Moving to Merbein from Pakenham (South West area)
Schools, childcare, demographics and house prices for Merbein and Pakenham - South West, side by side - all from public government data.
Merbein has 4,971 people (ABS, June 2025), +1.1% in a year, a median house price of $457,400, 3 schools and 4 childcare services. Full Merbein suburb profile.
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Sources: ABS ERP June 2025 · ABS Census 2021 · ABS SEIFA 2021 · ACARA School Profile 2025 · ACECQA NQS register · Valuer-General Victoria & DFFH (VIC) · DCJ Housing sales Mar 2026 and rent Jun 2026 (NSW) · RTA Queensland rents (QLD) · NSW BOCSAR (NSW) · CSA Victoria (VIC). How we source this data →
Which school is zoned?
The free government school your child can attend in each area - side by side, never a blended average.
Pakenham Consolidated School
The government school your child can attend for free by living in Pakenham - South West.
This is the zoned government school for the centre of Pakenham - South West (VIC catchment data) - addresses elsewhere in the suburb may be zoned to a different school.
See the catchment on the mapFee-paying schools can’t be enrolled in by zone - they’re shown for context, not as the area’s school quality.
We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.
Merbein P-10 College
The government school your child can attend for free by living in Merbein.
This is the zoned government school for the centre of Merbein (VIC catchment data) - addresses elsewhere in the suburb may be zoned to a different school.
See the catchment on the mapFee-paying schools can’t be enrolled in by zone - they’re shown for context, not as the area’s school quality.
We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.
Honest tradeoff
Merbein's government schools have an average ICSEA of 965, compared to 992 in Pakenham - South West. ICSEA reflects the socioeconomic intake of students, not teaching quality - it is not a ranking of school performance.
Catholic/independent schools are separate from the free government catchment - average ICSEA Merbein 1,006 (1 school), Pakenham - South West 1,034 (1 school).
There are 3 schools in Merbein, compared to 7 in Pakenham - South West.
The proportion of children from non-English-speaking backgrounds is lower in Merbein at 4.2% (vs 27.9% in Pakenham - South West).
Merbein has a SEIFA advantage (IRSAD) of Decile 2, below Pakenham - South West's Decile 4. Decile 10 is the most advantaged nationally.
Median house prices are 37% lower in Merbein ($457,400 vs $725,000).
Similar suburbs near Merbein
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What is the population of Merbein?
4,971 people lived in Merbein at June 2025 (ABS Estimated Resident Population), a change of +1.1% over the year. Pakenham (South West area) had 28,194.
Are houses cheaper in Merbein than in Pakenham (South West area)?
Yes. The median house price is $457,400 in Merbein and $725,000 in Pakenham (South West area), 37% lower in Merbein.
How many schools are in Merbein?
ACARA lists 3 schools in Merbein, against 7 in Pakenham (South West area). The zoned government school for an address is shown above under "Which school is zoned?".
Make this comparison yours
The Move Planner adds your kids' ages, school catchment zones on the map, and a shareable link for your partner.
Plan the move: Pakenham - South West → Merbein