Leanyer

Leanyer is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, Leanyer's population is estimated at around 4990 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 393 people (8.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4597 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 4988, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1996 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Leanyer's 8.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (7.4%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 55% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort to each area, 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 statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. The Leanyer SA2 is expected to increase by 854 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 17.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Leanyer according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, Leanyer has had virtually no dwelling approvals in recent years, totalling an estimated 4 homes over the past five financial years. So far in FY26, 0 approvals have been recorded. This results in an average of approximately 35 new residents per year for every home built between FY21 and FY25, indicating significant demand exceeding supply, which typically leads to price growth and increased buyer competition. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $200,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms.

In the current financial year, $54,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating Leanyer's residential nature. Compared to Greater Darwin, Leanyer shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 91.0% below the regional average per person, reinforcing demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also lower than national averages, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. All new construction in Leanyer has been comprised of standalone homes, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census, indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Leanyer shows a mature, established area with around 9923 people per approval.

Leanyer has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely impacting the area. Key projects are Northern Suburbs Youth Hub, Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, Leanyer Primary School, and Casuarina Square Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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

Leanyer has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.5% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Darwin's 3.1%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.9%. Residents' employment is concentrated in public administration & safety (47%), health care & social assistance (28%), and education & training (16%). Accommodation & food services have limited presence, with 6.4% of jobs compared to the regional average of 8.0%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by a lower workforce participation rate of 67.6% compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, while the labour force grew by 1.9%, keeping the unemployment rate stable at 1.6%. In comparison, Greater Darwin recorded similar employment growth but a marginal increase in unemployment to 3.2%. State-level data from November 2025 shows NT employment contracted by 1.13% (losing 4,100 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, closely matching the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Leanyer's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

The suburb of Leanyer has a high national income level according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Leanyer is $70,155, with an average income of $78,210. This compares to Greater Darwin's figures of $66,956 and $77,199 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $76,076 (median) and $84,811 (average). In Leanyer, household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 79th and 85th percentiles according to Census 2021 income data. Income distribution shows that 37.5% of the population (1,871 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader regional trends at 36.7%. A substantial proportion of high earners (32.0%) have incomes above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. Housing accounts for 14.5% of income, and residents rank within the 80th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Leanyer's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 71.1% houses and 29.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Darwin metro's 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Leanyer stood at 25.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.0% and rented ones at 33.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Darwin metro's average of $2,028. Median weekly rent in Leanyer was $400, higher than Darwin metro's $350. Nationally, Leanyer's mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Leanyer features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 74.5% of all households, including 37.1% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 25.5%, with lone person households at 21.0% and group households comprising 4.4%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which matches the Greater Darwin average.

Leanyer performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Leanyer residents aged 15+ with university qualifications (32.1%) exceed the Northern Territory average (27.3%). Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 34.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.7% and certificates at 23.4%.

Current educational participation is high, with 31.5% enrolled in formal education: 12.0% in primary, 7.4% in secondary, and 6.3% in tertiary education.

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

Leanyer has 17 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 50 different routes that together facilitate 2,686 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is considered good, with residents on average living just 259 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 383 trips across all routes, which translates to about 158 weekly trips per individual stop.

Leanyer's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Leanyer.

Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population, which totals around 2,876 people. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and arthritis, impacting 6.5% and 6.1% of residents respectively. A total of 74.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.0% across Greater Darwin. Leanyer has 15.5% of its residents aged 65 and over, which totals 773 people. This is higher than the 12.3% recorded in Greater Darwin. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

Leanyer 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

Leanyer's population shows high cultural diversity, with 33.8% born overseas and 32.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Leanyer, comprising 46.6% of its population. Buddhism, however, is equally represented compared to Greater Darwin, at 4.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (20.6%), English (17.9%), and Other (14.0%). Notably, Filipino (4.7%) and Greek (5.0%) populations are higher in Leanyer than regionally, while the Australian Aboriginal population is lower at 5.9% compared to Greater Darwin's 7.4%.

Leanyer's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Leanyer's median age is 37 years, higher than Greater Darwin's average of 34 but aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Darwin, Leanyer has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (9.5%) and fewer residents aged 25-34 (15.2%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 14.9% to 16.7%, while the 55-64 age group has declined from 12.8% to 11.0% and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 12.6% to 11.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Leanyer. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to grow by 39%, adding 221 residents to reach 785. Conversely, the number of residents aged 55-64 is expected to decrease.