Mernda
VICMernda is a growing suburb in VIC with 23,369 residents.
- SAL code
- 21659
- SA2
- 209041532
- Population
- 23,369
- LGA
- Whittlesea
Mernda, VIC had 23,369 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 19.0% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 33. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,937 a month. Around 69.4% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 55.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 89.4% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 175 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
Mernda, VIC at a glance
Mernda is an outer-northern Melbourne growth-corridor suburb ~26 km from the CBD in the City of Whittlesea. Most homes are detached project builds from the past 15 years on standard estate lots; the 2018 rail extension to Mernda Station and the Woolworths-anchored Town Centre have given the suburb a proper local hub. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market + lifestyle + council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Mernda suits households who want a near-new family home with a train into the city and a proper local town centre. Stock is dominated by 3- and 4-bedroom detached houses on standard estate lots, with townhouse infill increasing around the Town Centre. Mernda Station (opened August 2018, the first passenger trains in nearly 60 years) anchors the southern end and connects to the City Loop; the Woolworths-anchored Mernda Town Centre on Plenty/Bridge Inn Roads is the day-to-day hub, with Mernda Junction nearby. Plenty Gorge Park and the Yan Yean Reservoir give you serious open space within minutes; local primary options include Mernda Primary and St Joseph's, with Ivanhoe Grammar's Plenty campus on Bridge Inn Road in neighbouring Doreen. In short: a settled outer-north growth-corridor suburb with rail access, a real town centre and big-lot family stock — accept the 26 km commute as the trade.
For investors
Mernda is a growth-leaning house play with thin yield. Median house sale $735,000 against $550/week rent gives a 3.91% gross yield; units sit at $405,000 / $490 with a 5.02% yield (Your Investment Property, data to Jan 2026). 12-month house growth +5.00% (quarterly +0.96%); units have softened (-14.74% YoY) on a thin 49-sale base. Houses turned over 418 times in 12 months — a deep, liquid market. Days-on-market 24 (houses), 28 (units).
Strengths
- Deep, liquid house market — 418 sales in 12 months (Your Investment Property, Jan 2026) — easy to enter and exit at scale.
- Rail-served growth corridor — Mernda Station + Mernda Town Centre + Bridge Inn Road upgrades have lifted the suburb out of pure greenfield.
- Steady house growth (+5.00% YoY, Jan 2026) on a near-new dwelling base reduces ongoing maintenance drag.
- National vacancy at 1.0% in April 2026 (SQM Research) keeps leasing pressure broadly tight across Melbourne's north.
Trade-offs
- House gross yield 3.91% (Your Investment Property, Jan 2026) — sub-4%, not a cashflow play.
- Unit segment is thin and softening — only 49 sales and -14.74% YoY (Jan 2026) — limited stratified scale-up.
- Outer-corridor location ~26 km from the CBD means future supply from neighbouring Doreen / Wollert estates can cap medium-term growth.
- Days-on-market 24-28 days is longer than inner-ring Melbourne, so price discovery is slower.
What's coming
City of Whittlesea's 2025/26 Budget commits $110.69m in capital works, with the next stage of the Mernda Regional Sports Precinct as a headline project alongside local road resurfacing across the corridor. The Mernda Town Centre site (27 ha, Plenty/Bridge Inn Roads) continues its build-out toward medium-density residential and an employment park, with further townhouse infill along Bridge Inn Road.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a rail-connected outer-north growth suburb with a real town centre and big family stock. For investors: a houses-led growth play with thin yield and steady, not spectacular, capital growth.
Population
?23,369
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+19.0%
3yr: +10.5% · 10yr: +92.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,011/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
33
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.6%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
5
5 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?16
10 long day, 6 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?175
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?94
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?234
Whittlesea · Feb 2026
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Mernda - South (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Mernda suburb alone is ~23,369 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 145 to 13,854 over 24 years, averaging 20.9% per year.
Schools
5 in suburbSector
3 public · 2 private
Type
3 primary · 2 K-12
Total enrolment
3,954
Avg per school
791
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.2%Almost entirely detached houses (89.4%), mixed tenure (69.4% own or mortgage), built for families (54% are 4 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
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.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
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.
Planning zones
12 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCZ1 | Rural Conservation Zone Schedule 1Rural | 32.5% | 7.74 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 31.6% | 7.52 km² |
| GWZ | Green Wedge ZoneRural | 25.8% | 6.16 km² |
| CDZ1 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 1Business | 3.0% | 0.72 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 2.2% | 0.53 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 1.8% | 0.44 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 0.9% | 0.22 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.9% | 0.22 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.5% | 0.11 km² |
| TZ | Township ZoneResidential | 0.3% | 0.06 km² |
| CDZ5 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 5Business | 0.2% | 0.05 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.1% | 0.03 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.