Gray

Gray is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Gray's population was around 3,479 as of May 2026. This reflected an increase of 337 people, a 10.7% rise from the 2021 Census figure of 3,142 people. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 3,479 in June 2025 and address validation since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 2,319 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Gray's growth rate exceeded the national average of 9.3%, marking it as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 55.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 growth estimation, AreaSearch applied growth rates by age cohort from the ABS' latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future demographic trends project an above median population growth for statistical areas across the nation. Gray is expected to grow by 633 persons to 2041, reflecting an 18.2% increase over the 16 years.

The level of residential development activity in Gray is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Gray saw only 2 residential developments approved in the past five years. This suggests a mature, established suburb with limited land for new construction. For buyers, this scarcity typically supports property values and may mean competition is primarily among existing homes.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Gray has notably lower building activity, which usually strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This activity is also below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

Gray has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 1stth percentile nationally

No changes can influence a region's performance more than modifications to its local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact the area. Key projects include the Darwin to Palmerston Mass Transit Corridor, Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, and Darwin Corporate Park, with the following list detailing those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Gray face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Gray has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented, unemployment rate is 12.9%, and there was an estimated employment growth of 1.4% over the past year. As of December 2025, 1,636 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 9.8% higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%.

Workforce participation is lower at 67.8%, compared to Greater Darwin's 72.5%. Only 3.1% of residents work from home, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Retail trade has notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Public administration & safety is under-represented with only 15.7% of Gray's workforce compared to Greater Darwin's 19.5%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities. During December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.4%, labour force grew by 1.2%, reducing unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin had employment growth of 1.3% and marginal drop in unemployment rate. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Gray's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

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

The median income among taxpayers in the Gray SA2 region is $61,793, according to the latest data from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. The average income stands at $68,520 in this area. For comparison, Greater Darwin's median and average incomes are $66,956 and $77,199 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.41% since financial year 2023, the estimated current median income is approximately $67,608 and the average income is around $74,968 as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 63rd percentile with a weekly income of $877, while household income sits at the 34th percentile. The distribution data shows that the majority of residents, 33.8% or 1,175 people, fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket per week, which is similar to the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 36.7%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in the Gray SA2 region, with only 79.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 29th percentile.

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

Gray's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 59.8% houses and 40.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Darwin metro's 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Gray was at 12.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.6% and rented ones at 52.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,725, below Darwin metro's average of $2,100, while the median weekly rent was $300 compared to Darwin metro's $385. Nationally, Gray's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 63.6 percent of all households, including 23.4 percent couples with children, 18.5 percent couples without children, and 19.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.4 percent, with lone person households at 32.5 percent and group households comprising 4.3 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 17.5%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 31.3%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 44.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (33.0%).

Educational participation is high at 38.1%, with 14.8% in primary education, 10.2% in secondary education, and 4.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 13 active stops operating within Gray. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 23 individual routes that provide 1,422 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 163 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most residents commute outward, with car being the dominant mode at 90%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 3.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 203 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 109 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data indicates significant issues in Gray, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Notably high prevalence is seen across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 53% of the total population (~1,854 people), compared to Greater Darwin's 57.8%. The most prevalent conditions are asthma (7.6%) and arthritis (6.7%). However, 72.5% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.1% in Greater Darwin. Under-65s show better health outcomes than average. The area has 11.1% of residents aged 65 and over (385 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with national rankings.

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

Gray was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 24.1% of its population born overseas and 19.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Gray is Christianity, comprising 40.6% of the population. Buddhism, however, is noticeably overrepresented at 3.3%, compared to 3.3% across Greater Darwin.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups in Gray are Australian (22.9%), English (22.0%), and Australian Aboriginal (14.9%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 7.0%. There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Filipino is overrepresented at 4.4% compared to 3.8% regionally, Vietnamese at 1.0% versus 0.8%, and Maori at 0.6% each.

Gray hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Gray's median age is 34 years, which matches the Greater Darwin average of 34 but is lower than the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Gray has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (12.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (13.8%). Between 2021 and present, the 55-64 age group has increased from 11.5% to 12.8% of Gray's population. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 15.7% to 13.8%, and the 25-34 age group has dropped from 15.2% to 13.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Gray's age profile will change significantly. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 133 people (27%) from 501 to 635.