2 pts ▸ 13.8%
11.9% Clerical & administrative +1.2 pts ▸ 13.1%
10.0% Sales workers +1.4 pts ▸ 11.4%
8.2% Labourers +1.2 pts ▸ 9.4%
4.0% Machinery operators & drivers +1.3 pts ▸ 5.3%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2 higher in Mermaid Waters
7 64th pct 5 43rd pct
IRSD decile in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2 higher in Mermaid Waters
7 64th pct 5 43rd pct
IER decile in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2 higher in Mermaid Waters
7 64th pct 5 43rd pct
IEO decile in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1 higher in Mermaid Waters
7 64th pct 6 57th pct
IRSAD score in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +53 higher in Mermaid Waters
1,039 67th pct 986 45th pct
ERP in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +7,141 higher in Mermaid Waters
14,564 69th pct 7,423 34th pct
Growth in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +6.8 pts higher in Mermaid Waters
8.8% 76th pct 2.0% 28th pct
Businesses in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +1,166 higher in Mermaid Waters
1,673 80th pct 507 26th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac even
1,544 91st pct 1,544 91st pct
Max temp in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac even
26.2 77th pct 26.2 77th pct
Min temp in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac even
15.8 85th pct 15.8 85th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.5 higher in Mermaid Waters
6.5 66th pct 5.9 58th pct
Types ≤15 min in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +0.6 more in Mermaid Waters
6.2 64th pct 5.5 54th pct
15-min city in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +3.9 pts higher in Merrimac
82.6% 64th pct 86.4% 67th pct
Walk to shops in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.9 pts higher in Mermaid Waters
82.1% 67th pct 79.2% 65th pct
Walk to transit in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +3.6 pts higher in Merrimac
90.4% 49th pct 94.0% 55th pct
Walk to school in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +45.8 pts higher in Merrimac
47.5% 28th pct 93.2% 72nd pct
Walk to a park in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +5.2 pts higher in Mermaid Waters
100.0% 100th pct 94.8% 43rd pct
Walk to health in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +17.9 pts higher in Mermaid Waters
78.0% 75th pct 60.1% 62nd pct
Amenities/1k in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +10.2 more in Mermaid Waters
16.8 63rd pct 6.7 6th pct
Intersections/km² in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +78 higher in Mermaid Waters
143 60th pct 65 44th pct
Mean slope in Mermaid Watersin Merrimac +2.7 pts higher in Merrimac
2.9% 9th pct 5.7% 56th pct

Compare Mermaid Waters with nearby areas

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach Robina - East Broadbeach Waters Miami Clear Island Waters Surfers Paradise - South Burleigh Waters Bundall

Compare Merrimac with nearby areas

Robina - West Clear Island Waters Carrara Robina - East Worongary - Tallai Mermaid Waters Benowa Broadbeach Waters

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Mermaid Waters vs Merrimac [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/309011228/mermaid-waters/vs/309081260/merrimac