Side by sideSuburb comparison

Balnarring vs Merricks.

Suburb-to-suburb comparison across price, growth, lifestyle, schools and risk.

Balnarring scores higher on walkability (16/100 vs 4/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Merricks (1028) sits above Balnarring (995).

The takeWhich suburb suits which buyer

For buyers

We don't yet have verified suburb-level medians for one or both of these suburbs. Check the individual profiles for the data we do publish, and the methodology page for how we source it.

For investors

Rental or growth data is incomplete for one or both suburbs. Look at the full investor view on each suburb profile for a complete picture.

For families

Merricks edges out on average school ICSEA (1028 vs 995).

Common questionsBalnarring vs Merricks

Common questions

Does Balnarring or Merricks have better schools?

On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Merricks scores 1028 vs 995 in Balnarring. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.

Which is more walkable, Balnarring or Merricks?

Balnarring scores 16/100 on walkability vs 4/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.

The numbers behind the take

Balnarring
Metric
Merricks

Price & Market

$1,515,000
Median house
$343,440
Median unit
+0.0%
Annual growth (house)
+0.0%
Days on market

Rental

$456/wk
Rent (house / wk)
$418/wk
$480/wk
Rent (unit / wk)
$258/wk
88.0%
Owner occupied
94.0%
9.0%
Renter occupied
8.0%

Lifestyle & Demographics

16
Walk score
4
0
Transit score
0
5
Bike score
35
2,371
Population
184
46
Median age
57

Risk & Hazard

Flood class
Bushfire risk

Schools

11
Schools nearby
7
995
Avg ICSEA
1028

Climate

639 mm
Annual rainfall
639 mm
25.9°C
Mean max (Jan)
25.9°C

Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).