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Suburb profile ·Greater Shepparton LGA · VIC ·3618

Merrigum VIC 3618

Merrigum is in Greater Shepparton LGA, VIC, postcode 3618, with population 679.

The read

Income-first

Price, rent, or affordability signals are lining up without a clear local red flag, and the broader demand backdrop is at least supportive. Treat this as a suburb worth comparing seriously, then stress-test it in the calculator before making a conviction call.

$275K
+7.8% YoY
2016 → 2023 · 5 periods
ABS + state medians
$275K
$160K
2016 2023
Why it fits

Gross yield screens at about 8.9%. Entry price sits in the lower-cost range for a first-pass screen.

What to check

Small local population makes the signal set more fragile.

Median house
$275K
House median, latest period
7.8%YoY D1 vs AU
Median rent
$470/wk
Rent-led investor candidate
D10 vs AU
Gross yield
8.9%
Strong yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
679
679 local footprint
D7 vs AU
Schools
1
Matched school context
D1 vs AU
Drive to city
Not in commute dataset
Solar
198
9 added 12mo · 2MW

Price history

Rental vacancy rate

Rental vacancy rate · Regional Victoria
1.9%
Tight (landlord) market

Official vacancy is published at the Regional Victoria level, not per suburb. Shaded band marks a balanced market (2.5–3.5%).

Source: Homes Victoria Rental Report (DFFH) · Latest: Sep 2025

Trend & investor depth

Indicative cashflow$82/wk ($4,250/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Value vs advantage-33% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 1)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Bgrade · 74/100 · top 26% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 74% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth97
Rental yield66
Stability5
Volatility-30.2ppCycle-2.0

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Merrigum

Owner-occupied 80%Rented 20%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared2%
9 of 34 landlords
Avg rental loss$4,992/yr
Landlords (rental income)34
Reported capital gains25
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

78% of homes here are owner-occupied and 20% rented, with 2% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

78% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

30%
of household income to service a new loan
6.8 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Stretched
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyBuying cheaper

New-loan repayment $1,347/mo vs median rent $2,037/mo (-34% · -$159/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $1,076/mo (-272) · at 6.2% (current): $1,347/mo · at 8.2%: $1,645/mo (+298)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
5.1x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Affordable
Renting
46%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
High stress

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,083/mo, while renters pay about $2,037/mo — renting runs $954/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$275K
Household income · yr
$54K
Median rent · wk
$470
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,083
Gross yield
8.9%

Household income

$54K household · yr-34.9% vs VIC suburb median
Personal
$29K
Family
$73K
Household
$54K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)49% could service the median house
Under $300
7
$300-649
53
$650-999
56
$1,000-1,499
30
$1,500-1,999
29
$2,000-2,999
40
$3,000-3,999
16
$4,000+
4

Serviceability line: a household needs about $1,036/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 64% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,567/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (262 households)1.1% social housing
Owned outright
42%
Owned with mortgage
36%
Rented
20%
Dwelling structure10.2% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
96%
Townhouse / semi
1%
Flat / apartment
0%

Getting to work: 78% drive, 0% public transport, 1% walk or cycle, 16% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total1
Avg ICSEA813
Students15
Government1
  • Merrigum Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 813

Livability

19/ 100 livability index

Top 81% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 19% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access0
Public transport (3 stops)19
Schools & hospitals25

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime Year ending Mar 2026
10,357
14,737 per 100k
D10 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k14,737
Total incidents10,357· Year ending Mar 2026
  • Assault91652%
  • Sexual Offences21112%
  • Robbery342%
  • Break And Enter60134%

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone designation

Severe broad-area context

About 86.5% of the suburb is within Victoria's mapped Bushfire Prone Area.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Flood and moisture context

Low broad-area context

About 6.7% of the suburb intersects VIC LSIO.

May affect: Floor levels and drainage · Water-resistant assemblies · Material durability

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire-prone area

Partly designated ~86.5%
~86.5% of the suburb is within Victoria's designated Bushfire Prone Area

Share of the suburb within Victoria's gazetted Bushfire Prone Area (Vicmap, CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. A Bushfire Prone Area is a planning designation that triggers the building code's bushfire construction provisions — it is not a graduated hazard rating or a property-level Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Flood exposure

Low exposure ~6.7%
~6.7% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood-hazard area

Estimated exposure to the official flood-hazard layer (VIC LSIO), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within mapped flood-planning areas — it is not a property-level flood certificate. Areas without a completed flood study may be unmapped. Check the local council's flood maps for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Farming (FZ)
Rural / Green wedge 96% Public / Open space 3% Residential 1%
Residential density: Low

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against Vicmap Planning scheme-zone polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Growth outlook · Greater Shepparton LGA

Dwellings
+19.6%
28,890 → 34,560
+5,670 dwellings
Population
+14.9%
68,520 → 78,730
Households
+21.9%
27,060 → 32,980

LGA-level official projection (Victoria in Future 2023, DTP). Indicative of the wider council area, not a suburb-level forecast.

