Overall score
Balnarring Beach
52.3/100
Merricks North
49.5/100
Balnarring Beach vs Merricks North, VIC Suburb Comparison
Balnarring Beach for retirees and families; Merricks North for investment and value.
See which suburb leads on livability, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
Head to head
Visual comparison
Balnarring BeachMerricks North
Crime rate
Balnarring Beach
34.6 / 1k
Merricks North
70.0 / 1k
Nearby amenities
Balnarring Beach
10
Merricks North
7
Population
Balnarring Beach
471
Merricks North
423
Metric leadBalnarring Beach 6Merricks North 23 tiedacross 11 compared metrics
Livability profile
Desirability pillars scored 0–100 vs comparable suburbs
Quick verdicts
Clearer edge on lifestyle fit (score gap ≥ 3)
- Best for retireesBalnarring Beach
- Best for familiesBalnarring Beach
- Best for beach lifestyleBalnarring Beach
- Best for investmentMerricks North
- Best for best valueMerricks North
- Best for best schoolsMerricks North
Audience fit
Who each suburb suits — composite scores out of 100
All metrics
Side-by-side scores for every compared metric.
Full comparison table
Exact figures for every metric — winner highlighted in bold.
| Category | Balnarring Beach | Merricks North |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 52.3/100 | 49.5/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 42.3/100 | 44.2/100 |
| Crime rate | 34.6 / 1k | 70.0 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | 1 | — |
| Weather (desirability) | 82.3/100 | 82.3/100 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 1 |
| Walkability | 0.0/100 | 0.0/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 10 | 7 |
| Planning activity | 26 | 34 |
| Green cover | 26.6% | 10.4% |
| Population | 471 | 423 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 9/10 | 10/10 |
Comparison summary
Balnarring Beach is a beachside smaller community where the coast sets the tone, while Merricks North is a hillside smaller community with greener streets and a quieter pace. Balnarring Beach leans into coastal living, while Merricks North feels more inland and suburban in character.
Balnarring Beach pulls ahead on housing affordability, a quieter safety profile, and nearby cafés and amenities, whereas Merricks North is the better pick for stronger socioeconomic advantage.
On balance, retirees, families, people chasing a beach lifestyle, value-focused buyers, and households prioritising schools are more likely to prefer Balnarring Beach, while Merricks North remains a solid alternative depending on what matters most day to day.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.