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Harkness vs Merrimu

Name: Harkness vs Merrimu — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 5.8 km apart · Harkness profile · Merrimu profile

Harkness Merrimu

Harkness and Merrimu are neighbouring areas with very different profiles. Harkness is a large, young community where the typical resident is 30, and 30.3% of people were born overseas. In contrast, Merrimu is sparsely populated and older, with a typical age of 39. There are stark differences in housing and wealth: 35.1% of Merrimu households earn $3,000 or more a week, compared to 15.3% in Harkness. While 27.6% of homes in Harkness are rented, only 5.4% of Merrimu homes are rentals. This gap in housing is further highlighted by rent, which is far higher in Harkness at $350 a week compared to just $100 in Merrimu.

These two areas have tracked apart since 2011, with the gap in the number of people who have moved recently widening. Nearly half of Harkness residents (49.6%) moved in the last five years, while only 20.3% of Merrimu residents did. Despite this, they share some common ground, such as having a similar share of adults working or looking for work and almost the same number of people per home. Both areas remain largely car-dependent, though Harkness is more so than Merrimu, which is simply car-dependent.

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Where they differ most

Recent movers: 29.4 pts higher in Harkness Population: 12,066 larger in Harkness Renting: 22.2 pts higher in Harkness Other language: 20.1 pts higher in Harkness PT commute: 1.4 pts higher in Harkness

Demographics & Identity

Population in Harkness in Merrimu +12,066 larger in Harkness

12,463 88th pct 397 62nd pct

Median age in Harkness in Merrimu +9 yrs older in Merrimu

30 yrs 5th pct 39 yrs 26th pct

Age structure

33.7% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +8.0 pts 25.7%

28.8% Children (0–14) ◂ +4.3 pts 24.4%

18.2% Older adults (45–64) +8.8 pts ▸ 27.0%

6.7% Seniors (65+) +7.6 pts ▸ 14.4%

12.6% Youth (15–24) ◂ +3.0 pts 9.6%

Marital status

45.9% Married +9.3 pts ▸ 55.2%

39.0% Never married ◂ +5.3 pts 33.7%

7.9% Divorced ◂ +3.0 pts 4.9%

4.4% Separated ◂ +2.1 pts 2.3%

2.8% Widowed ◂ +0.2 pts 2.6%

Age & sex structure

Harkness Merrimu

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

63.2% Australia +17.7 pts ▸ 80.9%

6.5% India ◂ +4.7 pts 1.8%

3.0% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 2.8%

2.4% Philippines ◂ +2.4 pts 0.0%

1.4% England +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.3% Italy +0.9 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.8% Vietnam ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%

0.3% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

27.6% Australian +9.0 pts ▸ 36.5%

24.2% English +7.0 pts ▸ 31.2%

5.5% Irish +4.3 pts ▸ 9.8%

4.0% Italian +4.6 pts ▸ 8.6%

6.8% Indian ◂ +6.8 pts 0.0%

5.3% Scottish ◂ +0.7 pts 4.5%

2.4% German +1.9 pts ▸ 4.3%

1.1% Dutch +2.1 pts ▸ 3.3%

3.2% Filipino ◂ +3.2 pts 0.0%

1.5% Chinese ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%

1.4% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

1.1% Vietnamese ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

61.7% English only +21.2 pts ▸ 82.9%

5.2% Punjabi ◂ +4.4 pts 0.8%

1.7% Hindi ◂ +1.7 pts 0.0%

0.5% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 1.3%

1.2% Vietnamese ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

1.2% Tagalog ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

1.1% Arabic ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%

0.5% Greek ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

0.2% Mandarin ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

45.4% Christianity +9.0 pts ▸ 54.4%

31.7% No religion +4.3 pts ▸ 36.0%

8.6% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 7.8%

4.8% Other religions ◂ +3.8 pts 1.0%

4.0% Hinduism ◂ +4.0 pts 0.0%

3.9% Islam ◂ +3.9 pts 0.0%

1.5% Buddhism ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Harkness in Merrimu

0.28 0th pct —

Schools ≤3 km in Harkness in Merrimu +9 more in Harkness

15 86th pct 6 74th pct

Avg size in Harkness in Merrimu +203 larger in Harkness

740 92nd pct 537 77th pct

ICSEA in Harkness in Merrimu +17 higher in Merrimu

978 42nd pct 995 53rd pct

Highest year of school

55.7% Year 12 ◂ +5.0 pts 50.7%

11.0% Year 11 +5.4 pts ▸ 16.4%

14.8% Year 10 +0.9 pts ▸ 15.8%

10.8% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.6 pts 9.2%

Highest qualification level

34.7% Certificate III / IV +8.4 pts ▸ 43.1%

19.1% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.2 pts 15.9%

17.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +7.0 pts 10.3%

5.7% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.2 pts 1.5%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +2.2 pts ▸ 5.1%