Population outlook

10,378 people · 202211,218 by 2032 (+8.1%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Shepparton Surrounds - West SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Merrigum VIC — Property Data and Demographics

Merrigum (postcode 3618) is a close-knit residential community in Victoria within the Greater Shepparton local government area. With a population of 679, the suburb has a settled, mature resident base with a median age of 47. Households earn a median income of $54K per year, with an average household size of 2.3 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.6% year-on-year at the LGA level. VIC employment has moved +0.8% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. VIC also had 41 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 18 underway, and 24 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are managers, labourers, technicians & trades. Employment in the area leans toward agriculture and healthcare. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Scottish.

Median house prices in Merrigum stand at $275,000, having risen solidly by 7.8% over the last twelve months. The current median weekly rent is $470. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 8.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,083.

Merrigum is served by 1 school, including 1 primary. The average ICSEA score is 813, which is well below the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 1 rail station, 2 bus stops. The crime rate in the Greater Shepparton LGA is higher than average at 14,737 incidents per 100,000 population.

From an investment perspective, Gross rental yield sits at around 8.9% (high yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($275K/$850K), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 5.1x is considered affordable. House prices have moved +7.8% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.6% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield8.9% High Yield
Price vs State$275K/$850K Below Median
Affordability5.1x Affordable
Price Momentum+7.8% Rising
Pop. Growth+0.6%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentVIC
Mortgage · mth$1,083
Rent · wk(Census)$180
Market rent · wk(Sep 2025)$470
Gross yield3.4%
Price / income5.1x
Population growth · Greater Shepparton LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)69,865
5-year growth+0.4% CAGR
YoY change+0.6%
20012025
Development · Greater Shepparton LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)606
Houses 77%Units 23%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Greater Shepparton LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.2%
YoY change+0.8pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 3618ATO
Negatively geared2%
9 of filers
Avg rental loss$4,992/yr
Landlords (rental income)34
Reported capital gains25
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population679
Median age47
Household size2.3
HH income · wk$1,030
Personal income · wk$557
Persons / bedroom0.8
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)1/10
Education (IEO)2/10
Economic (IER)2/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)1/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,026 → $1,030
Change+0.4%
vs VIC median-23.1 pp
Median rent+20%
softeningvs VIC 2016–21
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets0
Pharmacies0
GP / clinics0
Fuel stations1
Cafes & dining0
TransportGTFS
Rail stations1
Bus stops2
Caltex Service Station/Waverley Ave
Hospitals · Greater Shepparton LGAAIHW
Public2
Private1
Goulburn Valley Health [Shepparton]public
Goulburn Valley Health [Tatura]public
Shepparton Private Hospitalprivate
Aged care · Greater Shepparton LGAGEN
Facilities15
Residential places752
Maculata Place120 places
Mooroopna Place Residential Aged Care Service105 places
Mercy Place Shepparton96 places
Mercy Place Ave Maria91 places
Harmony Village Inc85 places
Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service65 places
+9 more in Greater Shepparton LGA
Childcare · Greater Shepparton LGAACECQA
Services65
Approved places3,941
Exceeding NQS6
Inspira Kids Early Learning Centre Archer Street154 places
Early Learning Victoria Shepparton130 places
Wyndham Early Learning128 places
Inspira Kids Early Learning Centre Shepparton122 places
Community Kids Shepparton Early Education Centre114 places
Believe Early Learning Mooroopna110 places
+59 more in Greater Shepparton LGA
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Merrigum has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
Manual release files still matter here.

DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
VIC Property Sales Report · 2023 · DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.
medium stability · mixed acquisition · every update · quarterly
Available
Market rent
Homes Victoria · Sep 2025 · State market dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Available
Crime
VIC Crime Statistics Agency · Year ending Mar 2026 · Area-level release dataset
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 1 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 3 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Merrigum FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Merrigum in?

    Merrigum is in the Greater Shepparton Local Government Area, VIC, postcode 3618. Council-level context for Greater Shepparton LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Merrigum?

    The current median house price in Merrigum, VIC is $275K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Merrigum?

    The median weekly rent in Merrigum is $470/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent-led investor candidate.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Merrigum?

    Rent-led investor candidate: Gross rent yield screens at about 8.9%. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Merrigum a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Merrigum show: High Yield, Below Median, Affordable. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Merrigum?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Merrigum data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.