Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
Find a Recent Sale
Sales Detail
Gray (NT) has an estimated 3,479 residents, up from 3,142 at the 2021 Census — a change of 337 people, or 10.7%. Growth has averaged 0.7% a year over five years. Natural increase accounts for 50.0% of that increase. That puts 2,319 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, the suburb of Gray (NT) has an estimated population of approximately 3,479, determined by AreaSearch through examining broader ABS population updates and post-Census validated addresses. Compared to the 3,142 people recorded in the 2021 Census, this marks an expansion of 337 people (10.7%). This estimate is established from the resident count of 3,479 calculated by AreaSearch using the June 2025 ABS ERP release alongside post-Census address validation. With this population, the locality records a population density of 2,319 persons per square kilometer, outpacing the national average assessed across AreaSearch locations.
Surpassing the 9.5% nationwide benchmark, the 10.7% growth in the suburb of Gray (NT) since the 2021 census positions it as a regional growth frontrunner. Natural increase served as the principal demographic engine, accounting for roughly 50.0% of recent population additions. Projections for each SA2 area released by ABS/Geoscience Australia in 2024 (using 2022 as the base year) have been incorporated by AreaSearch. For SA2 territories lacking this coverage, as well as for all post-2032 projections, AreaSearch applies age-cohort growth rates drawn from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (published in 2023 from 2022 figures). Looking ahead, the suburb of Gray (NT) is projected to experience above-median growth relative to national areas, with aggregated SA2-level figures anticipating an increase of 635 persons to 2041, representing a cumulative rise of 18.2% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Detail
Over the past five years, only 2 residential building approvals have been registered in Gray. This indicates an established, mature locality with constrained land availability for new residential construction. Because new residential additions are scarce, existing properties often experience value support and concentrated buyer demand. Residential development in Gray remains substantially lower than the broader Greater Darwin benchmark. While recent periods have shown an uptick in activity, overall levels remain below the Australian average, reflecting the established footprint of the suburb alongside probable planning restrictions. This limited delivery of new housing generally reinforces pricing and demand across established homes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Gray (NT)
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Detail
Local infrastructure projects and regional planning developments play a critical role in shaping market conditions. Across the area, no major projects have been recorded by AreaSearch as directly impacting Gray. Surrounding initiatives of interest include the Darwin to Palmerston Mass Transit Corridor, Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, and Darwin Corporate Park.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Marine Industry Park
Marine and offshore industries servicing hub at East Arm, Darwin. Stage 1 planning approval is secured for a purpose-built industrial subdivision near the new Darwin Ship Lift, with expressions of interest open for serviced lots. Existing common-user facilities include an all-tide barge ramp (first point of entry) and a secure hardstand supporting storage and fabrication activities.
Enabling Digital Health Services for Regional and Remote Australia
A national digital infrastructure program under the Digital Health Blueprint 2023-2033 designed to provide equitable healthcare access for regional and remote Australians. The initiative is currently rolling out the 'Share by Default' legislative framework, which mandates the uploading of pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record starting July 2026. Current 2026 milestones include the launch of the Digital Health Implementer Hub to accelerate software conformance and the implementation of the National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan to integrate allied health practitioners into the national digital ecosystem.
Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink)
SunCable's AAPowerLink is a large renewable generation, battery storage and HVDC transmission project in the Northern Territory. The project has major environmental approvals from the Northern Territory and Australian governments, conditional Singapore approval to import 1.75 GW from 2035, Indonesian subsea permits, a Singapore-Australia cross-border electricity trade framework and a 70-year Indigenous Land Use Agreement for Powell Creek. It is being staged to supply industrial customers in the Barkly region from the late 2020s, Darwin from the early 2030s, and Southeast Asia from the mid-2030s, with final investment decision targeted for 2027.
Desert Springs Octopus Renewable Energy Program
Majority Indigenous-owned developer pursuing a near-term pipeline of grid-connected solar and battery projects along the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System, with potential to expand into wind and green hydrogen. Partnership includes Octopus Australia with Larrakia Nation and Jawoyn Association to deliver utility-scale renewable energy and community benefit sharing.
Darwin Renewable Energy Hub
Northern Territory Government proposal to co-locate up to six utility-scale solar farms (total 180-210 MW) with a battery energy storage system on 940 ha of Crown Land west of Finn Road, feeding the Darwin-Katherine grid. Site identified for industry in regional land use plans; consultation held to February 28, 2025 and environmental assessment processes are underway.