2.2% Certificate I / II ◂ +2.2 pts 0.0%

Field of qualification

13.5% Engineering & related +9.1 pts ▸ 22.6%

16.7% Management & commerce ◂ +5.9 pts 10.8%

14.3% Society & culture ◂ +5.6 pts 8.7%

6.5% Architecture & building +2.7 pts ▸ 9.2%

8.1% Education +1.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

8.0% Health ◂ +1.8 pts 6.2%

7.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.1 pts 5.6%

3.7% Information technology ◂ +1.6 pts 2.1%

1.8% Natural & physical sciences +0.7 pts ▸ 2.6%

1.3% Agriculture & environment +0.8 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.6% Creative arts even 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Harkness in Merrimu +$149 higher in Merrimu

$789 57th pct $938 76th pct

Household income in Harkness in Merrimu +$689 higher in Merrimu

$1,752 63rd pct $2,441 88th pct

Family income in Harkness in Merrimu +$818 higher in Merrimu

$1,882 50th pct $2,700 87th pct

Household income distribution

38.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.5 pts 34.2%

28.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +12.5 pts 16.2%

6.0% $4,000 or more +14.7 pts ▸ 20.7%

9.3% $3,000–$3,999 +5.1 pts ▸ 14.4%

11.0% Under $650 ◂ +2.0 pts 9.0%

Personal income distribution

39.2% Under $650 ◂ +2.9 pts 36.3%

36.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.6 pts 31.0%

14.8% $1,500–$2,999 +4.2 pts ▸ 19.0%

1.4% $3,000 or more +4.8 pts ▸ 6.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

5.0% Arthritis +5.1 pts ▸ 10.1%

6.7% Other condition +2.6 pts ▸ 9.3%

9.1% Asthma ◂ +1.1 pts 8.1%

8.6% Mental health ◂ +1.0 pts 7.6%

4.6% Diabetes +0.4 pts ▸ 5.0%

2.1% Heart disease +1.4 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.5% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.2% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

0.1% Dementia +0.9 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.6% None ◂ +1.1 pts 65.5%

17.3% One condition +0.9 pts ▸ 18.1%

4.4% Two conditions +1.1 pts ▸ 5.5%

2.2% Three or more ◂ +0.7 pts 1.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Harkness in Merrimu +182 larger in Harkness

185 86th pct 3 43rd pct

Median age in Harkness in Merrimu even

20 yrs 25th pct 20 yrs 25th pct

Median income in Harkness in Merrimu +$243 higher in Merrimu

$657 51st pct $900 73rd pct

Household income in Harkness in Merrimu +$667 higher in Harkness

$1,792 54th pct $1,125 23rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Harkness in Merrimu +0.2 larger in Merrimu

3.1 88th pct 3.3 91st pct

Family composition

65.5% Couples with children +9.0 pts ▸ 74.4%

14.2% Couples without children +5.9 pts ▸ 20.1%

19.8% One-parent families ◂ +15.7 pts 4.0%

0.6% Other families +1.7 pts ▸ 2.3%

Household size

24.5% 2 people +1.6 pts ▸ 26.1%

22.3% 4 people ◂ +6.1 pts 16.2%

19.3% 3 people ◂ +3.1 pts 16.2%

9.5% 5 people +8.5 pts ▸ 18.0%

17.2% 1 person ◂ +7.3 pts 9.9%

7.3% 6 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 9.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Harkness in Merrimu +$250 higher in Harkness

$350 71st pct $100 6th pct

Mortgage in Harkness in Merrimu +$250 higher in Merrimu

$1,700 55th pct $1,950 69th pct

People / bedroom in Harkness in Merrimu +0.10 higher in Merrimu

0.80 43rd pct 0.90 86th pct

How homes are owned or rented

55.0% Owned with a mortgage +1.7 pts ▸ 56.8%

15.7% Owned outright +16.8 pts ▸ 32.4%

27.6% Rented ◂ +22.2 pts 5.4%

0.4% Other tenure +5.0 pts ▸ 5.4%

1.3% Not stated +2.3 pts ▸ 3.6%

Types of homes

94.2% Separate house +5.8 pts ▸ 100.0%

4.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +4.3 pts 0.0%

1.7% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.7 pts 0.0%

0.0% Other dwelling even 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

52.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +3.3 pts 49.5%

36.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +12.3 pts 24.3%

6.2% 5 or more +11.8 pts ▸ 18.0%

2.6% 2 bedrooms +6.4 pts ▸ 9.0%

0.1% 1 bedroom +3.5 pts ▸ 3.6%

0.1% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

50.3% $350–$549 ◂ +50.3 pts 0.0%

41.5% $200–$349 ◂ +41.5 pts 0.0%

3.0% Under $200 ◂ +3.0 pts 0.0%

0.6% $550–$749 ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

0.0% $750 or more even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

45.3% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +21.5 pts 23.8%

33.8% $1,800–$2,999 +1.1 pts ▸ 34.9%

8.9% Under $1,000 +3.8 pts ▸ 12.7%

6.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 4.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Harkness in Merrimu +35 more in Harkness

