Johnston

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch since the Census, Johnston's population is estimated at around 2,742 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 356 people (14.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,386 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 2,645 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in Jun 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,054 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Johnston's 14.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%), along with the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration that contributed approximately 67.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and overseas migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth across all areas in the years post-2032, AreaSearch is applying 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). Considering the projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas across the nation is forecast. The suburb of Johnston is expected to grow by 903 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 47.9% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Johnston when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Johnston averaged around 5 new dwelling approvals annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 29 homes. In FY-26 so far, 7 approvals have been recorded. This indicates a demand outpacing supply, with approximately 39.5 people moving to the area per year for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost value of new properties is $454,000.

Additionally, $1,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating the area's residential nature. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached houses, sustaining Johnston's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space.

Developers are building more traditional houses than suggested by current mix data (58.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 212 people per dwelling approval, Johnston shows a developing market. Future projections estimate Johnston adding 1,312 residents by 2041, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases if current development rates struggle to match population growth.

Johnston has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Darwin Light Rail Stage 1, Hudson Creek Power Station, Marine Industry Park, and Darwin Corporate Park. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Johnston rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Johnston has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.7%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.6% over the past year.

As of June 2025, 1,773 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 1.3% lower than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.0%. Workforce participation in Johnston is higher at 74.8%, compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and construction. Johnston shows strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 4.3% versus the regional average of 5.8%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.6%, while labour force grew by 2.9%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Darwin saw employment grow by 2.9%, with a marginal fall in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Johnston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Johnston's median income among taxpayers was $64,986 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $69,976 during the same period. These figures compare to $65,522 and $75,260 respectively for Greater Darwin. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.01% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $72,791 (median) and $78,380 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Johnston rank between the 81st and 90th percentiles nationally. The income distribution shows that 40.0% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (1,096 people). A significant 30.6% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 18.7% of income in Johnston. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 76th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Johnston displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Johnston's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 58.1% houses and 41.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Darwin metro had no houses or other dwellings recorded at that time. Home ownership in Johnston stood at 3.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.5% and rented ones at 63.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,400, aligning with the Darwin metro average. The median weekly rent was $370, whereas Darwin metro had no recorded rents at that time. Nationally, Johnston's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Johnston features high concentrations of group households and family households, with a median household size of 2.9 people

Family households constitute 78.1% of all households, including 39.9% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 15.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 17.3% and group households comprising 5.0%. The median household size is 2.9 people.

Educational attainment in Johnston aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Johnston trail regional benchmarks. As of 2021, 24.1% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to the SA4 region's 31.3%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.8% of residents aged 15 and above holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 30.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 36.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2021. This includes 14.3% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education. MacKillop Catholic College serves Johnston, with an enrollment of 748 students as of the latest data. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 991) with balanced educational opportunities. Secondary education dominates with one school, while primary students typically attend schools in adjacent catchments. As of 2021, there are 27.3 school places per 100 residents, indicating strong educational infrastructure serving both local and surrounding communities.

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

Johnston has seven active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by fifteen different routes that together facilitate 1062 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically located 234 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, each route makes 151 trips per day, resulting in approximately 151 weekly trips per individual stop.

Johnston's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Johnston's health outcomes data shows notable results with common health conditions prevalent in both younger and older age groups.

Approximately 54% (~1,493 people) of Johnston's total population has private health cover. The most frequent medical conditions are asthma (7.8%) and mental health issues (6.5%), while 79.0% report having no medical ailments, compared to 0% in Greater Darwin. Only 4.4% (120 people) of residents are aged 65 or over. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Johnston 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

Johnston's population showed high diversity, with 25.9% born overseas and 25.7% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 40.1%. Hinduism, however, was overrepresented at 4.1%, compared to none in Greater Darwin.

Ancestry-wise, Australians made up 24.8%, followed by English at 19.8% and Other at 14.2%. Notably, Filipinos were overrepresented at 4.8%, Australian Aboriginals at 8.8%, and Hungarians at 0.4%, while none were regionally represented.

Johnston hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Johnston 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 Greater Darwin, the 35-44 cohort is notably over-represented in Johnston at 19.8%, while the 55-64 year-olds are under-represented at 4.2%. This concentration of the 35-44 age group is well above the national average of 14.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 45 to 54 age group has grown from 8.9% to 10.8% of Johnston's population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 21.3% to 18.2%, and the 0 to 4 age group has dropped from 10.9% to 8.4%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Johnston's age structure, with the 45 to 54 cohort showing the strongest projected growth of 86%, adding 254 residents to reach a total of 551.