Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Toowoomba Council
Meringandan West, 4352
Est. population · Jun 2025
4,156
Growth (1 yr)
+3.4%
Growth (5 yr)
+15.6%
Median age
32
Median income
$2,194/wk
Employment rate
72.8%
Languages at home
1.7%non-English
Most common: Afrikaans, Urdu
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- National parks
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Meringandan West is a regional smaller community in Toowoomba Council, oriented around local life rather than the metro orbit of Brisbane. Regional towns and local services do more of the everyday heavy lifting than the city. Young professionals and new households shape much of the local mix, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many regional towns, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.
Housing sits above the suburban middle: not the top of the market, but clearly pricier than average. The area is still finding its shape, with new households arriving and the community evolving year by year.
Desirability rates good overall, led by safety, plus community and employment, while schools and education land closer to the middle of the pack for similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Meringandan West snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
4,156
+3.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.7%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#5
among Country & regional · Growth area
Safety
4th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
91st
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
55th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 57.7/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 19% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 1261st in Australia
- State rank
- 286th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #5 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #67 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 66%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
4,156(June 2025)
+3.4% annual · +15.6% over 5 years · 91th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +3.4%
- 5-year growth
- +15.6%
- Change in 1 year
- +138
- Change in 5 years
- +562
- Growth rank in QLD
- 91th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~4,750), extrapolated at +2.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 2,488
- Median age
- 32
- Median household income / week
- $2,194
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 30 of 813
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,650
- Employment rate
- 72.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 776 / 0 / 0 (+ 3 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
- 51
- Against the person
- 6
- Against property
- 27
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 12.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 415 residents
- State safety percentile
- 4th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -11%
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences65
- Other Property Damage33
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)116
- Traffic And Related Offences77
- Unlawful Entry44
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,018
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 55th
School list
- Meringandan State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1018 · 55th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 260 students · Top SEA quarter 13%View on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Amenities
42 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 playgrounds · 15 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 17 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Strong local sport and recreation — 17 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 0/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 6.83
Sport & outdoors(30)
- Bicentennial ParkPark
- Meringandan Environmental ParkPark
- Meringandan West Lilyvale Sports OvalPark
- Monarch Street ParkPark
- Park (5)
- Parmore ParkPark
- Parrot Tree ParkPark
- Peters Road Utillity LandPark
- Valley View ParkPark
- Playground
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (15)
Other(8)
- Bench (2)
- Gowrie Little Plain Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
- Outdoor Seating (3)
- Meringandan Produce & TradingPetrol station
- Picnic Table (2)
- Public toilets
- Shelter
- Waste Basket
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
8 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bicentennial ParkPark
- Meringandan Environmental ParkPark
- Meringandan West Lilyvale Sports OvalPark
- Monarch Street ParkPark
- Parmore ParkPark
- Parrot Tree ParkPark
- Peters Road Utillity LandPark
- Valley View ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 17
- Parks (OSM)
- 17
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Baillie Henderson Hospital (13.1 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 108
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 26.0
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 29° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 287 mm · ~36 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 153 mm · ~19 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 4°
- Rainfall
- 95 mm · ~12 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 11°
- Rainfall
- 194 mm · ~24 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Groom
- Member of Parliament
- Garth HAMILTON (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 119,008
- Turnout (2025)
- 91.2%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +0.8 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 63.4%Labor 36.6%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 13.2 km away).
Coalition 68.1%Labor 31.9%
4.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.9 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- MeringandanLabor 31.2% · Coalition 68.8% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
- Highfields WestLabor 36.6% · Coalition 63.4% TPP (2025)6.6 km away
- Highfields NorthLabor 37.9% · Coalition 62.1% TPP (2025)7.1 km away
- Gowrie JunctionLabor 30.7% · Coalition 69.3% TPP (2025)8.5 km away
- HighfieldsLabor 32.2% · Coalition 67.8% TPP (2025)8.5 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Toowoomba Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.