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 was 2,892 people according to the 2021 Census. By June 2024, it had increased to 3,007, reflecting a rise of 115 individuals (4.0%). This change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population figures and address validation since the Census date. The population density as of June 2024 was 2,117 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.2% 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 by this data and to estimate growth post-2032, 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 trends project an above median growth for the area, with an expected increase of 608 persons to reach a total of 3,495 by 2041. This reflects a gain of 20.2% over the 17-year period from 2024 to 2041.

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

Coconut Grove has seen one residential development approval in the past five years. This suggests the area is largely built out with minimal vacant land for new developments. Established areas like Coconut Grove often experience steady demand for existing properties due to limited new-build alternatives.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Coconut Grove records significantly lower building activity. The constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties. However, building activity has increased in recent years. Nationally, this activity remains below average, indicating the area's maturity and 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. Two projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to influence the region: Social Housing Accelerator Payment (SHAP) in Greater Darwin/Nightcliff, John Stokes Square Redevelopment, Darwin Mid Suburbs Area Plan, and Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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The labour market performance in Coconut Grove lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Coconut Grove has an educated workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 6.1% as of September 2025.

Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 1.4%. As of September 2025, 1,680 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.0%, which is 0.9% higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation in Coconut Grove is 64.6%, compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and accommodation & food sectors.

The area has a significant employment specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. However, public administration & safety has limited presence at 12.9%, compared to the regional level of 19.5%. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 1.4% while labour force increased by 1.4%, keeping unemployment broadly unchanged. In contrast, Greater Darwin experienced employment growth of 1.9% and labour force growth of 1.9%, with a marginal rise in unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NT employment contracted by 1.13%, losing 4,100 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.4%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Coconut Grove's employment mix suggests local employment should increase 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

The median taxpayer income in Coconut Grove SA2 is $54,745 and the average is $63,757 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages compared to Greater Darwin's median income of $65,522 and average income of $75,260. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.01% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $61,320 (median) and $71,414 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 69th percentile ($913 weekly), while household income sits at the 38th percentile. Distribution shows that 31.9% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to the broader area where 36.7% fall into this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.5% of income remaining after housing costs, 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

Coconut Grove's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 23.7% houses and 76.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Darwin metro's figures of 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coconut Grove stood at 14.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.7% and rented ones at 62.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, lower than Darwin metro's average of $2,028. Median weekly rent in Coconut Grove was $300, compared to Darwin metro's $350. Nationally, Coconut Grove's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,600 versus 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 constitute 56.2% of all households, consisting of 21.5% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 43.8%, with lone person households at 37.7% and group households making up 6.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

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

Educational attainment in Coconut Grove is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 40.7% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in the Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% nationally in Australia. The area's educational advantage is particularly evident in bachelor degrees, with 23.3% of residents holding such qualifications, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.0%, and graduate diplomas at 3.4%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.5% of residents aged 15+ having them - advanced diplomas account for 11.1% and certificates for 17.4%.

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

Transport analysis indicates 13 operational public transport stops in Coconut Grove. These stops offer a variety of bus services, totalling 34 individual routes that facilitate 2,127 weekly passenger trips. Residential accessibility to these stops is rated excellent, with residents typically situated 170 meters from the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 303 trips across all routes, equating to approximately 163 weekly trips per individual stop.

Coconut Grove's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Coconut Grove. The prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population but higher than the national average among older, at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover rates are slightly lower than the average SA2 area, with approximately 51% of the total population (~1,539 people) having coverage compared to Greater Darwin's 56.7%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 6.2% and 5.6% of residents respectively. A total of 75.6% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 77.0% across Greater Darwin. Coconut Grove has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.7% (441 people) than Greater Darwin's 12.3%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

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 a high level of cultural diversity, with 44.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 46.5% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Coconut Grove, comprising 36.9% of people. Hinduism is overrepresented in Coconut Grove, making up 12.9% of the population compared to the Greater Darwin average of 5.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other at 23.3%, English at 16.9%, and Australian at 13.1%. Notably, Filipino is overrepresented at 5.2%, Australian Aboriginal at 8.6%, and Spanish at 0.8% compared to regional averages of 4.7%, 7.4%, and 0.5% respectively.

Coconut Grove's population is younger than the national pattern

Coconut Grove's median age is 35, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 and marginally lower than Australia's national average of 38. Relative to Greater Darwin, Coconut Grove has a higher concentration of 25-34 year-olds at 22.8% compared to the national figure of 14.5%, but fewer residents aged 5-14 at 7.7%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75-84 age group grew from 4.2% to 5.1%, while the 25-34 cohort declined from 24.0% to 22.8% and the 55-64 group dropped from 11.0% to 9.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Coconut Grove's age profile will evolve significantly, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort at 41%, adding 128 residents to reach 440. The 0-4 group shows more modest growth at 4%, adding only 8 residents.