Suburb guide · Cumberland council area
Mortgage broker for Merrylands (2160) home buyers
32,472 people lived in Merrylands at the 2021 Census, about half of them born overseas, most commonly in Lebanon and China; 947 were born in Nepal. The housing is mixed (36.6% units, 48.8% houses), and median sales in January to March 2026 were $548,000 for a unit and $1,387,000 for a house. There is no Merrylands shopfront to visit. Sulav meets clients from Merrylands by phone or video and manages the loan through to settlement.
On this page
Who lives in Merrylands
- Residents
- 32,4729,926 occupied homesABS Census 2021
- Born overseas
- 50.1%Top birthplaces: Lebanon, China, AfghanistanABS Census 2021
- Born in Nepal
- 9472.9% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Speak Nepali at home
- 9943.1% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Arrived 2016 to 2021
- 11.1%3,601 people born overseasABS Census 2021
- Median age
- 333 people per householdABS Census 2021
- Median household income
- $1,470/wk$76,440 a yearABS Census 2021
- Households renting
- 47%26.5% mortgage, 22.3% owned outrightABS Census 2021
- Flats and apartments
- 36.6%48.8% separate houses, 13.6% semis and townhousesABS Census 2021
- Median rent, new leases
- $650/wkAll dwellings, postcode 2160NSW DCJ, April to June 2026
All of Merrylands (6.7299999999999995 km²) is in Cumberland council area. Of the 26 NSW suburbs in our guides, Merrylands has the 15th-highest Nepal-born population (947) and the lowest median household income ($1,470 a week). The median resident is 33 and the average household has 3 people. Only 8.2% of workers used a train on Census day 2021, a lockdown day when 27.4% worked from home.
What it costs to buy in Merrylands
NSW DCJ's latest sales figures (January to March 2026) put the median unit price in postcode 2160 at $548,000 from 59 sales and the median house at $1,387,000 from 54 sales. The step up from the median unit to the median house is $839,000. A median unit costs 7.2 years of the suburb's 2021 median household income of $76,440; a house, 18.1 years.
| Item | Median unit | Median house |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $548,000 | $1,387,000 |
| 5% deposit | $27,400 | $69,350 |
| 10% deposit | $54,800 | $138,700 |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $109,600 | $277,400 |
| Transfer duty, standard | $18,847 | $57,572 |
| Transfer duty, first home buyer | $0 | $57,572 |
| Registration fees | $365 | $365 |
| 5% Deposit Scheme cap ($1,500,000) | Under | Under |
| Cash needed, first home buyer, 10% deposit | $55,165 | $196,637 |
- Owner-occupier, established home, every scheme condition met. Cash needed excludes conveyancing and LMI. 2026-27 rules, checked 26 October 2026.
At $548,000, the median unit is under the $800,000 limit of the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, so an eligible first home buyer pays no transfer duty instead of $18,847. The median house is over $1,000,000, so no first home concession applies and every buyer pays $57,572 in duty.
Unit and house medians both fit under the $1,500,000 5% Deposit Scheme cap, leaving $113,000 of headroom even at the house median.
Try a price other than $548,000 in the NSW stamp duty calculator
Rent in Merrylands compared with buying
The median rent on a new lease in postcode 2160 was $650 a week in April to June 2026, based on 468 bonds lodged, which adds up to $33,800 over a year. By size, a two-bedroom unit leased for $620 a week and a three-bedroom house for $750.
The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $400 a week and a median mortgage repayment of $2,100 a month, 21% more than the median rent. New leases now cost 63% more than the 2021 median, although the two sources measure different things (new bonds against all renters). In 2021, the median rent took 27% of the median household income.
Put another way, 42 weeks of today's median rent would cover a 5% deposit ($27,400) on the median unit. Renters are a large minority here (47% of households); 26.5% of homes have a mortgage and 22.3% are owned outright.
| Dwelling | Weekly | Yearly | New bonds |
|---|---|---|---|
| All dwellings | $650 | $33,800 | 468 |
| 1-bedroom unit | $600 | $31,200 | 81 |
| 2-bedroom unit | $620 | $32,240 | 177 |
| 3-bedroom unit (small sample) | $795 | $41,340 | 11 to 30 |
| House (all sizes) | $750 | $39,000 | 137 |
| 3-bedroom house | $750 | $39,000 | 45 |
| 4+ bedroom house | $1,100 | $57,200 | 47 |
- No interest rate is assumed: compare with your own rate in the repayments calculator.
Where we can help in Merrylands
Reviewing the loan you have
26.5% of Merrylands homes are owned with a mortgage, with a median repayment of $25,200 a year in 2021. Loans taken out before a move to permanent residency are often worth a second look. Refinancing
Nearby suburbs side by side
Granville is the closest suburb in our guides, 2.1 km from Merrylands. Every neighbour listed has a higher median unit price than Merrylands's $548,000. Auburn has a larger Nepal-born community (5,009 people).
| Suburb | Distance | Born in Nepal | Median rent | Median unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrylands | — | 947 | $650/wk | $548,000 |
| Granville | 2.1 km | 2,240 | $630/wk | $563,000 |
| Westmead | 2.7 km | 571 | $680/wk | $600,000 |
| Parramatta | 3 km | 1,672 | $700/wk | $620,000 |
| Auburn | 4.4 km | 5,009 | $680/wk | $610,000 |
| Lidcombe | 6.3 km | 1,491 | $780/wk | $807,000 |
- Born in Nepal: ABS Census 2021. Rent and unit price: NSW DCJ, latest quarter.
See our Granville guide, our Westmead guide or Parramatta rents and prices. All NSW suburb guides
Common questions from Merrylands
How much stamp duty would a first home buyer pay on a median Merrylands unit?
None, if you qualify for the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme: the $548,000 median unit is under the exemption limit. Other buyers pay $18,847. Checked against Revenue NSW on 26 October 2026.
What deposit do I need to buy in Merrylands?
For the median unit ($548,000): $27,400 at 5%, $54,800 at 10% or $109,600 at 20%. The median house needs $277,400 for 20%. Below 20%, expect LMI unless you use the 5% Deposit Scheme or a guarantor.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in Merrylands?
The median unit ($548,000) is $952,000 under the $1,500,000 cap. The median house ($1,387,000) is $113,000 under the $1,500,000 cap. You must be a citizen or permanent resident and a first home buyer.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Merrylands?
That depends on the rate you are offered, so we don't assume one. New leases in postcode 2160 cost a median $33,800 a year; in 2021 the median mortgage here cost $25,200 a year in repayments.
Your Merrylands numbers, checked
Sulav checks your deposit, income and visa against lender policy for a unit around $548,000, in a 60-minute call by phone or video.
Sources
Data last updated . Census figures are for 2021; DCJ figures are quarterly medians.
- ABS QuickStats 2021: Merrylands (SAL12599)
- ABS Census 2021 tables for SAL12599
- ASGS Edition 3 boundaries
- Rent and Sales Report, sales January to March 2026
- Rent and Sales Report, rents April to June 2026
- Transfer duty rates
- First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (new or existing home)
- 5% Deposit Scheme price caps