Palmerston - South

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

Palmerston - South's population is 9,076 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 2,625 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,451 people. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2025 and the Census date. The population density is 363 persons per square kilometer. Palmerston - South's growth rate of 40.7% since the 2021 census exceeds the national average of 9.3%. Interstate migration contributed approximately 44.2% to this growth.

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 in its Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future demographic trends project an above median population growth for statistical areas nationwide. Palmerston - South is expected to grow by 2,017 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 22.2% over the 16-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Palmerston - South was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Palmerston - South averaged approximately 139 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 696 homes. As of FY26, 99 approvals have been recorded. The area has seen an average of 4.5 people moving in each year for every dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating high demand outpacing supply. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $292,000.

In FY26, $19.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Darwin, Palmerston - South has 381.0% higher construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, though recent construction activity has eased slightly. This level is above the national average, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. Recent construction consists of 97.0% detached dwellings and 3.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (81.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures.

The location has approximately 84 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to AreaSearch quarterly estimates, Palmerston - South is projected to add 2,011 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Palmerston - South has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 9thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. One major project may influence this region: Darwin to Palmerston Mass Transit Corridor, Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, and Darwin Corporate Park are key projects. The following details those most relevant:.

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Employment conditions in Palmerston - South rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Palmerston - South has a skilled workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.1% as of December 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.1%.

The area had an unemployment rate of 2.0%, lower than Greater Darwin's 3.1%. Workforce participation was high at 80.0%, compared to Greater Darwin's 72.5%. According to Census responses, only 3.9% of residents worked from home. Major employment industries include public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and construction.

The area specializes in public administration & safety with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services have limited presence at 3.8%, compared to the regional average of 5.8%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as suggested by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 1.1% while labour force grew by 1.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin saw employment growth of 1.3% and a marginal decrease in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate that over five years, employment is projected to expand by 6.6%, and over ten years, it could increase by 13.7%. Applying these projections to Palmerston - South's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 6.2% over five years and 13.0% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The median taxpayer income in Palmerston - South SA2 is $72,840, with an average of $78,585, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is higher than the national average, contrasting with Greater Darwin's median income of $66,956 and average income of $77,199. By March 2026, these figures are estimated to be approximately $79,694 (median) and $85,980 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.41% since financial year 2023. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family, and personal incomes in Palmerston - South rank highly nationally, between the 91st and 94th percentiles. The largest segment of residents, comprising 44.0%, earns $1,500-$2,999 weekly (3,993 residents). This pattern is similar to the surrounding region, where 36.7% fall within this income range. A substantial proportion, 36.7%, earns above $3,000 weekly, indicating strong economic capacity in the area. High housing costs consume 19.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 87th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Palmerston - South's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 81.4% houses and 18.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Darwin metro's figures of 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston - South was at 2.5%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (58.2%) or rented (39.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,300, exceeding Darwin metro's average of $2,100. The median weekly rent figure for Palmerston - South was $450, higher than Darwin metro's $385. Nationally, Palmerston - South's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 80.5% of all households, including 46.1% couples with children, 22.2% couples without children, and 11.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for 19.5%, comprising 15.4% lone person households and 3.9% group households. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6 people.

The educational profile of Palmerston - South exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 27.1%, exceeding the SA3 area average of 21.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, held by 42.3% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.8% and certificates at 29.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 37.6% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.2% in primary, 8.7% in secondary, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Palmerston - South has 14 active public transport stops, all providing bus services. These stops are served by 40 unique routes, offering a total of 2,237 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 257 meters from the nearest stop. As primarily residential, most residents commute outward; cars remain the dominant mode at 94%. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. Only 3.9% of residents work from home (2021 Census).

Service frequency averages 319 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 159 weekly trips per stop.

Palmerston - South's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Palmerston - South, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population, which totals around 5,300 people. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.5 and 5.5% of residents respectively. Approximately 82.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.1% across Greater Darwin. The area has 3.4% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling 307 people, which is lower than the 11.0% in Greater Darwin. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Palmerston - South was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Palmerston-South, surveyed in 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.5% of its residents born overseas and 29.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 46.2%. Hinduism showed an overrepresentation at 5.1%, compared to 4.2% in Greater Darwin.

In terms of ancestry, Australians comprised 23.5%, English 19.6%, and Other 14.6%. Notably, Filipinos were overrepresented at 8.8%, Australian Aboriginals at 6.0%, and Samoans at 0.3%.

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

The median age in Palmerston - South is 29 years, which is notably lower than Greater Darwin's average of 34 and considerably younger than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Greater Darwin average, the 35-44 cohort is notably over-represented at 20.7% in Palmerston - South, while the 55-64 year-olds are under-represented at 4.0%. This concentration of the 35-44 age group is well above the national average of 14.3%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 45 to 54 age group has grown from 8.8% to 11.1% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.7% to 15.2%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 23.1% to 20.4%, and the 0 to 4 group dropped from 11.6% to 9.0%. Looking ahead to the year 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Palmerston - South's age structure, with the 45 to 54 cohort showing the strongest projected growth at 54%, adding 543 residents to reach a total of 1,551.