Merton: house prices, jobs and local statistics

Detached

£2,338,085

Semi-detached

£954,064

Terraced

£686,591

Flat or maisonette

£405,123

First-time buyers

£509,784

The claimant count is people claiming unemployment-related benefits as a share of residents aged 16 to 64; the unemployment rate is the survey measure of people out of work and looking. Pay is for full-time employees who live in the area.

• Residents

  170,924 in 1991 → 218,539 in 2024 (+27.9%)

  England over the same years: +22.4%

• Average house price

  £262,655 in 2005 → £615,890 in 2026 (+134.5%)

  England over the same years: +85.9%

• Median weekly pay

  £526 in 2008 → £828 in 2025 (+57.5%)

  England over the same years: +63.7%

• Employment rate

  75.8% in 2004 → 72.9% in 2023 (−3.8%)

  England over the same years: +4.4%

• Claimant count

  1.8% in 2001 → 4.7% in 2025 (+161.1%)

  England over the same years: +60.0%

• Disposable income per head

  £15,459 in 1997 → £37,982 in 2024 (+145.7%)

  England over the same years: +143.8%

40 official indicators are published for Merton; 33 of them have a better and a worse direction and are ranked here. A rank of 1st is the best (lowest unemployment, highest pay, and so on).

Where it ranks best

• Library within a 30-minute walk · Connectivity & access100% (May 2024) · 8th highest of 318
• Adult obesity · Health & wellbeing15.4% (2024/25) · 9th lowest of 296
• Median weekly pay · Economy & work£828 (April 2025) · 16th highest of 359
• Disposable income per head · Economy & work£37,982 (2024) · 19th highest of 361

Where it ranks worst

• New homes · Housing2.0 per 1,000 (2024/25) · 291st highest of 296
• Anxiety · Health & wellbeing3.7 out of 10 (2022/23) · 336th lowest of 363
• Housing affordability · Housing10.7× earnings (April 2025) · 280th lowest of 316
• Claimant count · Economy & work4.7% (2025) · 309th lowest of 361

• Life expectancy (male) (2025)81.6 years · England 80.0 · 22nd highest of 151
• Life expectancy (female) (2025)84.9 years · England 83.8 · 32nd highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (male) (2022 - 24)62.4 years · England 60.9 · 51st highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (female) (2022 - 24)61.9 years · England 61.3 · 55th highest of 151
• Under-75 mortality, all causes (2025)262.9 per 100k · England 321.0 · 20th lowest of 151
• Adult smoking prevalence (2024)6.1% · England 10.4 · 3rd lowest of 148
• Adults overweight or obese (2024/25)60.2% · England 64.6 · 36th lowest of 153

• School readiness (good development at Reception) (2024/25)71.0% · England 68.3 · 32nd highest of 153
• GCSE Attainment 8 score (2024/25)53.7 score · England 46.0 · 8th highest of 153
• 16–17 year-olds NEET or activity not known (2025/26)2.1% · England 5.8 · 6th lowest of 150
• Children in absolute low-income families (2024/25)11.6% · England 19.8 · 22nd lowest of 153