Wulagi

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

Wulagi's population is approximately 2,687 as of February 2026. This figure represents a growth of 177 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 2,510. The increase was inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,687 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,132 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wulagi's growth rate of 7.1% since the census is within 0.3 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth (7.4%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 51.9% to overall population gains in recent periods.

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 growth estimation, AreaSearch applies age cohort growth rates provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Based on projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is expected for statistical areas across the nation. Wulagi is projected to increase by 434 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 16.1% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Wulagi is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Wulagi has had no residential development approvals in the past five years. This indicates that the area is largely built out with minimal vacant land available for new construction. Such established areas typically experience steady demand for existing properties due to limited new-build alternatives.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Wulagi shows significantly reduced construction activity. This constrained new construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes in such areas. Nationally, this level of construction activity is below average, reflecting the area's maturity and potentially suggesting planning constraints.

Wulagi has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects expected to impact the area. Key projects are Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, Northern Suburbs Youth Hub, Casuarina Square Redevelopment, and Leanyer Primary School. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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Employment performance in Wulagi has been broadly consistent with national averages

Wulagi has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.8%. As of September 2025, there were 1,439 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 3.4%, slightly higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%.

Workforce participation was lower at 73.0% compared to Greater Darwin's 76.0%. Only 3.1% of residents worked from home according to Census responses, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training, with a particularly strong specialization in the latter at 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, accommodation & food services showed lower representation at 5.4% compared to the regional average of 8.0%.

The predominantly residential area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 1.8% while labour force also grew by 1.8%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged at 3.4%. This compares to Greater Darwin where employment grew by 1.9%, labour force expanded by 1.9%, and unemployment rose marginally to 3.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Wulagi's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Wulagi SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $68,003 and an average level of $77,435. These figures are high compared to national levels of $66,956 and $77,199 for Greater Darwin. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% since financial year 2023, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $73,742 and $83,971 respectively. The 2021 Census ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Wulagi between the 82nd and 84th percentiles nationally. In earnings profile, 38.8% of individuals (1,042) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 band, similar to the regional pattern of 36.7%. High earners comprise 34.2%, indicating strong economic capacity. Housing accounts for 14.9% of income, with residents ranking in the 85th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Wulagi's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.2% houses and 1.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Darwin metro had 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wulagi was at 22.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 48.5% and rented ones at 28.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, below Darwin metro's average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Wulagi was $425, compared to Darwin metro's $385. Nationally, Wulagi's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Wulagi features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 82.4% of all households, including 39.3% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 17.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 17.6%, with lone person households at 13.4% and group households comprising 3.6%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

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

Educational qualifications in Wulagi trail regional benchmarks; 26.2% of residents aged 15+ hold 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 17.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Trade and technical skills are prominent; 38.1% of residents aged 15+ hold vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (11.5%) and certificates (26.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 37.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (14.8%), secondary education (11.2%), and tertiary education (4.9%).

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

Wulagi has ten active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 36 individual routes offering 1,906 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is high, with residents on average located 148 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area's residential nature. Car remains the primary transport mode at 91%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, exceeding regional norms.

Only 3.1% of residents work from home (2021 Census). Service frequency across all routes averages 272 trips daily, equating to approximately 190 weekly trips per stop.

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

Wulagi shows better-than-average health results based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Both younger and older age groups have a low incidence of common health issues. Private health insurance coverage is high at approximately 58% (~1,558 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (5.6%) and arthritis (5.4%). 77.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.1% in Greater Darwin. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Wulagi has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 11.9% (318 people), compared to Greater Darwin's 10.8%. Senior health outcomes are above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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

Wulagi had a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 25.0% of its population born overseas and 21.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Wulagi, comprising 47.1% of people as of 20XX (the latest available data). Buddhism showed an overrepresentation in Wulagi with 4.0%, compared to 3.3% across Greater Darwin during the same period.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were Australian at 25.2%, English at 18.4%, and Other at 14.8%. There were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 10.1% (vs regional 7.0%), Filipino at 3.4% (vs 3.8%), and Maori at 0.9% (vs 0.6%).

Wulagi's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wulagi has a median age of 36, which is slightly higher than Greater Darwin's figure of 34 but lower than Australia's national median age of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Wulagi has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 years (17.5%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 years (11.0%). This concentration of 5-14 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 12.1%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of Wulagi's population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 11.3% to 13.3%, while the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 has grown from 3.0% to 4.6%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 15.6% to 14.4%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Wulagi. The 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 23%, adding 88 residents and reaching a total of 475. Meanwhile, the 85+ age group is forecasted to remain static with no growth (0 people).