Victoria council

Merri-bek

189,108 residents (ABS estimated resident population, 30 June 2025) across 51 km², 12 suburbs. Council website: merri-bek.vic.gov.au.

Council series run to July 2026.

Population

189,108

ABS estimated resident population, 30 June 2025 · +1.9% in a year

Density

3,708/km²

51 km² · ERP 2025 over the ABS 2024 boundary

Council-wide house median

$1.1M

Established-house transfers across the whole council, FY 2023-24 (ABS)

Federal grants per resident

$33

Financial Assistance Grant 2025-26 over ERP 2025

Dwelling approvals

7.3 per 1,000

Residents, 12 months to July 2026 (ABS Building Approvals)

Advantage decile

9 of 10

SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, national (10 = most advantaged)

Suburbs

12

Where it holds most residents (ABS mesh-block allocation)

Council-level series. Each chart names its source and period.

PopulationABS estimated resident population at 30 June, 2001–2025
Council-wide median sale pricesABS Data by Region: median transfer price across the whole council by financial year, 2018-19–2023-24. Not any one suburb's price.
Dwelling approvalsABS Building Approvals, monthly, 2021-07–2026-07
Federal Financial Assistance GrantsTotal grant by financial year, 2017-18–2025-26 (Dept of Infrastructure)

People and housing

Council-wide figures from the ABS Census of 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (national deciles, 10 = most advantaged).

Median age
35
Median household income
$1,943/week
Median rent
$400/week
Median mortgage repayment
$2,034/month
Households renting
38.3%
Average household
2.4 people
Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD)
decile 9 of 10
Disadvantage (IRSD)
decile 8 of 10

Council finances

From Local Government Victoria's Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF), 2024-25.

Average rates per property
$1,914
2024-25
Operating result
+8.8%
adjusted underlying result; negative = deficit
Asset renewal
183%
renewal and upgrade spend vs depreciation

Suburbs

12 suburbs where Merri-bek holds most residents, plus 1 it shares with a neighbouring council (share of residents shown). Population is Census 2021 for the whole suburb. A median here is the suburb’s own Valuer-General median — suburbs without one are blank, never filled with the council figure.

SuburbPopulationIn this councilMedian house (VG)Flood / bushfireIRSAD
Coburg26,574All$1.2MDec 202515% / 0%9
Brunswick (Vic.)24,896All$1.3MDec 202515% / 0%10
Glenroy (Vic.)23,792All$860kDec 202511% / 0%5
Pascoe Vale18,171All$1.2MDec 202517% / 0%9
Brunswick West14,746All$1.3MDec 20259% / 0%10
Fawkner14,27498%$832kDec 202512% / 0%3
Brunswick East13,279All$1.5MDec 202522% / 0%10
Fitzroy North12,7817%$1.7MDec 20256% / 0%10
Pascoe Vale South10,534All$1.2MDec 20258% / 0%10
Coburg North8,327All$1.1MDec 202514% / 0%8
Oak Park6,714All$1.2MDec 202514% / 0%9
Hadfield6,269All$900kDec 202520% / 0%5
Gowanbrae2,971All$1.0MDec 20255% / 0%9

Hazards

Share of each member suburb's land inside the mapped layer, averaged across the council weighted by the residents each suburb contributes. Only suburbs a source covers count; the rest are left out, not counted as zero.

Flood planning land

14%

Over 13 of 13 member suburbs

Show the layer on the map →

Bushfire-prone land

0%

Over 13 of 13 member suburbs

Show the layer on the map →

Observed surface water (1986–present)

<1%

Over 13 of 13 member suburbs

Show the layer on the map →

Suburb prices

Across the 12 member suburbs with their own Valuer-General median (unweighted; each suburb's latest figure, periods ending Dec 2025).

Lowest suburb median
$832k
Median of suburb medians
$1.2M
Highest suburb median
$1.5M

Representation

Federal electorates and state districts covering the council, by share of the residents its suburbs contribute (each suburb counts once, for the seat containing a representative interior point).

Federal electorates

  • Wills · Peter KHALIL (ALP)94%
  • Maribyrnong · Jo BRISKEY (ALP)6%

State districts

  • Pascoe Vale · Anthony Cianflone (ALP)37%
  • Brunswick · Tim Read (GRN)32%
  • Broadmeadows · Kathleen Matthews-Ward (ALP)30%
  • Niddrie · Ben Carroll (ALP)2%

Asking-price cuts

Cuts in the last 30 days to listings the Shorted crawl has seen in the last 14 days, across 6 suburbs of this council. An aggregate only: published at 3 or more cut listings council-wide (cuts in every crawled suburb count), and a suburb is named only when it has 3 of its own. Computed 24 Sep 2026; newest crawl observation 24 Sep 2026.

Listings cut
67
of 561 tracked
Share cut
11.9%
Typical cut
4.5%
median over every cut listing

Most cuts: Fawkner (19), Glenroy (Vic.) (15), Brunswick East (11), Coburg (11), Pascoe Vale (7), Brunswick West (4). All price drops →

Neighbouring councils

Councils in the same state whose suburbs share a boundary with this one's, and councils it splits a suburb with.

Compare it with every Victoria council on the council map or the Victoria council list.

Boundaries: ABS ASGS Edition 3, LGA 2024 boundaries; suburbs allocated by 2021 mesh block, weighted by Census 2021 residents. Population: ABS estimated resident population 2025. Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021: ABS. Council-wide medians: ABS Data by Region. Approvals: ABS Building Approvals. Grants: Financial Assistance Grants, Dept of Infrastructure. Financials: Local Government Victoria (LGPRF), 2024-25. Suburb prices: state Valuer-General. Flood and bushfire: state planning layers. Observed water: Geoscience Australia DEA Water Observations. Asking-price cuts: Shorted listing crawl, aggregates only. Website and identity: Wikidata (CC0). ABS, Dept of Infrastructure, Local Government Victoria and state government data CC BY 4.0. Council facts loaded 2026-09-24.