Nhulunbuy
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Nhulunbuy's population was around 3,787 as of Nov 2025. This showed an increase of 520 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,267 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,787 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 495 persons per square kilometer. Nhulunbuy's growth of 15.9% since the 2021 census exceeded both national (8.9%) and state averages, marking it as a regional growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 52.5% to 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 estimates, AreaSearch applied growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Demographic trends project an above median population growth for Australia's regional areas. The area is expected to expand by 548 persons to reach a total of 4,335 people by 2041, marking a 14.5% increase over the 17-year period.

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

Nhulunbuy experienced limited development activity between 2013 and 2017, with an average of two approvals per year (totaling fourteen). This low level is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and demand-limited construction. The small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

Compared to the Rest of NT and national averages, Nhulunbuy's development activity is much lower. Recent construction comprised 67% standalone homes and 33% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options. This shift from the current 86% houses reflects reduced site availability and changing lifestyle demands. By 2041, population forecasts indicate a gain of 548 residents in Nhulunbuy.

At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects likely impacting the area: Bunggulwuy Close Housing Development and Nhulunbuy Master Plan. Other notable projects include Northern Territory Freight Rail And Logistics Capacity Improvements and Network Optimisation Program - Rail. The following details projects most relevant to the area.

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

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The labour market strength in Nhulunbuy positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Nhulunbuy has a highly educated workforce with key services sectors well represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 0.6%.

The employment rate is 5.3% below the Rest of NT's rate of 5.9%, and workforce participation stands at 66.6%, significantly higher than the Rest of NT's 50.7%. Leading industries include mining, healthcare & social assistance, and public administration & safety. Mining is particularly strong with an employment share 6.9 times the regional level. Conversely, public administration & safety is under-represented at 10.9% compared to 17.9% in Rest of NT.

Some residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over June 2024 to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.8%, employment declined by 1.7%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. In contrast, Rest of NT saw employment contract by 1.7%, labour force fall by 1.8%, and marginal unemployment decrease. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 national employment forecasts project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Nhulunbuy's industry mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0%% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Nhulunbuy is well above average nationally. The median income is $59,134 and the average income stands at $73,770. This contrasts with Rest of NT's figures where the median income is $51,655 and the average income is $61,577. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.01% since financial year 2022, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $66,236 (median) and $82,630 (average). Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Nhulunbuy, between the 95th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 39.6% of the community (1,499 individuals) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 33.6% similarly occupy this range. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 45.9% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 96.0% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Nhulunbuy is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Nhulunbuy, as per the latest Census, 86.3% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 13.7% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. In comparison, Non-Metro NT had 89.4% houses and 10.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nhulunbuy stood at 6.0%, with mortgaged properties at 3.3% and rented dwellings at 90.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,741, higher than Non-Metro NT's average of $1,664 but lower than the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Nhulunbuy was $110, lower than Non-Metro NT's $80 and considerably below the national figure of $375.

Nhulunbuy has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 74.6% of all households, including 46.3% couples with children, 22.2% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 25.4%, with lone person households at 21.4% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NT average of 4.0.

Nhulunbuy performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Educational attainment in Nhulunbuy is notably high, with 30.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 14.9% in the SA3 area and 20.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 45.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 35.3%. Educational participation is high, with 48.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 21.7% in primary, 12.8% in secondary, and 5.8% in tertiary education.

Nhulunbuy's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 758 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 974) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 1 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. Note: if enrollments are 'n/a', please refer to the parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Nhulunbuy'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 throughout Nhulunbuy, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is approximately 56% of the total population (around 2,139 people), compared to 51.5% in the rest of the Northern Territory.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 5.8% and 5.3% of residents respectively. Approximately 83.3% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 82.9% in the rest of the NT. As of 2021, around 5.1% of residents are aged 65 and over (194 people). Health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

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

Nhulunbuy had a cultural diversity level above average, with 19.2% of its population born overseas and 14.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Nhulunbuy was Christianity, comprising 43.0% of the population. However, the 'Other' religious category was underrepresented, making up only 0.8%, compared to the Rest of NT average of 15.8%.

In terms of ancestry, Australians were the most represented group at 28.3%, significantly higher than the regional average of 11.5%. English ancestry also had a high representation at 25.3%, higher than the regional average of 10.3%. The 'Other' ancestry category comprised 8.9% of the population. Notable differences were seen in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Maori was overrepresented at 1.8%, compared to the regional average of 0.7%, Australian Aboriginal was underrepresented at 6.6%, compared to 60.9% regionally, and South African ancestry was slightly overrepresented at 0.7%, compared to the regional average of 0.3%.

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

Nhulunbuy's median age is 33 years, which is slightly higher than the Rest of NT average of 31 but lower than Australia's 38 years. Compared to Rest of NT, Nhulunbuy has a higher percentage of residents aged 35-44 (20.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (14.5%). This concentration of 35-44 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.2%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 9.9% to 11.6%, while the 25-34 age group has decreased from 16.5% to 14.5%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 19.6% to 18.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Nhulunbuy. Notably, the 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 35%, reaching 714 people from 527. Conversely, the 25-34 and 35-44 age cohorts are projected to decrease in population.