National EV Charging Network (Highway Fast Charging)
Partnership between the Australian Government and NRMA to deliver a backbone EV fast charging network on national highways. Program funds and co-funds 117 DC fast charging sites at roughly 150 km intervals to connect all capital cities and regional routes, reducing range anxiety and supporting EV uptake.
Telstra InfraCo Intercity Fibre Network
Telstra InfraCo's national intercity fibre network project delivering nearly 14,000km of ultra-high capacity, low-latency fibre connecting all mainland capital cities. The $1.6 billion investment includes dual fibre paths (express and foundation routes) supporting speeds up to 80 Tbps. First route Sydney-Canberra went live June 2025, with completion of all routes by end of FY27. Supports AI, data centers, hyperscalers and next-generation digital infrastructure across Australia.
Network Optimisation Program - Roads
A national program concept focused on improving congestion and reliability on urban road networks by using low-cost operational measures and technology (e.g., signal timing, intersection treatments, incident management) to optimise existing capacity across major city corridors.
1,609 residents of Gray (NT) are employed, from a labour force of 1,883. Unemployment sits at 14.6%, with participation at 69.1%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.0% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 2,657, about 76% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The local labor market in Gray comprises a mix of blue-collar and white-collar roles with substantial representation in essential services, alongside a 14.6% unemployment rate according to AreaSearch aggregated data. As of March 2026, employed residents total 1,609, with the local unemployment rate running 11.1% higher than the 3.5% reported for Greater Darwin, indicating scope for labor improvement, while labor force participation stands at 69.1% versus 72.9% across Greater Darwin. Census records indicated that 3.1% of workers performed their duties from home, though this may reflect conditions during Covid-19 lockdowns.
Public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and retail trade constitute the primary sectors employing residents. Retail trade displays a pronounced concentration, with local participation reaching 1.4 times the regional norm. Conversely, public administration & safety accounts for 15.7% of resident employment, trailing the 19.5% seen across Greater Darwin. Comparing Census counts of resident workers to locally based jobs suggests that this largely residential community provides limited local employment opportunities. AreaSearch assessment of broader ABS and SALM figures indicates that during the 12 months leading to March 2026, Gray experienced a 0.9% rise in the labor pool alongside a 1.4% contraction in employment, elevating unemployment by 2.0 percentage points. Across Greater Darwin, by contrast, employment grew by 0.4%, the labor force expanded by 0.8%, and unemployment climbed by 0.3 percentage points. Mar-26 national employment projections from Jobs and Skills Australia provide perspective on potential forward workforce needs. When applying these national sectoral five-year (6.6%) and ten-year (13.7%) growth projections across the local industrial structure, employment in Gray is modeled to expand by 6.0% over five years and 12.6% over ten years (note that this weighting extrapolation is illustrative and excludes local population forecasts).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Gray (NT) is $1,479 a week (about $77,000 a year), with median personal income at $877 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $60,378 a year against an average of $66,723. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO postcode statistics for financial year 2023 compiled by AreaSearch indicate that Gray records income levels slightly under national benchmarks, featuring a median of $60,378 and an average of $66,723. In comparison, Greater Darwin recorded a median of $66,956 and an average of $77,199. Applying the 9.41% increase in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2023 yields updated March 2026 estimates of around $66,060 for median income and $73,002 for average income. As of the 2021 Census, individual income was positioned at the 63rd percentile ($877 weekly), whereas household earnings placed at the 34th percentile.
