Karama
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Karama's population was around 5,040 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 237 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,803. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,040 from the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 2,434 persons per square kilometer, placing Karama in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Karama's growth rate of 4.9% since census was within 2.7 percentage points of the SA3 area (7.6%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.7% of overall population gains during recent periods in Karama.

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 to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch applied 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, Karama was expected to grow by just below the median of national areas to 2041, with an increase of 638 persons and a total growth rate of 12.7% over the 17 years.

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

Karama's development activity data is being compiled.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Karama has significantly less development activity. This scarcity of new properties typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties in the area. The level of development activity is also below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

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

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. Two projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact this area. Notable projects include Ludmilla Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade, Berrimah North Area Plan, Darwin Corporate Park, and Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD upgrades. Relevant details of these projects are listed below.

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

Karama shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Karama has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 6.6% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.4%. As of June 2025, there were 2,559 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 3.5%, higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.0%. Workforce participation in Karama is lower at 63.5% compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Retail trade is particularly specialized with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. However, public administration & safety is under-represented at 14.5% compared to Greater Darwin's 19.5%. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.4% while labour force increased by 2.9%, reducing unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin saw employment growth of 2.9% and a marginal decrease in unemployment. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NT employment grew by 1.0% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National projections forecast employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Karama's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

In financial year 2022, Karama's median taxpayer income was $53,397 and the average was $59,528. This is lower than national averages of $65,522 in Greater Darwin. By March 2025, adjusted for a 10.44% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, median income would be approximately $58,972 and average income would be around $65,743. Census 2021 data shows Karama's incomes cluster at the 54th percentile nationally for households, families, and individuals. In terms of weekly earnings, 34.6% of residents (1,743 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, similar to regional levels at 36.7%. Housing costs consume 17.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 52nd percentile nationally.

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

Karama's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.2% houses and 22.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Darwin metro's structure of 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Karama was at 19.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.8% and rented ones at 39.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Karama was $1,950, lower than Darwin metro's average of $2,028. The median weekly rent in Karama was $293, compared to Darwin metro's $350. Nationally, Karama's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $293 compared to the national figure of $375.

Karama has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.9% of all households, including 35.0% couples with children, 19.0% couples without children, and 18.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.1%, with lone person households at 22.3% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

Karama faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The university qualification rate in this area is 21.9%, significantly lower than the SA3 average of 36.1%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 35.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (8.8%) and certificates (26.5%). Educational participation is high, at 34.5%, including primary education (12.8%), secondary education (10.5%), and tertiary education (4.7%).

Karama's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,189 students. School capacity exceeds residential needs, with 23.6 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.9, indicating that Karama serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

The analysis of Karama's public transport system shows that there are currently 27 active transport stops in operation. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 45 individual routes providing service. The combined weekly passenger trips across these routes amount to 2,400.

The accessibility of the transport system is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 140 meters away from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 342 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 88 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Karama is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Karama demonstrates above-average health outcomes, with both young and old age cohorts having low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (around 2,494 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Darwin as of a recent report. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

As of this data, asthma and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 7.0 and 5.8% of residents respectively. Notably, 74.7% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.0% across Greater Darwin. The area has 12.0% of residents aged 65 and over (603 people), with health outcomes among seniors being above average and broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Karama is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Karama has notable cultural diversity, with 33.4% of its population born overseas and 36.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Karama, comprising 53.2% of its population. However, Buddhism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Darwin, making up 4.7% versus 4.1%.

The top three ancestry groups in Karama are Australian (18.6%), Other (17.8%), and English (16.0%). Some ethnic groups have notable divergences: Filipino at 6.7% (versus regional 4.7%), Australian Aboriginal at 13.7% (versus regional 7.4%), and Greek at 4.0% (versus regional 3.7%).

Karama's population is younger than the national pattern

Karama's median age is 35 years, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 years and marginally lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Relative to Greater Darwin, Karama has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 years (15.0%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 years (12.8%). According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 65-74 years has grown from 7.3% to 8.3%, while the proportion of those aged 55-64 years has declined from 12.5% to 11.8%. Demographic projections suggest significant changes in Karama's age profile by 2041, with the strongest projected growth occurring in the 55-64 cohort (22%), adding 127 residents to reach a total of 722. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 25-34 and 5-14 cohorts.