Wagaman

Wagaman has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Wagaman's population is 2,118 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 95 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,023 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,118 from the ABS in June 2025 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,521 persons per square kilometer, placing Wagaman in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 78.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 growth post-2032, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort to each area, as provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Looking ahead, a population increase just below the median of national statistical areas is expected. The area is projected to increase by 186 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall gain of 8.8% over the 16-year period.

Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Wagaman

Wagaman has seen only one residential development approval in the past five years. This indicates a mature, established suburb where available land for new construction is limited. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and means competition may primarily be among existing homes.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Wagaman records markedly lower building activity. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects that may affect this region. Key projects are Casuarina Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, Casuarina Square Redevelopment, and Northern Suburbs Youth Hub. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis indicates Wagaman maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Wagaman has an educated workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.5% as of a recent period. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.7%.

As of December 2025, 1,143 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.5%, 0.4% higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation in Wagaman was 68.6%, below Greater Darwin's 72.5%. Census responses indicated that only 3.6% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and accommodation & food sectors.

Health care & social assistance employs 1.3 times the regional average. In contrast, public administration & safety employs only 13.2% of local workers, below Greater Darwin's 19.5%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.7%, labour force grew by 1.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.6 percentage points. In Greater Darwin, employment rose by 1.3% during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Wagaman's employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years based on industry-specific projections applied to Wagaman's employment mix.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023 shows Wagaman SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $52,660 and an average level of $61,909. These figures are below the national averages of $66,956 and $77,199 for Greater Darwin respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.41% from financial year ended June 2023 to March 2026, estimated median income would be approximately $57,615 and average income $67,735 by the latter date. Census 2021 data indicates Wagaman's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 66th percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 37.1% of residents (785 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band, similar to surrounding regions at 36.7%. Housing accounts for 14.1% of income, with residents ranking in the 74th percentile for disposable income. Wagaman's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Wagaman, as per the latest Census, consisted of 80.6% houses and 19.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Darwin metro had 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wagaman was at 22.4%, with the rest being mortgaged (36.0%) or rented (41.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Wagaman was $1,820, lower than Darwin metro's $2,100 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure in Wagaman was $340, lower than Darwin metro's $385 and the national average of $375.

Wagaman features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 76.5% of all households, including 37.8% couples with children, 22.1% couples without children, and 14.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.5%, with lone person households at 16.5% and group households comprising 7.4% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6 people.

Educational outcomes in Wagaman fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Wagaman Trail has educational qualifications that trail regional benchmarks, with 30.1% of its residents aged 15 and above holding university degrees compared to the SA3 area's 36.1%. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 18.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 29.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.3%) and certificates (21.4%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 8.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows seven active stops operating within Wagaman, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are served by 24 individual routes, collectively providing 1,330 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 166 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Car remains dominant at 85%, with 5% using bus and 5% walking. Average vehicle ownership is 1.4 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 3.6% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 190 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 190 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in Wagaman is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Wagaman demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low for both young and old age cohorts. Approximately 50% of the total population (~1,054 people) had private health cover, compared to 57.8% across Greater Darwin and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were arthritis (4.9%) and diabetes (4.8%). 79.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.1% across Greater Darwin. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 13.9% of residents aged 65 and over (293 people), higher than the 11.0% in Greater Darwin. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, ranking even higher than the general population nationally.

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

Wagaman has high cultural diversity, with 46.4% of its population born overseas and 48.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Wagaman, accounting for 47.1%. Hinduism is overrepresented, comprising 8.4%, compared to 4.2% across Greater Darwin.

In ancestry, the top groups are Other (19.9%), Australian (15.4%), and English (14.5%). Other notable divergences include Greek (8.5% vs regional 2.3%), Filipino (7.2% vs 3.8%), and Spanish (0.8% vs 0.4%).

Wagaman's population is younger than the national pattern

Wagaman's median age is 35 years, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 years and marginally lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Relative to Greater Darwin, Wagaman has a higher percentage of residents aged 45-54 (13.9%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (15.9%). According to the post-2021 Census data, the population aged 75-84 has grown from 3.2% to 4.5%, while the 0-4 age group has declined from 7.3% to 5.4%. Demographic modeling suggests that Wagaman's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 23%, adding 67 residents to reach a total of 361. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts.