Merrylands
NSWMerrylands is a growing suburb in NSW with 32,472 residents.
- SAL code
- 12599
- SA2
- 125031714
- Population
- 32,472
Merrylands, NSW had 32,472 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 11.7% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 33. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,100 a month. Around 48.8% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 47.0%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 49.3% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 40 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Merrylands, NSW at a glance
Merrylands is an established multicultural suburb of Sydney's western middle-ring, ~25 km west of the CBD and a 2 km hop from Parramatta in the Cumberland City LGA. Older fibro and brick houses on standard lots sit alongside a CBD that is steadily densifying with mid-rise units. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Merrylands suits buyers who want Parramatta access on a western-Sydney budget. Stock skews to single-storey post-war houses on ~550-650 m² lots, with a growing band of mid-rise apartments through the CBD core. Stockland Merrylands sits a two-minute walk from the station and runs the full grocery + discount-department-store mix (Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Kmart, Big W, Target). The T5 Cumberland Line puts you in Parramatta in under 10 minutes and Central in ~38 minutes. The community is strongly multicultural, with established Lebanese, Turkish and Chinese populations and an active food + retail strip on Merrylands Road. Schools include Merrylands High (NSW public), Cerdon College (Catholic girls') and Holroyd School (specialist support); Merrylands East and Merrylands public primaries sit nearby. In short: an affordable, well-connected, multicultural foothold within walking distance of a major train line and a short ride from the Parramatta CBD.
For investors
Merrylands splits cleanly into a low-yield house play and a higher-yield unit play. Median house ~$1.42M with $750/wk rent gives ~2.72-2.89% gross yield; median unit ~$530K with $600/wk rent gives ~5.85% gross yield (htag.com.au + auspropertyinsights, Feb 2026). 12-month house growth +5.77% (quarterly +3.65%); units -3.64% YoY. Days-on-market 38 (houses) / 31 (units). Around 259 house and 430 unit sales in the 12 months to Jan 2026 — a deep, liquid market.
Strengths
- Unit yields ~5.85% (Feb 2026) — among the better cashflow plays inside the Parramatta-adjacent ring.
- Deep transaction market — ~430 unit + 259 house sales in 12 months means easy entry and exit.
- Two stops to Parramatta on the T5 Cumberland Line + walkable Stockland centre support tenant demand.
- House capital growth still positive at +5.77% YoY despite Sydney rate-cycle headwinds.
Trade-offs
- House yields are thin at ~2.72-2.89% — a capital-growth play, not a cashflow one.
- Unit values down -3.64% over 12 months reflect the broader Sydney apartment-pipeline overhang.
- House days-on-market at 38 (Feb 2026) is materially slower than tighter Sydney suburbs — pricing discipline matters.
- Ongoing CBD densification (Council-led drainage and road works enabling future towers) will keep unit supply in the pipeline.
What's coming
Cumberland City Council's Merrylands CBD Infrastructure Upgrade — new stormwater culverts and the McFarlane St-to-Merrylands Rd road extension via Main Lane — is in late delivery, with Addlestone Road now open southbound. Merrylands Civic Square has opened. The works are explicitly framed as enabling further CBD revitalisation and development. Broader Cumberland capital program covers Granville Centre, Granville Park and Wentworthville Pool.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: an affordable, transit-rich, multicultural entry close to Parramatta. For investors: a split market — low-yield houses for growth, higher-yield units against ongoing supply pressure.
Population
?32,472
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+11.7%
3yr: +11.9% · 10yr: +21.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,470/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
33
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?1/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?10.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
7
4 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?36
27 long day, 6 OSHC, 3 family
Parks & green space
?40
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?78
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Merrylands - Holroyd (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Merrylands suburb alone is ~32,472 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 17,411 to 27,002 over 24 years, averaging 1.8% per year.
Schools
5 in suburbSector
5 public
Type
3 primary
Total enrolment
1,973
Avg per school
395
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Hilltop Rd PS35.5%
- Merrylands EPS 25.0%
- Merrylands PS 9.4%
- Parramatta WPS 7.6%
- Granville SPS 7.4%
- Granville EPS 6.5%
- Granville PS 5.5%
- Ringrose PS 3.0%
- Guildford PS 0.1%
- Westmead PS 0.0%
- Sherwood Grange PS 0.0%
Secondary
Merrylands HS45.7%
- Arthur Phillip HS 35.5%
- Auburn GHS 26.2%
- Granville BHS 26.2%
- Granville SCPAHS 8.2%
- Greystanes HS 7.7%
- Holroyd HS 2.9%
- Pendle Hill HS 0.0%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 5.8%Mostly detached houses (49.3%), mixed tenure (48.8% own or mortgage).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
11 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 64.3% | 4.33 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 10.3% | 0.69 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 8.6% | 0.58 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 6.4% | 0.43 km² |
| E2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 4.4% | 0.30 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 3.9% | 0.26 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.1% | 0.08 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.5% | 0.03 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 0.3% | 0.02 km² |
| E3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| W1 | ZoneWaterway | 0.1% | 7,219 m² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.