Merton
§ This page gives an overview of the Merton local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Merton in southwest London combines suburban living with cultural heritage, most famously Wimbledon, home of the world-renowned tennis championships. It offers a balance of parks, residential neighbourhoods, and good transport links.
Merton Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Merton local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Merton can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Merton.
Key Facts about Merton
What region is Merton in? Merton is in the Greater London, an administrative region and a ceremonial county in England.
Is Merton a city? No, Merton is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Merton? The local government for this district is: The London Borough of Merton (London Borough).
▶ Official website of The London Borough of Merton 🔗 merton.gov.uk
Which police force covers Merton? Policing in Merton is provided by Metropolitan Police Service 🔗 met.police.uk, which serves 32 London Boroughs.
Merton in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Merton is within an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) London
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Outer London - South
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in Merton
Merton is divided into 2 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 75 of them are in Greater London (covering 32 London boroughs). We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Merton
Merton is divided into 20 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbey
- Cannon Hill
- Colliers Wood
- Cricket Green
- Figge's Marsh
- Graveney
- Hillside
- Lavender Fields
- Longthornton
- Lower Morden
- Merton Park
- Pollards Hill
- Ravensbury
- Raynes Park
- St Helier
- Village
- Wandle
- West Barnes
- Wimbledon Park
- Wimbledon Town & Dundonald
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in Merton
Merton is entirely unparished—there are no civil parishes in this local authority district.
Parishes are the lowest tier of local government; where they don’t exist, those very local services and representation sit directly with the principal council. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Merton
Below is a list of post towns in Merton, grouped by postcode area:
- CR ▸ Mitcham (CR4)
- SM ▸ Morden (SM4)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Merton
Merton covers 6 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Croydon *
- Kingston upon Thames *
- Lambeth *
- Merton *
- Sutton (Sutton) *
- Wandsworth *
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Merton.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Merton
Merton is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Merton Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Southern) ▸ Mitcham Eastfields (CR4 2LS) ⁞ Mitcham Junction (CR4 4HN)
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Thameslink) ▸ Tooting (SW17 9JR) ⁞ Haydons Road (SW19 8SL) ⁞ Wimbledon Chase (SW20 8JT) ⁞ St Helier (SM4 6ST) ⁞ South Merton (SW20 9JT) ⁞ Morden South (SM4 4QL)
- South Western Railway ▸ Wimbledon (SW19 7NL) ⁞ Raynes Park (SW20 0JY) ⁞ Motspur Park (KT3 6JJ)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
Merton compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Merton compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Merton has 20 electoral wards.
Merton has a population of 218,539 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Merton
This chart shows the population trend for Merton from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for Merton can be found on the ONS statistics for Merton.