Palmerston - North

Palmerston - North has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Palmerston - North's population is 4,949 as of May 2026, a rise of 493 people (11.1%) since the 2021 Census which recorded 4,456 residents. This increase is inferred from ABS estimates: 4,949 in June 2025 and 16 new addresses validated post-Census. The population density is 1,037 persons per square kilometer, similar to averages across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Palmerston - North's growth exceeded the national average (9.3%), driven primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 50.4% of 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 and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data).

Future demographic trends suggest a population increase just below median statistical area levels, with Palmerston - North expected to expand by 564 persons to 2041, reflecting an 11.4% total increase over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Palmerston - North, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Palmerston - North recorded around 2 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling 13 homes. As of FY-26, 5 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.4 new residents per year were associated with every home built between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates a significant demand exceeding supply, which typically leads to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction value of new homes was $246,000, below regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. In the current financial year, commercial approvals reached $49.0 million, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Darwin, Palmerston - North showed substantially reduced construction activity, with 86.0% fewer approvals per person than the regional average. This constrained new construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. Additionally, all new constructions in the area have been detached dwellings, preserving its traditional suburban character focused on family homes.

The area has approximately 3168 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Palmerston - North is projected to add 564 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Palmerston - North has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to its local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are predicted to impact this area. Notable projects comprise the Darwin to Palmerston Mass Transit Corridor, Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, and Darwin Corporate Park, with the following list outlining those most likely to be relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Palmerston - North ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Palmerston - North has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.1% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.7%. As of December 2025, 2,856 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.0%, lower than Greater Darwin's 3.1%.

Workforce participation was 76.4% compared to Greater Darwin's 72.5%. According to Census responses, 3.4% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and construction. The area has strong specialization in mining, with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 4.0%. There was one worker for each resident as per the Census, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.7% while labour force grew by 1.2%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin had employment growth of 1.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand in Palmerston - North. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Palmerston - North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.7% over ten years.

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 2023 shows median income in Palmerston - North SA2 was $69,884 and average income was $76,246. This is higher than Greater Darwin's median income of $66,956 and average income of $77,199. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated median income as of March 2026 would be approximately $76,460 and average income would be around $83,421. Census 2021 data ranks Palmerston - North's household, family, and personal incomes between the 89th and 90th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 40.4% of locals (1,999 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, similar to the surrounding region where 36.7% fall into this bracket. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 are achieved by 35.6% of households, indicating strong consumer spending. Housing costs consume 16.6% of income, but disposable income ranks at the 87th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Palmerston - North, as per the latest Census evaluation, 86.3% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 13.7% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Darwin's metropolitan area where 63.5% were houses and 36.5% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston - North stood at 11.7%, with mortgaged properties at 43.7% and rented ones at 44.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Darwin's metro average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Palmerston - North was $460, higher than Darwin's metro figure of $385. Nationally, Palmerston - North's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Palmerston - North features high concentrations of family households and group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 79.5% of all households, including 40.6% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 13.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 20.5%, with lone person households at 16.5% and group households comprising 3.9%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 20.3%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 31.3%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 13.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are common, with 44.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.3%) and certificates (31.9%). Educational participation is high at 34.9%, comprising primary education (12.3%), secondary education (9.2%), and tertiary education (5.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Palmerston - North has 11 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 27 different routes that together facilitate 1,751 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is considered good, with residents on average located just 284 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most inhabitants commute outwards daily, primarily by car (92%). On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling in the area. According to the 2021 Census, only 3.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 250 trips per day, resulting in approximately 159 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Palmerston - North faces significant health challenges, according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Both younger and older age cohorts show high prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 57% (~2,820 people) have private health cover, a rate significantly higher than the national average. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (7.8%) and mental health issues (6.7%). Conversely, 75.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.1% across Greater Darwin. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Only 6.8% (~335 people) are aged 65 and over, lower than the national average of 11.0%. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges, with rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Palmerston-North, surveyed in 2016, had above-average cultural diversity with 22.6% born overseas and 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the primary religion at 41.6%. Judaism, though small at 0.2%, was higher than Greater Darwin's 0.1%.

Ancestry wise, Australian (27.0%), English (23.7%), and Other (10.8%) were top groups. Filipino (3.4% vs 3.8%), Australian Aboriginal (7.4% vs 7.0%), and Samoan (0.3% vs 0.1%) showed notable divergences in representation compared to regional averages.

Palmerston - North hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Palmerston - North has a median age of 32, which is slightly lower than Greater Darwin's figure of 34 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Palmerston - North has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (15.5%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (4.1%). Between 2021 and the present day, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 16.5% to 18.5%. Conversely, the 0-4 age group has declined from 9.0% to 7.4%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Palmerston - North's age structure. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to increase by 177 people (29%), rising from 619 to 797 residents. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow modestly at a rate of 1%, adding only 4 residents.