Coconut Grove

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

Coconut Grove's population is approximately 3,100 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 208 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,892. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates and address validation between the Census date and June 2025. This results in a density ratio of 2,183 persons per square kilometer, higher than the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Coconut Grove's 7.2% population growth since the census is within 2.1 percentage points of the national average (9.3%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population projections show an above median growth for statistical areas nationally. Coconut Grove is expected to expand by 555 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 17.9% over the 16-year period.

Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove has recorded just one dwelling approval in the past five years. This indicates a fully developed suburb with limited opportunities for new construction. The scarcity of new supply typically supports demand for established properties, potentially contributing to price stability.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Coconut Grove has significantly less development activity. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. However, there has been an increase in construction activity recently, though it remains below average nationally. This reflects the area's maturity and suggests possible planning constraints.

Coconut Grove has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified two projects likely affecting the area: Social Housing Accelerator Payment (SHAP) for Greater Darwin/Nightcliff and John Stokes Square Redevelopment. Other key projects include Darwin Mid Suburbs Area Plan 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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Coconut Grove shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Coconut Grove has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 5.9% as of December 2021. Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 1.6%.

By December 2025, 1,687 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.1%, which is 2.8% higher than Greater Darwin's rate. Workforce participation in Coconut Grove was 68.2%, below Greater Darwin's 72.5%. According to Census responses, only 3.8% of residents worked from home as of December 2021. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and accommodation & food.

Coconut Grove has a strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. However, public administration & safety employs only 12.9% of local workers, lower than Greater Darwin's 19.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.6%, while the labour force grew by 1.0%, reducing unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin saw employment rise by 1.3% and unemployment fall marginally during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase in employment over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Coconut Grove's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates that Coconut Grove SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $55,647 and an average income of $65,421. Nationally, these figures are slightly lower than the averages of $66,956 and $77,199 for Greater Darwin respectively. By March 2026, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $60,883 and $71,577 based on a 9.41% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 69th percentile ($913 weekly) and household income at the 38th percentile. The $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket dominates with 31.9% of residents (988 people), reflecting regional patterns where 36.7% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 37th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Coconut Grove displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Coconut Grove, as per the latest Census data, 23.7% of dwellings were houses while 76.2% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Darwin's metropolitan area where 63.5% were houses and 36.5% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Coconut Grove stood at 14.8%, with mortgaged properties at 22.7% and rented ones at 62.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, significantly lower than Darwin's metro average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Coconut Grove was $300, compared to Darwin's metro figure of $385. Nationally, Coconut Grove's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Coconut Grove features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 56.2% of all households, including 21.5% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 43.8%, with lone person households at 37.7% and group households making up 6.2%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Coconut Grove is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. As of the latest data, 40.7% of residents aged 15 years and above hold university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% nationally in Australia. This educational advantage includes 23.3% with bachelor degrees, 14.0% with postgraduate qualifications, and 3.4% with graduate diplomas. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.5% of residents aged 15 years and above holding such qualifications - including 11.1% with advanced diplomas and 17.4% with certificates.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in tertiary education, 6.7% in primary education, and 5.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Coconut Grove has 13 operational public transport stops serving a variety of bus routes. These routes facilitate a total of 2,131 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 170 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential zone, most commuters travel outward using cars (81%), followed by buses at 9% and cycling at 3%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 0.9, lower than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, only 3.8% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

On average, there are 304 daily trips across all routes, translating to approximately 163 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Coconut Grove is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Coconut Grove faces significant health challenges, according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is slightly lower than average, at approximately 52% of the total population (~1,608 people), compared to 57.8% in Greater Darwin. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (6.2%) and arthritis (5.6%), while 75.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.1% in Greater Darwin. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (15.4%, or 476 people), than Greater Darwin (11.0%). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with national rankings.

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

Coconut Grove has high cultural diversity, with 44.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 46.5% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 36.9%. Hinduism is overrepresented at 12.9%, higher than the Greater Darwin average of 4.2%.

Top ancestry groups are Other (23.3%), English (16.9%), and Australian (13.1%). Filipino, Australian Aboriginal, and Spanish groups are notably overrepresented in Coconut Grove compared to regional averages.

Coconut Grove's population is younger than the national pattern

Coconut Grove's median age is 35 years, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 and lower than the national average of 38. Relative to Greater Darwin, Coconut Grove has a higher concentration of 25-34 year-olds at 23.3%, but fewer 5-14 year-olds at 7.6%. This concentration is significantly higher than the national average of 14.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75 to 84 age group grew from 4.2% to 5.3% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort declined from 11.0% to 9.4%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 10.9% to 9.9%. Demographic modeling suggests Coconut Grove's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 45-54 cohort projected to grow by 38%, adding 117 residents to reach 424. The 0-4 group is expected to grow more modestly at 5%, adding only 10 residents.