Sapphire Coast, NSW
waterfront · easygoing · family · seafood
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Drive to the coast
7 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
13 min
By road
Airport access
8 min
By road
Schools access
Good
Average daytime temp
20.8°C
Rainfall
Dry
Merimbula is a compact coastal centre where the lake, beaches and airport make the town feel more connected than its population of about 8,200 would suggest. The median age is 56 and population has grown by roughly 8% since 2016, so it remains an older community with steady demand rather than a fast-growth family suburb.
Healthcare is strong, schooling is reasonable and the airport is only about ten minutes away, which is a major advantage on the far South Coast. Housing sits around a $929,000 median and three-bedroom rents near $695 a week. Much of local recreation is water-based: the lake boardwalk, kayaking, beaches, whale watching and oysters all fit naturally into the week.
Tourism is heavy, however, and holiday periods noticeably change traffic and the pace of the centre. Shopping is adequate but still limited compared with a larger regional city. Winters are cool and Canberra is a little over three hours away by road, so metropolitan errands are planned rather than spontaneous.
Merimbula is a good fit for people who want a serviceable small coastal town with excellent airport access and lots of water around them. Those seeking deep quiet or a place largely untouched by visitors may find it busier than expected.
8 photos
Merimbula gives families, retirees, people working remotely and water-focused couples an easy coastal setup without stripping away basic convenience. A walkable small centre, healthcare and airport access all help. Tourism has a strong presence, though, and that will be noticeable for anyone hoping for a quieter, more purely residential coastal town.
Tourism is heavy, so seasonal activity is part of life here. Shopping is still limited compared with larger centres, and Canberra is around 3 hours 15 minutes away by road. Winters are cool for a coastal town, and people seeking deep quiet may prefer Eden or Bermagui.
Explore Merimbula Lake by boardwalk, kayak or paddleboard
Enjoy beaches and water sports
Go whale watching or sample local oysters
More from Londoner in Sydney
Looking for places to visit on the South Coast and needing inspiration for the best things to do in Merimbula in the Sapphire Coast?
Read the guideMedian house price
$929,000
16% below the NSW median
Median attached price (townhouse/apartment)
$652,000
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$695
≈ $3,012/month
Houses here typically sell from $873,000 to $1,048,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Attached properties typically sell from $554,000 to $781,000.
Sourced from NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January - March 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Moderate
Supermarket within 10km, limited other retail
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 1 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Professional & office-based — 11.5%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Narooma, Batemans Bay, Bermagui, Eden, Mystery Bay, Thredbo, Tuross Head, Bega, Central Tilba and Moruya.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Merimbula (UCL 114018) · 2021 Census
Older than the country as a whole: 35.1% are 65 or over against 17.2% nationally, and 12.3% are children against 18.2%. Among households, couples without children outnumber couples with them (59.7% of families against 27.2%). Lone-person households are more common than average (33.9% against 25.6%).
Population
8,220
Population growth
+8%
Merimbula - Tura Beach (SA2 101041025)
Median age
56 years
Labour force participation
48.5%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$691
Per week · ≈ $35,932/year
Median family income
$1,611
Per week
Median household income
$1,224
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
72.5%
Rented
23.7%
Born in Australia
78%
Born overseas
16.1%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.