Durack - Marlow Lagoon

Population growth drivers in Durack - Marlow Lagoon are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Durack - Marlow Lagoon's population is around 4,885 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 384 people (8.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,501 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,883 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 1 validated new address since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 416 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Over the past decade, Durack - Marlow Lagoon has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 1.3% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 64.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth across all areas in the years post-2032, AreaSearch is applying growth rates by age cohort to each area, as provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Moving forward with demographic trends, an above-median population growth of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to expand by 896 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 18.3% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Durack - Marlow Lagoon according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Durack - Marlow Lagoon has recorded around 9 residential properties granted approval each year, totalling 49 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 22 approvals have been recorded. At an average of 2.3 new residents per year for each dwelling over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), reflecting robust demand that underpins property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $300,000. Additionally, $1.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus.

When measured against Greater Darwin, Durack - Marlow Lagoon shows substantially reduced construction (50.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, though development activity has picked up in recent periods. This activity is similarly under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. New development consists of 38.0% standalone homes and 62.0% townhouses or apartments. This trend toward denser development provides accessible entry options and appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 96.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The estimated count of 347 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

Population forecasts indicate Durack - Marlow Lagoon will gain 894 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Durack - Marlow Lagoon has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 5thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 2 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Darwin Light Rail Stage 1, Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, and Darwin Corporate Park, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Durack - Marlow Lagoon rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Durack - Marlow Lagoon has a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 1.3%, and 1.2% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 3,031 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.8% below Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (82.1% compared to Greater Darwin's 76.1%). Based on Census responses, a low 5.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are public administration & safety, construction, and health care & social assistance. The area shows particularly strong specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 10.4% versus the regional average of 14.2%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.2% while the labour force increased by 1.1%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. This contrasts with Greater Darwin, where employment rose by 1.3%, the labour force grew by 1.2%, and unemployment fell marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Durack - Marlow Lagoon. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Durack - Marlow Lagoon's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.6% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Durack - Marlow Lagoon SA2 is higher than average nationally, with the median assessed at $66,011 while the average income stands at $73,114. This contrasts to Greater Darwin's figures of a median income of $66,956 and an average income of $77,199. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $71,582 (median) and $79,285 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Durack - Marlow Lagoon, between the 92nd and 94th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the predominant cohort spans 41.2% of locals (2,012 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 36.7% in the same category. A significant 39.6% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 90th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Durack - Marlow Lagoon is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure within Durack - Marlow Lagoon, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 95.9% houses and 4.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Darwin metro's 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Durack - Marlow Lagoon was lagging that of Darwin metro, at 13.6%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (45.1%) or rented (41.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Darwin metro average at $2,167, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $500, compared to Darwin metro's $2,100 and $385. Nationally, Durack - Marlow Lagoon's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Durack - Marlow Lagoon features high concentrations of family households and group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 80.9% of all households, comprising 42.0% couples with children, 28.3% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 19.1%, with lone person households at 15.0% and group households comprising 4.0% of the total. The median household size of 2.9 people is larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Durack - Marlow Lagoon exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Durack - Marlow Lagoon trail regional benchmarks, with 25.6% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 31.3% in the SA4 region. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 16.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 42.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.3%) and certificates (30.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.5% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 19 active transport stops operating within Durack - Marlow Lagoon, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 36 individual routes, collectively providing 1,962 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 288 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 93%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A relatively low 5.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 280 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 103 weekly trips per individual stop.

Durack - Marlow Lagoon's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Durack - Marlow Lagoon, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~2,706 people). This compares to 57.8% across Greater Darwin.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be asthma and mental health issues, impacting 6.8 and 6.2% of residents, respectively, while 77.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 77.1% across Greater Darwin. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 10.0% of residents aged 65 and over (487 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Durack - Marlow Lagoon was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Durack - Marlow Lagoon was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 24.9% of its population born overseas and 17.5% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Durack - Marlow Lagoon is Christianity, which makes up 45.2% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Hinduism, which comprises 2.5% of the population, compared to 4.2% across Greater Darwin.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Durack - Marlow Lagoon are Australian, comprising 26.7% of the population, English, comprising 23.3% of the population, and Other, comprising 9.4% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Filipino is notably overrepresented at 3.9% of Durack - Marlow Lagoon (vs 3.8% regionally), Maori at 1.0% (vs 0.6%) and Australian Aboriginal at 4.5% (vs 7.0%).

Durack - Marlow Lagoon hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

With a median age of 32, Durack - Marlow Lagoon is slightly younger than the Greater Darwin figure of 34 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Greater Darwin, Durack - Marlow Lagoon has a higher concentration of 5 - 14 residents (15.3%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (16.3%). In the period since 2021, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 5.0% to 6.6% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort increased from 9.6% to 11.2%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.1% to 11.0% and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 18.1% to 16.3%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Durack - Marlow Lagoon's age structure. The 65 to 74 age cohort is projected to rise substantially, expanding by 185 people (57%) from 323 to 509. The 0 to 4 group displays more modest growth at 3%, adding only 11 residents.