Coconut Grove

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

The population of Coconut Grove is estimated at around 3,100 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 208 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,892 people. The latest estimate by AreaSearch follows examination of the ABS's ERP data release from June 2025 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,183 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Coconut Grove's growth rate of 7.2% since census is within 2.1 percentage points of the national average (9.3%). Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population trends project an above median growth for national areas. By 2041, Coconut Grove is expected to increase by 554 persons, reflecting a total increase of 17.9% over the 16 years.

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

Coconut Grove 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.

When measured against Greater Darwin, Coconut Grove shows substantially reduced construction activity. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties. However, construction activity has intensified recently. Compared to national trends, the development in Coconut Grove is lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

Coconut Grove has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified two projects that may impact the area. Key projects include Social Housing Accelerator Payment (SHAP) in Greater Darwin/Nightcliff, John Stokes Square Redevelopment, Darwin Mid Suburbs Area Plan, and Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Coconut Grove recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Coconut Grove has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 5.9% as of December 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6% over the previous year. This is based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

In December 2025, there were 1,687 employed residents in Coconut Grove, which had an unemployment rate of 2.8% higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation was lower at 68.0%, compared to Greater Darwin's 72.5%. Census responses indicated that only 3.8% of residents worked from home in Coconut Grove, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among Coconut Grove residents are health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and accommodation & food services.

The area has a notably high concentration in health care & social assistance, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. However, public administration & safety employs only 12.9% of local workers, which is below Greater Darwin's 19.5%. While there are local employment opportunities, many residents commute elsewhere for work, as indicated by the count of Census working population to local population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment in Coconut Grove increased by 1.6%, while the labour force grew by 1.0%. This resulted in a decrease in the unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin experienced employment growth of 1.3% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with a marginal drop in unemployment. For future insights into potential demand within Coconut Grove, Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can be considered. These projections suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. When these industry-specific projections are applied to Coconut Grove's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years. It should be noted that this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Coconut Grove had a median income among taxpayers of $54,745 and an average income of $63,757 in financial year 2023. These figures are lower than Greater Darwin's median income of $66,956 and average income of $77,199. By March 2026, these incomes are estimated to be approximately $59,897 (median) and $69,757 (average), based on a 9.41% growth in wages since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 69th percentile ($913 weekly) and household income at the 38th percentile in Coconut Grove. The largest income bracket comprises 31.9% of residents earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (988 residents), mirroring the regional trend where 36.7% fall into this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 37th percentile. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Coconut Grove displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Coconut Grove, as per the latest Census data, 23.7% of dwellings were houses while 76.2% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Darwin metropolitan area's figures of 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coconut Grove stood at 14.8%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 22.7% and rented ones making up 62.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, significantly lower than the Darwin metro average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Coconut Grove was recorded at $300, compared to Darwin metro's $385. Nationally, Coconut Grove's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Coconut Grove features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 56.2% of all households, including 21.5% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 43.8%, with lone person households at 37.7% and group households comprising 6.2%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

Coconut Grove demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Coconut Grove is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. As of the latest data, 40.7% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% nationally in Australia. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.0% and graduate diplomas at 3.4%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 17.4%.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in tertiary education, 6.7% in primary education, and 5.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis in Coconut Grove shows 13 active transport stops operating, all mixed-use buses. These stops are covered by 36 individual routes, collectively serving 2,131 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 170 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains dominant at 81%, followed by bus at 9% and cycling at 3%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 3.8% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 304 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 163 weekly trips per individual stop.

Coconut Grove's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Coconut Grove's health metrics closely align with national benchmarks, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions among its general population are somewhat typical but higher than the national average for older cohorts.

Approximately 52% of Coconut Grove's total population (~1612 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Darwin's 57.8%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 6.2% and 5.6% of residents respectively. About 75.6% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 77.1% across Greater Darwin. Working-age residents show low chronic condition prevalence. Coconut Grove has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.3% (474 people), compared to Greater Darwin's 11.0%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

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

Coconut Grove's population has high linguistic diversity, with 44.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Additionally, 46.5% were born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Coconut Grove, comprising 36.9%.

Hinduism is notably higher than average, at 12.9%, compared to Greater Darwin's 4.2%. In terms of ancestry, 'Other' is highest at 23.3%, substantially more than the regional average of 13.1%. English and Australian ancestry follow, at 16.9% and 13.1% respectively, with Australian notably lower than the regional average of 22.6%. Filipino (5.2%) and Australian Aboriginal (8.6%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 3.8% and 7.0%, while Spanish is slightly higher at 0.8%.

Coconut Grove's population is younger than the national pattern

Coconut Grove's median age is 35, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 and marginally lower than the national average of 38. Relative to Greater Darwin, Coconut Grove has a higher concentration of 25-34 year-olds at 23.5%, but fewer 5-14 year-olds at 7.6%. This concentration is well above the national figure of 14.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75-84 age group grew from 4.2% to 5.3% of the population, while the 55-64 cohort declined from 11.0% to 9.4%. Demographic modeling suggests Coconut Grove's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 38%, adding 118 residents to reach 425. The 0-4 group shows more modest growth at 5%, adding only 10 residents.