Meridan Plains

The typical resident is 36, which is a little younger than the national figure. Children under 15 make up 20.9% of the population, a figure that is much higher than most similar areas.

Overseas birth is common here, with 22.7% of people born abroad. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, while England and New Zealand are the most frequent overseas birthplaces.

English is the main language for 86.6% of the community. While 7.8% of people use another language at home—higher than most similar areas—this is still far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A large number of residents have no religion, at 45.8%, which is well above the national figure. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 44.0%.

The area has a high number of people with a bachelor degree or higher (18.5%) and those who finished Year 12 (55.4%) compared to similar areas, though both figures remain well below the national average.

Typical weekly household income is $1,529, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. Personal incomes are about the same as the state and national figures, with a typical weekly pay of $777.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 31.2% of people reporting a long-term health condition and 7.4% needing help with daily activities.

Unpaid care for children is common, with 29.9% of people providing this support, which is well above the national figure. A high 4.4% of residents have served in the Defence Force.

First Nations people in the area are notably younger than the national average, with a typical age of 21. They also have much higher Year 12 completion rates (54.8%) and higher typical incomes than the state or national figures.

Families with children are common, and the area has a much higher rate of one-parent families (19.0%) than most similar areas. This helps explain why homes here are larger, with 2.6 people per house.

Renting is very common, with 41.0% of households renting, which is far above the national figure. Typical weekly rents are also much higher than usual at $460.

Most people drive to work, and only 0.4% use public transport. While there are more public transport stops here than in many similar areas, only 9.8% of people work from home.

The community is highly mobile, with 56.6% of residents moving here in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals also make up a much higher proportion of the population (13.5%) than in most similar areas.

Full-time employment is lower than the national figure at 54.1%. The most common industries for workers are health care and social assistance, followed by construction and retail.

Many homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school (92.9%) or park (96.7%), though only 36.6% are near health services. Overall, the area is considered somewhat walkable.