Merrimac is a moderately sized suburb in Queensland within the Gold Coast local government area (postcode 4226). With a population of 7,212, the suburb has an established demographic with a median age of 38. Households earn a median income of $88K per year, with an average household size of 2.6 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.8% year-on-year at the LGA level. QLD employment has moved +0.9% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. QLD also had 32 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 12 underway, and 50 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, community & personal service, technicians & trades. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.
The median house price in Merrimac is $951,000, having climbed sharply by 15.9% over the past year. Units have a median price of $700,000 (+12.9% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $800. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 4.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,733.
Merrimac is served by 4 schools, including 2 primary, 1 secondary, 1 combined. The average ICSEA score is 1062, which is above the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 21 bus stops. The crime rate in the Gold Coast LGA is moderate at 5,699 incidents per 100,000 population.
From an investment perspective, The gross rental yield works out to roughly 4.4%, which reads as moderate yield. Property prices are near the state median ($951K/$1.1M). The price-to-income ratio of 10.8x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +15.9% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.8% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.