Brinkin - Nakara

An assessment of population growth drivers in Brinkin - Nakara reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, Brinkin - Nakara's population is around 3,421, reflecting a decrease of 9 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,430. This change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data as of June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. The population density ratio is 1,271 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 81.6% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered, growth rates by age cohort are applied based on ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 using 2022 data. Future population dynamics project an above median growth for the area, expected to expand by 609 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 17.8% over 17 years.

Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Brinkin - Nakara

Brinkin-Nakara has had minimal dwelling approvals in recent years. Specifically, three homes were approved between financial year 2021 (FY-21) and financial year 2025 (FY-25), with no approvals recorded so far in FY-26. The decrease in population during this period suggests that new supply has been meeting demand, providing buyers with good choices.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $665,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment by developers. In terms of commercial development, $23.1 million worth of approvals have been registered in FY-26, suggesting balanced activity. Compared to Greater Darwin, Brinkin-Nakara shows significantly reduced construction levels, with 91.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically supports demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Furthermore, the area's construction level is also lower than the national average, reflecting its established nature and potentially suggesting planning limitations.

Brinkin - Nakara has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely to affect this region. Notable projects include CDU - Centre for Better Health Futures, Casuarina Square Redevelopment, CDU - Trades Training Centre, and Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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The labour market in Brinkin - Nakara shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Nakara-Brinquin has an educated workforce with a low unemployment rate of 2.7% as of September 2025. The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 1.1% in the past year.

As of this date, 2,081 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.4% lower than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Darwin's at 69.7%. Key industries of employment among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety. Health care & social assistance has notably high concentration with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

However, public administration & safety is under-represented with only 11.6% of Nakara-Brinquin's workforce compared to 19.5% in Greater Darwin. The area functions as an employment hub with 1.4 workers for every resident. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.1%, labour force increased by 1.4%, resulting in a rise of unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Darwin saw employment grow by 1.9%. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows NT employment contracted by 1.13% with the state unemployment rate at 4.4%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Nakara-Brinquin's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.6% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The Brinkin - Nakara SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $57,384 and an average income of $66,829 in financial year 2022, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. These figures compare to Greater Darwin's median income of $65,522 and average income of $75,260 for the same period. By September 2025, based on a 12.01% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, estimated incomes would be approximately $64,276 (median) and $74,855 (average). Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Brinkin - Nakara rank between the 74th and 86th percentiles nationally. The predominant income bracket is $1,500 - 2,999, with 35.2% of locals (1,204 people) falling into this category. A substantial number of higher earners, 37.0%, exceed $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 88.2% of their income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Brinkin - Nakara is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Brinkin-Nakara's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.1% houses and 29.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Darwin metro had 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brinkin-Nakara stood at 32.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.8% and rented ones at 39.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,900, below Darwin metro's average of $2,028. Median weekly rent in Brinkin-Nakara was $393, higher than Darwin metro's $350 but lower than the national average of $400. Nationally, mortgage repayments averaged $1,863 and rents were $375.

Brinkin - Nakara features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 74.7% of all households, including 38.1% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 25.3%, with lone person households at 20.2% and group households comprising 5.4%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

The educational profile of Brinkin - Nakara exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Brinkin-Nakara is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 48.4% hold university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in the Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% nationally. University graduates comprise 28.6%, followed by postgraduate students at 15.8% and graduate diploma holders at 4.0%. Vocational pathways account for 24.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.5% and certificates at 15.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 40.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.8% in tertiary education, 9.8% in primary education, and 7.1% pursuing secondary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis indicates 19 active transport stops in Brinkin - Nakara. These stops serve a mix of bus routes totaling 43 individual services. Together, these routes facilitate 3091 weekly passenger trips.

Residential accessibility to public transport is rated excellent, with residents situated an average of 178 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 441 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 162 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brinkin - Nakara's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Brinkin - Nakara, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~1,792 people), leading that of the average SA2 area, compared to 56.7% across Greater Darwin.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 5.1 and 4.8% of residents respectively, while 80.0% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.0% across Greater Darwin. As of 2021, the area has 13.5% of residents aged 65 and over (461 people), which is higher than the 12.3% in Greater Darwin. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Brinkin - Nakara is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Brinkin-Nakara has a high level of cultural diversity, with 48.6% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 50.5% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brinkin-Nakara, comprising 42.4% of the population. Buddhism, however, is more prevalent here compared to Greater Darwin, making up 5.4% versus 4.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other (20.1%), English (16.4%), and Australian (16.3%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Filipino at 4.4% compared to 4.7% regionally, Sri Lankan at 1.2% versus 0.4%, and Greek at 4.3% versus 3.7%.

Brinkin - Nakara's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Brinkin-Nakara's median age in 2021 was 33 years, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 and significantly lower than Australia's median of 38. Relative to Greater Darwin, Brinkin-Nakara had a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (23.7%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (10.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds was well above the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data showed that the 25 to 34 age group had grown from 22.2% in an unspecified earlier date to 23.7%, while the 5 to 14 cohort had declined from 12.6% to 11.2%, and the 45 to 54 group had dropped from 11.7% to 10.4%. Demographic projections suggest that by 2041, Brinkin-Nakara's age profile will change significantly. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 121 people (34%) from 357 to 479. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 cohort is expected to grow by a modest 3%, adding 12 people.