Humpty Doo
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Humpty Doo's population is approximately 9,299 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 912 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,387. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,266 in June 2024 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 59 persons per square kilometer. Humpty Doo's growth rate of 10.9% since the 2021 census exceeds the national average of 8.6%. The primary driver for this growth was natural increase, contributing approximately 63.0% to overall gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by these data and post-2032 growth estimates, AreaSearch applies age cohort-based growth rates from the ABS's Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Based on projected demographic shifts, Humpty Doo is expected to have above median population growth by 2041, increasing by 1,286 persons and recording a total gain of 13.5%.

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

Humpty Doo has seen approximately 38 new home approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) records show a total of 192 approvals over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with eight approvals recorded in FY-26 so far. On average, about 1.9 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. However, this figure has increased to 6.7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating a rise in demand and possible supply constraints. New properties are constructed at an average value of $380,000, which is lower than regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers.

This year alone, $4.8 million worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Comparatively, Humpty Doo exhibits moderately higher development activity than Greater Darwin, with a 20.0% increase per person over the five-year period. However, development activity has decreased in recent periods.

All current building activity involves detached houses, maintaining the area's low-density character and attracting space-seeking buyers. With an estimated 462 people per dwelling approval, Humpty Doo's development environment is quiet and low-activity. Population forecasts project a gain of 1,253 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Humpty Doo has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 4thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like modifications to its local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are projected to impact this area. Notable projects include Darwin Renewable Energy Hub, Hudson Creek Power Station, Darwin Corporate Park, and Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage. The following list outlines those expected to be most pertinent.

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

Employment conditions in Humpty Doo demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Humpty Doo's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with a low unemployment rate of 2.2% as of June 2025. This is 0.8% below Greater Darwin's rate of 3.0%.

The area had an estimated employment growth of 3.0% over the past year. There are 5,543 residents in work with workforce participation similar to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Dominant employment sectors include construction, public administration & safety, and health care & social assistance. Construction is particularly notable with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, comprising only 8.4% of Humpty Doo's workforce compared to 14.2% in Greater Darwin. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.0%, labour force by 2.9%, reducing unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Darwin recorded similar growth rates with marginal unemployment decrease. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NT employment grew by 1.0% year-on-year, adding 1,710 jobs, with a state unemployment rate of 4.2%, outperforming the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Humpty Doo's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.7% over five years and 12.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Humpty Doo had a median taxpayer income of $65,824 and an average income of $75,640 in financial year 2022. These figures are significantly higher than Greater Darwin's median income of $65,522 and average income of $75,260. By March 2025, based on a 10.44% increase from the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022, estimated incomes would be approximately $72,696 (median) and $83,537 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Humpty Doo's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 88th and 92nd percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 31.8% of Humpty Doo residents earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week (2,957 individuals), slightly lower than the regional average of 36.7%. A substantial proportion, 42.0%, earn more than $3,000 per week. Housing expenses consume 15.1% of income, while residents' disposable income ranks in the 92nd percentile nationally. The SEIFA income ranking places Humpty Doo in the 6th decile.

Humpty Doo is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Humpty Doo's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 97.9% houses and 2.0% other dwellings. In comparison, Darwin metro had 92.6% houses and 7.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Humpty Doo was at 24.3%, with mortgaged properties at 60.9% and rented ones at 14.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,347, higher than Darwin metro's $2,250. The median weekly rent figure for Humpty Doo was $400, compared to Darwin metro's $380. Nationally, Humpty Doo's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Humpty Doo features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 80.7% of all households, including 40.8% that are couples with children, 29.2% that are couples without children, and 9.9% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 19.3%, with lone person households at 16.0% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.8.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 15.3%, significantly below the SA4 region average of 31.3%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 10.2%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.7%) and postgraduate qualifications (2.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 50.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (38.9%).

Educational participation is notably high at 31.9%, including primary education (13.1%), secondary education (10.0%), and tertiary education (3.7%). Humpty Doo's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,931 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions with an ICSEA score of 954, indicating balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with three primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 20.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 17.1, suggesting the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Transport analysis indicates that as of February 2023, there were 24 active public transport stops operating within Humpty Doo. These stops catered to a mix of bus services. They were served by 46 individual routes in total, collectively facilitating 3,393 weekly passenger trips.

As of the same date, transport accessibility was rated as limited, with residents typically located 2238 meters from their nearest transport stop. Service frequency averaged 484 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 141 weekly trips per individual stop.

Humpty Doo's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Humpty Doo, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 57%, covering about 5,309 people. Asthma and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 6.5% and 6.3% of residents respectively. About 76.3% of residents claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 74.8% in Greater Darwin. In Humpty Doo, 13.3% of the population is aged 65 and over, totaling 1,232 people. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, closely aligned with the overall population's health profile.

Humpty Doo ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Humpty Doo's population showed low diversity, with 89.1% being Australian citizens and 86.0% born in Australia. English was spoken exclusively at home by 94.3%. Christianity dominated religiously, comprising 40.1%.

Buddhism was slightly overrepresented at 2.1%, compared to Greater Darwin's 2.2%. Ancestrally, Australians made up 32.1%, followed by English (28.0%) and Irish (7.7%). Australian Aboriginals were notably higher at 5.1% than regional levels of 5.8%. German (4.1%) and Dutch (1.4%) showed similar representation to the region.

Humpty Doo's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Humpty Doo's median age is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Darwin's average of 34 years, and close to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Darwin, Humpty Doo has a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (15.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.7%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the age group 55-64 has grown from 13.7% to 15.1%, while the age group 65-74 increased from 8.0% to 9.2%. Conversely, the age group 45-54 has declined from 17.5% to 15.5%, and the age group 5-14 dropped from 15.2% to 13.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Humpty Doo's age profile. The age group 65-74 is expected to grow by 36%, adding 312 residents to reach 1,170. Meanwhile, both the age groups 0-4 and 5-14 are projected to decrease in number.