The $1,500 - 2,999 weekly earnings bracket forms the largest cohort, comprising 33.8% of residents (1,175 people), closely tracking the 36.7% share observed across the wider region. Mortgage and rental costs exert substantial pressure, leaving 79.9% of income uncommitted and placing the area at the 29th percentile for affordability.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Gray (NT) had 1,136 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 60% detached houses and 39% apartments. 36% are owned with a mortgage, 52% rented and 12% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,725 a month. Rent absorbs 20.3% of household income here and mortgage repayments 26.9%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the latest Census, residential stock in Gray consisted of 59.8% standalone houses and 40.2% alternative housing types including apartments and semi-detached dwellings, whereas Darwin metro recorded 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Outright home ownership reached 12.4%, trailing Darwin metro, with the remaining private properties held under a mortgage (35.6%) or leased by tenants (52.0%). Typical housing costs in Gray are comparatively lower: median monthly mortgage payments stood at $1,725 and median weekly rents were $300, against Darwin metro benchmarks of $2,100 and $385 respectively. Relative to Australian benchmarks, mortgage costs sit below the national figure of $1,863, and weekly rents sit well under the national average of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Gray (NT) counted 1,136 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 1,258 today, averaging 2.4 people each. 23% are couples with children, fewer than in 75% of areas nationally, against 19% couples without children. 33% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.8 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute the majority of living arrangements at 63.6% of households, consisting of couples with children (23.4%), couples without children (18.5%), and single-parent households (19.9%). Non-family residences make up the remaining 36.4%, divided into lone person homes (32.5%) and group households (4.3%). Average household size stands at 2.4 people, slightly below the 2.6 person average recorded across Greater Darwin.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
17.5% of adults in Gray (NT) hold a university qualification, including 11.4% with a bachelor degree and 3.5% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 33.0% hold a vocational qualification. 2 schools serve the area, with 263 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 803 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Educational attainment metrics indicate notable development opportunities, as the 17.5% share of residents holding higher education degrees sits well below the 31.3% regional benchmark for the SA4. Bachelor degrees represent 11.4% of qualifications, with postgraduate degrees at 3.5% and graduate diplomas at 2.6%. Meanwhile, vocational and technical qualifications are widespread, with 44.4% of people aged 15+ holding trade credentials, consisting of advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (33.0%). A substantial proportion of the population is engaged in study, with 38.1% of residents enrolled in formal education programs. Within this cohort, 14.8% attend primary school, 10.2% participate in secondary schooling, and 4.8% are enrolled in tertiary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Gray (NT) reaches 11 stops on 28 routes, timetabled for about 1,700 services a week. The typical home sits about 190 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.2 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transportation in Gray features 11 active bus stops across 28 routes, delivering 1,728 trips every week. Network access is strong, with the average distance to a stop measuring 193 meters. Given the suburban residential character, outward commuting is standard, and private vehicles account for 90% of travel. Motor vehicle ownership stands at 1.2 per household, below regional levels, while 3.1% of workers worked from home according to the 2021 Census, potentially influenced by COVID-19 settings. Across the entire network, bus services operate at an average rate of 246 trips daily, which equates to roughly 157 weekly departures at each individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
72.5% of residents in Gray (NT) report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 81% of areas nationally. 4.5% need daily assistance with core activities, and 53.2% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 7.0 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators compiled by AreaSearch on chronic disease and mortality highlight health challenges in Gray, with elevated rates of common medical conditions across both younger and older demographics. Meanwhile, private health insurance coverage sits at roughly 53% of the resident base (~1,850 people), slightly above the SA2 benchmark but below the 57.8% recorded for Greater Darwin. Asthma and arthritis represent the most prevalent diagnosed conditions, affecting 7.6% and 6.7% of the community respectively, while 72.5% of residents reported having no long-term health conditions, compared to 77.1% regionally across Greater Darwin.
Residents under the age of 65 exhibit favorable overall health outcomes. Seniors aged 65 and over comprise 11.4% of the population (396 people), displaying some health challenges with national performance metrics generally mirroring broader trends.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Gray (NT) is largely Australian-born, at 75.9% of residents, with 19.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are Australian (22.9%) and English (22.0%). 14.9% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity in Gray is relatively pronounced compared to most Australian areas, with 24.1% of residents born abroad and 19.9% utilizing a non-English language in their domestic environment. Christianity is the primary religion, identified by 40.6% of the population. In addition, Buddhism is distinctly represented at 3.3%, matching the 3.3% level recorded across Greater Darwin. Regarding ancestral backgrounds based on parents' birthplaces, the largest groups in Gray are Australian at 22.9%, English at 22.0%, and Australian Aboriginal at 14.9%, the latter significantly exceeding the 7.0% regional proportion. Other notable community representations include Filipino ancestry at 4.4% (compared to 3.8% regionally), Vietnamese at 1.0% (versus 0.8%), and Maori at 0.6% (matching 0.6% regionally).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Gray (NT) is 34, younger than 82% of areas nationally. 26.4% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
Demographic age distributions in Gray track closely with Greater Darwin, with the largest divergence across the four main age segments measuring 6.5 percentage points. The median age is estimated at 34, matching both the 2021 Census figure for Gray and the Greater Darwin median from that same Census. Since the Census, the cohort aged 65+ has increased from 9.9% to an estimated 11.4%. Projections out to 2041 anticipate that the 45 - 64 age group will see the largest absolute gain, adding 211 people (23%) to reach 1,119, while the 65+ group will experience the fastest proportional expansion, rising 43% to 568.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Gray (NT)
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Sep 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Sep 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Sep 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 4 months ago all 2 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 6 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 2 months ago all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (3,142 at the 2021 Census → 3,479 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL70112). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.