Mernda - South

This is a young community where the typical resident is 32, which is noticeably younger than the state and national figures. Children under 15 make up 27.6% of the population, a figure well above the national average, while seniors aged 65 and over are far fewer than in most other areas.

Overseas birthplaces are common here, with 35.8% of people born abroad, well above the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries include Australian, English, Indian, and Italian.

Language diversity is high, with 41% of people using a language other than English at home, far above the national figure of 22.3%. Punjabi and Hindi are the most common non-English languages spoken.

Religious affiliation is more common here than in other areas, as the proportion of people reporting no religion (27.3%) is far below both the state and national figures.

Education levels are strong, with 69.3% of residents having completed Year 12, which is far above the national figure. About 28.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, similar to the state average.

Typical weekly household income is $2,109, which is a little above the national figure. Personal incomes are also slightly higher than the national typical of $805, coming in at $902.

Residents are generally healthy, with the rate of long-term health conditions (20.1%) being well below the national figure of 27.7%. Similarly, people needing help with daily activities are much fewer than in most other areas.

Caring for children is a major part of local life, with 40.4% of people providing unpaid childcare, far above the national average. However, local volunteering rates are among the lowest at this level.

First Nations residents in the area are noticeably younger than the national typical age, with a median age of 20. They also have a much higher typical personal income and a much lower unemployment rate than similar areas.

Homes are larger than average, with 3.2 people per household, well above the national figure of 2.5. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 71.6% of families.

The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses (95.1%), with 96.3% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Mortgage holders are common, while those who own their homes outright are far fewer than in the state average.

Car reliance is very high, as only 1.4% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well below the national figure. Most people drive to work, though 20.3% work from home.

The population is highly mobile, with 52% of people having moved house in the last five years, far above the national figure of 40.7%.

A high proportion of adults are working or looking for work (73.1%), far above the national figure. Full-time employment is also slightly higher than the national average.

The area has seen significant growth, with the population increasing by 14.6% since 2021, well above the state average. It generally ranks higher than 60% of other areas in terms of overall advantage.

The area receives 724mm of annual rainfall, which is well above the state average of 510mm.

While every home is within a 15-minute walk of a park, the area is far below the state average for walking to groceries or health services. The overall walkability is considered somewhat walkable.