Millner

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the Millner statistical area (Lv2) had an estimated population of around 2,635 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 59 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,576 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 2,635 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 1,792 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 69.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth post-2032, AreaSearch applies 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). Examining future population trends, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected for the Millner (SA2), with an expected expansion to around 2,957 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of 12.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis reveals approximately one new home approval annually in Millner. Between FY21-FY25, around eight homes were approved, with none yet recorded in FY26. Despite population decline during this period, new supply has likely met demand, providing good buyer choice.

Average construction cost of new homes is $750,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties. This year, Millner has seen $33,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting its residential nature. Compared to Greater Darwin, Millner's building activity is 68.0% below the regional average per person, suggesting established neighbourhoods and potential planning restrictions. New building activity consists of 50.0% detached dwellings and 50.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The area has approximately 2638 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Population forecasts estimate Millner will gain 322 residents by 2041.

At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects likely affecting this area: Social Housing Accelerator Payment (SHAP) - Greater Darwin / Nightcliff, John Stokes Square Redevelopment, Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, Casuarina Square Redevelopment.

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The employment environment in Millner shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Millner has an educated workforce with 3.3% unemployment rate and 1.7% employment growth in the past year (AreaSearch data). As of September 2025, 1,562 residents are employed, with a 0.1% higher unemployment rate than Greater Darwin's 3.1%.

Workforce participation is lower at 67.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. Health care & social assistance is notably high at 1.5 times the regional average, while public administration & safety is under-represented at 13.3% compared to Greater Darwin's 19.5%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census data.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, Millner's employment increased by 1.7%, labour force by 1.8%, raising unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin saw employment rise by 1.9%. Statewide in NT, as of 25-Nov-25, employment contracted by 1.13% (losing 4,100 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.4%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Millner's employment mix suggests local employment could grow by 6.9% in five years and 14.2% in ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

The suburb of Millner has an income level slightly below the national average, based on latest Australian Taxation Office data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Millner is $57,384, with an average income of $66,829. These figures compare to those for Greater Darwin, which are $66,956 and $77,199 respectively. Using the Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.44% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $62,227 (median) and $72,469 (average). According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 74th percentile ($957 weekly), while household income is at the 54th percentile. The largest income segment comprises 39.4% of residents earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (1,038 residents). This aligns with regional levels where this cohort also represents 36.7%. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 55th percentile, and the suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

Millner's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.5% houses and 47.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Darwin metro had 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Millner was at 22.6%, similar to Darwin metro's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (28.9%) or rented (48.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Millner was $1,733, below the Darwin metro average of $2,028 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure in Millner was recorded at $340, compared to Darwin metro's $350 and the national figure of $375.

Millner features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.8% of all households, including 26.9% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 14.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.2%, with lone person households at 27.3% and group households making up 8.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

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

In Millner, a higher proportion of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications compared to the Northern Territory (NT) and Australia. Specifically, 38.7% of Millner residents hold such qualifications, surpassing NT's 27.3% and Australia's 30.4%. This educational advantage suggests potential for knowledge-based opportunities in the area. Among these university-educated residents, bachelor degrees are most common at 23.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%).

Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 29.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (19.7%). Educational participation is notably high in Millner, with 33.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 8.5% in tertiary education, and 5.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Millner has 16 operational public transport stops. These are served by a mix of buses along 35 different routes. Weekly, these routes facilitate 1,781 passenger trips.

Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 153 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Daily, there are 254 trips across all routes, translating to about 111 weekly trips per individual stop.

Millner's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Millner. Prevalence of common health conditions is very low across all age groups.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 53% of the total population (~1,402 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but trailing Greater Darwin's 57.4%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 6.5 and 5.7% of residents respectively. A total of 76.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, comparable to the 77.0% across Greater Darwin. As of 2016, 11.8% of residents are aged 65 and over (310 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Millner's population shows high cultural diversity, with 41.7% born overseas and 40.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Millner, accounting for 39.2% of its residents. Hinduism stands out as overrepresented, comprising 10.5%, compared to the Greater Darwin average of 5.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (21.3%), Australian (17.7%), and English (17.7%). Notable differences exist in certain ethnic group representations: Filipino is higher at 5.3% in Millner versus 4.7% regionally, Spanish is at 0.9% compared to the regional average of 0.5%, and Greek is 3.9% versus 3.7%.

Millner's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Millner's median age is 36, which is slightly higher than Greater Darwin's figure of 34 but lower than Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Darwin, Millner has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (13.4%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (9.6%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population share of the 55 to 64 age group has increased from 10.8% to 13.4%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has risen from 15.3% to 16.8%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has declined from 13.8% to 10.7%, and the share of those aged 65 to 74 has dropped from 8.0% to 6.5%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 suggest significant demographic shifts in Millner, with the strongest projected growth occurring in the 35 to 44 age group (15%, adding 68 residents to reach a total of 511). The 0 to 4 age cohort is expected to grow by a modest 4% (an increase of 5 people).