East Side
Statistical Area - sa2

East Side has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

East Side's population was approximately 6,290 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 872 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 5,418. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2024 (6,285) and the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 244 persons per square kilometer. East Side's 16.1% growth since the 2021 census surpassed both national (8.9%) and state averages, positioning it as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.5% to recent population gains in the area.

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 from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population projections indicate above median growth for locations outside capital cities, with East Side expected to increase by 1,041 persons to reach approximately 7,331 by 2041, marking a 16.5% total rise over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in East Side according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

East Side has seen approximately 12 dwellings granted development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 60 homes received approval, with none yet approved in FY-26. On average, 9.2 people have moved to the area each year for every dwelling built during these years.

This high demand outpaces new supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. The average construction cost of new homes is $283,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, East Side has recorded $5.7 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting its residential character. Compared to the Rest of NT, East Side shows moderately higher building activity, with 21.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years.

This maintains reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. However, recent periods have seen a moderation in development activity. Recent construction in East Side comprises 71.0% detached houses and 29.0% attached dwellings, preserving its traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 2592 people, reflecting its quiet, low-activity development environment. Looking ahead, East Side is projected to grow by 1,036 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

East Side has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 7thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 12 projects that could impact the area significantly. Key projects include Alice Springs Hospital Emergency Department Redevelopment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia, Melanka Accelerated Accommodation Development, and Alice Springs Flood Mitigation Project. The following list details those expected to have 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.

East Side ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

East Side has a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 1.8%.

There were 4,551 residents employed at this time, with an unemployment rate 4.1% lower than the Rest of NT's rate of 5.9%. Workforce participation in East Side was significantly higher at 69.9%, compared to 50.7% in the Rest of NT. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. East Side had a particular specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing was under-represented, comprising only 0.4% of East Side's workforce compared to 5.0% in the Rest of NT. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population numbers. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.9%, alongside a 1.9% decline in employment, with unemployment remaining largely unchanged. In contrast, the Rest of NT experienced an employment decline of 1.7% and a labour force decline of 1.8%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Side's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, although these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

In AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, East Side had a median income among taxpayers of $63,634 and an average income of $71,232. This is higher than the national average of $51,655 and compares to Rest of NT's levels of $51,655 and $61,577 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.01% from financial year ended June 2022 to September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $71,276 and average income is around $79,787 as of September 2025. Census data shows individual earnings at the 87th percentile nationally, with weekly earnings of $1,118. Income brackets indicate that 34.0% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (2,138 residents), similar to regional levels showing 33.6% in the same category. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 69th percentile nationally. East Side's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

East Side displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In East Side, as per the latest Census evaluation, 61.8% of dwellings were houses while 38.2% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro NT's 67.8% houses and 32.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Side stood at 16.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.5% and rented ones at 46.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Non-Metro NT's average of $1,800. Weekly rent median was recorded at $360, compared to Non-Metro NT's $280. Nationally, East Side's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

East Side features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 63.6% of all households, including 27.5% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 13.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.4%, with lone person households at 29.1% and group households making up 7.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, smaller than the Rest of NT average of 2.8.

Educational outcomes in East Side fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

East Side's residents aged 15+ have a higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 37.2% hold university qualifications, compared to 20.1% in the SA4 region and 20.1% in the Rest of NT. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.0% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 19.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.0% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education. East Side's 5 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,016 students. The area has varied educational conditions with 2 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

East Side has 15 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a single route, offering a total of 49 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good access to transport, with an average distance of 244 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 7 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per individual stop.

East Side's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

East Side's health outcomes data shows remarkable results, with younger cohorts experiencing notably low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 55% (~3,459 individuals) have private health cover, indicating a high rate compared to other areas. The most prevalent medical issues are asthma (7.1%) and mental health concerns (6.3%). A significant majority, 75.1%, report being free from medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NT's 76.9%. East Side has an older population with 11.1% aged 65 and over (698 people), higher than the Rest of NT's 9.3%. This necessitates targeted care for this demographic to ensure their needs are adequately addressed.

East Side was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

East Side's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 25.5% born overseas and 25.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in East Side, making up 39.9% of its population. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented, comprising 0.4%, compared to 0.1% across Rest of NT.

The top three ancestry groups were English (21.1%), Australian (19.0%), and Australian Aboriginal (16.2%), the latter being lower than the regional average of 28.9%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Maori was overrepresented at 1.5% in East Side, compared to 1.1% regionally; Samoan representation was equal at 0.4%; French was overrepresented at 0.6%, versus the regional average of 0.4%.

East Side's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

East Side's median age is 33 years, slightly higher than the Rest of NT average of 31 but lower than Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NT, East Side has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (7.9%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (10.9%). According to the 2021 Census, the 65-74 age group increased from 6.8% to 7.9%, while the 5-14 age group decreased from 13.1% to 12.0%. The 25-34 age group also declined from 21.3% to 20.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for East Side. Notably, the 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 26%, adding 185 people and reaching a total of 893 from 707. The 0-4 age group is projected to grow at a more modest rate of 6%, with an increase of 30 residents.