Palmerston - North
Statistical Area - sa2

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 was 4,758 as of Aug 2025, an increase of 302 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 4,456. This change is inferred from ABS data: estimated resident population was 4,747 in June 2024 and six new addresses were validated post-Census. Population density was 997 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade (2011-2021), Palmerston - North had a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outpacing state averages. Natural growth contributed approximately 58.3% to recent population 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 this data and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch applies age cohort growth rates provided by the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future demographic trends suggest Palmerston - North's population will increase by approximately 583 persons to reach 5,341 by 2041, a total increase of 12.0%.

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 has recorded approximately two residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totalling 13 approvals across the past five financial years from FY2021 to FY2025, with four already recorded in FY2026. On average, 3.4 new residents have been added per year for every home built over these five financial years. This demand significantly outpaces supply, exerting upward pressure on prices and intensifying competition among buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $554,000, which is higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. There have been $49.0 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Darwin, Palmerston - North shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 87.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. The location has approximately 3168 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established market.

Future projections estimate that Palmerston - North will add 572 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases. All new construction has been comprised of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

Palmerston - North has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 2ndth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. A total of zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are anticipated to impact this area. Notable projects include Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, Darwin Corporate Park, Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) Mental Health Inpatient Unit upgrades, and CSSD improvements, with the following list highlighting those most likely to be relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Palmerston - North demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Palmerston - North has a skilled workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 2.3%, lower than Greater Darwin's 3.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.5%. There were 2,846 residents employed by June 2025, with a workforce participation rate of 75.2% compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Key employment sectors include public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and construction. The area has a significant specialization in mining, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 4.0% compared to the regional average of 5.8%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 1.0, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.5%, while labour force grew by 2.9%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin had employment growth of 2.9% and marginal drop in unemployment rate. State-level data as of Sep-25 shows NT employment grew by 1.0% year-on-year, adding 1,710 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, with the state's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate a projected expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Palmerston - North's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1%% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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 June 2022 shows median income in Palmerston - North at $68,102 and average income at $74,098. In Greater Darwin, the median income was $65,522 with an average of $75,260. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 2022 to March 2025 (an estimated increase of 10.44%), current estimates for Palmerston - North would be approximately $75,212 median and $81,834 average as of March 2025. Census data from 2021 indicates that incomes in Palmerston - North rank highly nationally, between the 89th and 90th percentiles for households, families, and individuals. Income distribution shows that 40.4% of locals (1,922 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, similar to surrounding regions at 36.7%. Economic strength is evident with 35.6% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.6% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 88th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Palmerston - North's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 86.3% houses and 13.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Darwin metro's 75.9% houses and 24.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston - North stood at 11.7%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (43.7%) or rented (44.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,000, below Darwin metro's average of $2,037, and the median weekly rent figure was $460, compared to Darwin metro's $400. Nationally, Palmerston - North's mortgage repayments were higher than 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 account for 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 make up 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, larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.8.

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 common at 13.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 44.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.3% and certificates at 31.9%. Educational participation is high, with 34.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 12.3% in primary, 9.2% in secondary, and 5.7% in tertiary education. Schools appear to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access them in neighboring areas.

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. These are served by 26 different bus routes, offering a total of 1,749 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good access to transport, with an average distance of 284 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 249 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 159 weekly trips per individual stop.

Palmerston - North's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Palmerston - North's health outcomes show excellent results, particularly for younger cohorts who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 56% (~2,688 people) of its total population has private health cover. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.8 and 6.7% of residents respectively. About 75.4% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 76.6% across Greater Darwin. Around 6.9% (326 people) of residents are aged 65 and over. However, seniors face some health challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Palmerston-North exhibited above-average cultural diversity, with 22.6% of its population born overseas and 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Palmerston-North as of 2021, comprising 41.6% of the population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.2% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups were Australian at 27.0%, English at 23.7%, and Other at 10.8%. Some ethnic groups showed significant variations: Filipino representation was higher at 3.4% (regional average: 4.8%), Australian Aboriginal was lower at 7.4% (regional average: 9.1%), and Samoan was also lower at 0.3% (regional average: 0.2%).

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 younger than the Greater Darwin figure of 34 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Palmerston-North has a higher concentration of 5-14 year-olds (16.1%) but fewer 65-74 year-olds (4.1%). Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has grown from 16.5% to 18.1%, while the 5-14 cohort increased from 15.1% to 16.1%. Conversely, the 0-4 age group has declined from 9.0% to 8.1%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Palmerston-North's age structure. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to increase solidly by 171 people (29%) from 596 to 768. The 0-4 group displays more modest growth at 2%, adding only 6 residents.