35 87th pct 0 0th pct

Stops/1k in Harkness in Merrimu +2.81 more in Harkness

2.81 69th pct 0.00 0th pct

Departures/1k in Harkness in Merrimu +434.5 more in Harkness

434.5 77th pct 0.0 0th pct

PT routes in Harkness in Merrimu +6 more in Harkness

6 86th pct 0 0th pct

Stop walk in Harkness in Merrimu +53 longer in Merrimu

18 57th pct 71 91st pct

Drive to city in Harkness in Merrimu +4 longer in Merrimu

38 31st pct 42 34th pct

Reach 30 min in Harkness in Merrimu even

0 0th pct 0 0th pct

Reach 45 min in Harkness in Merrimu +21,208 more in Harkness

21,208 50th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

63.5% Car (driver) ◂ +7.1 pts 56.5%

14.6% Worked at home +3.5 pts ▸ 18.1%

5.0% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.4 pts 2.6%

0.2% Walked +2.4 pts ▸ 2.6%

1.2% Train ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

45.1% 2 vehicles ◂ +19.0 pts 26.2%

7.7% 4 or more +26.0 pts ▸ 33.6%

30.8% 1 vehicle ◂ +13.9 pts 16.8%

14.1% 3 vehicles +11.1 pts ▸ 25.2%

2.5% No vehicle ◂ +2.5 pts 0.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

12.2% Construction +6.5 pts ▸ 18.7%

11.9% Health care & social assistance ◂ +7.8 pts 4.1%

11.3% Retail trade ◂ +3.5 pts 7.8%

11.3% Transport & warehousing ◂ +7.1 pts 4.1%

7.5% Education & training +1.3 pts ▸ 8.8%

5.9% Public administration & safety +1.3 pts ▸ 7.3%

6.5% Manufacturing ◂ +2.3 pts 4.1%

0.7% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +5.0 pts ▸ 5.7%

5.6% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.4 pts 3.1%

3.5% Other services +1.1 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.7% Administrative & support ◂ +0.1 pts 3.6%

2.9% Wholesale trade +0.7 pts ▸ 3.6%

Occupations people work in

14.8% Technicians & trades +1.8 pts ▸ 16.6%

14.2% Community & personal service ◂ +2.3 pts 11.9%

13.7% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +4.9 pts 8.8%

8.5% Managers +4.9 pts ▸ 13.5%

13.0% Clerical & administrative +0.5 pts ▸ 13.5%

12.8% Professionals ◂ +0.4 pts 12.4%

11.1% Labourers +0.3 pts ▸ 11.4%

9.7% Sales workers ◂ +3.4 pts 6.2%

Walkability

Walk score in Harkness in Merrimu +3.0 higher in Harkness

3.2 73rd pct 0.2 44th pct

Types ≤15 min in Harkness in Merrimu +2.5 more in Harkness

2.7 70th pct 0.1 42nd pct

15-min city in Harkness in Merrimu even

0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to shops in Harkness in Merrimu even

0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to transit in Harkness in Merrimu +88.0 pts higher in Harkness

88.0% 84th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Harkness in Merrimu +69.2 pts higher in Harkness

69.2% 82nd pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to a park in Harkness in Merrimu +88.7 pts higher in Harkness

98.7% 85th pct 10.1% 47th pct

Walk to health in Harkness in Merrimu even

0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Amenities/1k in Harkness in Merrimu +3.9 more in Harkness

6.4 33rd pct 2.5 22nd pct

Intersections/km² in Harkness in Merrimu +106 higher in Harkness

109 86th pct 3 60th pct

Mean slope in Harkness in Merrimu +2.4 pts higher in Merrimu

2.9% 11th pct 5.3% 46th pct

Compare Harkness with nearby areas

Melton West Long Forest Brookfield Kurunjang Hopetoun Park Melton South Merrimu Cobblebank

Compare Merrimu with nearby areas

Long Forest Bacchus Marsh Hopetoun Park Darley Melton West Harkness Coimadai Maddingley

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Harkness vs Merrimu [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL21140/harkness/vs/SAL21668/merrimu

Where they differ most

👥 Demographics & Identity

Age structure

Marital status

Age & sex structure

🌏 Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

Ancestry

💬 Language

Language used at home

🕊️ Religion

Religious affiliation

🎓 Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

Highest qualification level

Field of qualification

💰 Income

Household income distribution

Personal income distribution

🩺 Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

Number of long-term health conditions

🤝 Community Participation

🪃 First Nations

🏠 Family & Households

Family composition

Household size

🏘️ Housing & Dwellings

How homes are owned or rented

Types of homes

Bedrooms per home

Weekly rent distribution

Monthly mortgage distribution

🚗 Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

Motor vehicles per home

🚆 Migration & Movement

💼 Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

Occupations people work in

🚶 Walkability

Compare Harkness with nearby areas

Compare Merrimu with nearby areas

Cite this page

Demographics & Identity

Ancestry & Birthplace

Language

Religion

Education & Qualifications

Income

Health & Disability

Community Participation

First Nations

Family & Households

Housing & Dwellings

Transport & Vehicles

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Walkability