Lyons (NT)
Statistical Area - sa2

Lyons lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Lyons NT's population was around 6,992 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 986 people from the 2021 Census figure of 6,006. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 6,989 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. Population density was around 993 persons per square kilometer, similar to averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Lyons's growth rate of 16.4% since the 2021 census exceeded regional averages. Natural growth contributed approximately 55.4% 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 to estimate post-2032 growth, AreaSearch applied age cohort-based growth rates provided by the ABS in its Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population dynamics showed an above median growth projection for Lyons NT, with an expected increase of 1,753 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 25.0% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Lyons when compared nationally

Lyons averages approximately 35 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 177 dwellings approved between FY21 and FY25, and 1 so far in FY26. On average, 5.7 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these years. This suggests supply is lagging demand, potentially leading to buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New properties are constructed at an average cost of $635,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, $800,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, predominantly for residential development. Compared to Greater Darwin, Lyons has 201.0% more construction activity per person. Recent construction comprises 91.0% detached dwellings and 9.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

The location has approximately 380 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area with a population forecast to grow by 1,750 residents through to 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyer competition may heighten as the population grows.

Lyons has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified seven projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include the Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD upgrades, Lee Point Master-planned Urban Development, Edgeview Court Water Main Replacement, and Casuarina Square Redevelopment. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Lyons rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Lyons in the Northern Territory (NT) has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 0.5% as of June 2021, with an estimated employment growth of 2.9% over the past year.

As of June 2025, 4047 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.5%, below Greater Darwin's rate of 3.0%. Workforce participation in Lyons is 77.6%, higher than Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Lyons shows strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

Construction has a limited presence, with 5.7% employment compared to 9.2% regionally. Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census data comparison. Over June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 2.9%, while labour force grew by 2.9%, keeping the unemployment rate stable. In Greater Darwin, employment rose by 2.9%, labour force grew by 2.9%, and unemployment fell marginally. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NT employment grew by 1.0% year-on-year (adding 1710 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.2%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, with NT's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Lyons's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 financial year ending 2022 shows that Lyons' median income is $81,309 and the average income is $94,692. This places Lyons in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Darwin had a median income of $65,522 and an average income of $75,260 in the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% since financial year ending 2022, estimated current incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $89,798 (median) and $104,578 (average) for Lyons. Census data reveals that household, family, and personal incomes in Lyons rank highly nationally, between the 96th and 97th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 39.3% of residents (2,747 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 36.7% in the same category. Notably, 49.3% of Lyons' residents earn above $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 87.0% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Lyons is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Lyons' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.1% houses and 12.9% other dwellings (including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Darwin metro had 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lyons was at 8.5%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (40.6%) or rented (51.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lyons was $2,600, higher than Darwin metro's average of $2,028. The median weekly rent figure in Lyons was recorded at $280, compared to Darwin metro's $350. Nationally, Lyons' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 89.3% of all households, consisting of 58.8% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 10.7%, with lone person households at 8.4% and group households making up 2.6% of the total. The median household size is 3.3 people, which is larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

Lyons shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Lyons residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications, at 40.9%, compared to the Northern Territory (27.3%) and Australia overall (30.4%). Bachelor degrees are most common among these residents, at 25.5%. Postgraduate qualifications and graduate diplomas follow, at 11.6% and 3.8% respectively. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 31.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (19.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 39.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (15.1%), secondary education (9.2%), and tertiary education (7.9%). Educational facilities may be located outside Lyons' immediate boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Lyons has seven active public transport stops operating currently. These are served by a mix of buses operating along 21 different routes. Together, these routes facilitate 1004 weekly passenger trips in total.

The accessibility of transport in Lyons is moderate; residents typically reside 436 meters away from the nearest stop. On average, there are 143 daily trips across all routes, which equates to approximately 143 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Lyons' health outcomes data shows excellent results across all age groups, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 69% of Lyons' total population (4,845 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Darwin's 56.7%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in Lyons are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 5.1% and 5.0% of residents respectively. 83.7% of Lyons' residents report having no medical ailments, compared to Greater Darwin's 77.0%. Lyons has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 4.0% (282 people), compared to Greater Darwin's 12.3%. Seniors' health outcomes in Lyons are strong and align with the general population's health profile.

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

Lyons has a high level of cultural diversity, with 39.3 percent of its population born overseas and 40.0 percent speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Lyons, accounting for 46.5 percent of the population. However, Hinduism is notably overrepresented, comprising 6.2 percent of Lyons' population compared to 5.1 percent across Greater Darwin.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (19.6%), English (17.1%), and Other (16.5%). Some ethnic groups have notable differences in representation: Filipino at 5.1% (regional average is 4.7%), Greek at 4.7% (regional average is 3.7%), and Sri Lankan at 1.0% (regional average is 0.4%).

Lyons hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Lyons's median age is 30 years, which is lower than Greater Darwin's average of 34 and Australia's national average of 38. Lyons has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (18.4%), compared to Greater Darwin and the national average of 12.2%. However, it has fewer residents aged 55-64 (5.6%) than both Greater Darwin and Australia as a whole. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 increased from 12.2% to 13.2%, while the proportion of those aged 0-4 decreased from 9.9% to 8.4%. By 2041, population forecasts suggest significant demographic changes in Lyons. Notably, the number of residents aged 45-54 is expected to grow by 52%, increasing from 922 to 1,401 people.