Urban Centre · Area profile
Merredin
13 km²
A larger population than most similar areas, Merredin has grown 33% since 2011 to reach 2,384 people. It is a modest regional hub where the typical resident is 40 years old. The community is marked by a strong sense of independent living, with a high number of people living alone and a large proportion of residents who identify as having no religion. Most people live in separate houses, contributing to a landscape of low-density living in the Western Australian wheatbelt.
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The town has a notable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 6.5%, which is well above the national figure. While children under 15 make up 18.4% of the population, this is 4.0 percentage points lower than in 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 12.3% of the community, which is far below the state average. English is the most common ancestry after Australian.
English is the main language for 83.2% of people. Only 5.9% of residents use another language at home, a figure that is far below the national average.
A large portion of the community reports no religion at 46.4%, which is well above the national figure. This has seen a sharp rise of 17 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than in most similar areas, with only 9.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree. However, more people have completed Year 12 than in 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,357, which is well below the state and national figures. On a positive trend, the number of households earning over $3,000 a week rose by 9.4 percentage points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are reported by 30.1% of people, which is a little above the national average. Arthritis is the most common long-term condition at 10.4%.
Volunteering is more common here than in most similar areas, with 19.9% of people pitching in, though this is down from 2011. Unpaid care for children and housework is lower than the national average.
Living alone is very common here, with 34.3% of people in single-person households, well above the national figure. This helps explain why the typical home has only 2.2 people.
Rental properties are much more common than in similar areas, making up 34.2% of homes. Most residents live in separate houses, and the typical weekly rent of $220 is far below the national figure.
Cars are the main way to get around, with 69.3% of workers driving. Very few people work from home at 4.1%, which is far below the national average.
About 36.5% of residents moved in the last five years. The number of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen significantly since 2011.
Full-time employment is higher here than in most similar areas at 61.6%. The local workforce is led by technicians and trades, with 17.6% of workers in these roles.
The town is somewhat walkable, with a high number of residents living within a short walk of health services and parks. However, only 27.9% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.