Nakara

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

As of Nov 2025, the population of the Nakara statistical area (Lv2) is estimated at around 1,910 people. This reflects an increase of 4 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,906 people. The change was inferred from the resident population estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,273 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 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. 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). As we examine future population trends, an above median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected for the Nakara (SA2), with the area expected to increase by 360 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 18.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

Nakara has recorded no new dwelling approvals since 2017. This indicates a mature suburb with limited land available for new construction. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and may result in competition primarily among existing homes.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Nakara records markedly lower building activity, which usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This level is similarly below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

Nakara 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 five projects that could affect this region. Notable projects include Casuarina Square Redevelopment, CDU - Centre for Better Health Futures, Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, and CDU - Trades Training Centre, with the following list providing more detail on those most relevant.

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

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.

Employment conditions in Nakara demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Nakara has an educated workforce with key sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.6%, with estimated employment growth of 1.4% over the past year (AreaSearch data).

As of September 2025, there are 1,089 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% below Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety. Health care & social assistance has notable concentration, employing 1.4 times the regional average.

However, public administration & safety employs only 12.5% of local workers, below Greater Darwin's 19.5%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 1.4%, labour force by 1.6%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points (AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data). Comparatively, Greater Darwin had employment growth of 1.9% and unemployment rose marginally. State-level data to November 25, 2025 shows NT employment contracted by 1.13%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.4%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts (May-25) suggest growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Nakara's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.

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

Nakara suburb has a median taxpayer income of $59,662 and an average of $69,482 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is slightly above national averages, contrasting with Greater Darwin's median income of $66,956 and average income of $77,199. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% would be approximately $64,697 (median) and $75,346 (average). Census data from 2021 shows Nakara's incomes rank highly nationally, between the 78th and 88th percentiles for households, families, and individuals. Income distribution reveals that 32.4% of locals (618 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income bracket, reflecting a pattern seen in surrounding regions where 36.7% occupy this range. Notably, 39.4% earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retain 87.5% of their income, demonstrating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Nakara, as per the latest Census evaluation, 91.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 8.3% being other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This is in contrast to Darwin metropolitan area's dwelling structure which comprised 68.4% houses and 31.6% other dwellings. Nakara had a higher level of home ownership at 30.8%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (32.9%) or rented (36.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Nakara was $2,000, below Darwin metro's average of $2,028. The median weekly rent figure for Nakara was $420, higher than Darwin metro's $350 but lower compared to the national average of $375. Nationally, Nakara's mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863.

Nakara features high concentrations of group households and family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 78.1% of all households, including 39.2% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 11.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 15.5% and group households at 6.4%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

Nakara shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Nakara's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 41.0% have university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in the Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% in Australia overall. This indicates a significant educational advantage for Nakara. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 24.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.9% and graduate diplomas at 4.0%.

Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 8.5% and certificates for 19.0%. Educational participation is high in Nakara, with 35.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.4% in primary education, 9.5% in secondary education, and 7.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Nakara has seven active public transport stops, all of which serve buses. These stops are connected by 21 different routes that collectively facilitate 1,493 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 173 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, each route provides service 213 times daily, equating to approximately 213 weekly trips per individual stop.

Nakara's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Nakara shows excellent health outcomes across all ages, with very low prevalence of common conditions. Approximately 54% (~1,036 people) have private health cover, compared to 57.4% in Greater Darwin.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (6.3%) and mental health issues (4.9%). About 76.8% report no medical ailments, similar to the 77.0% across Greater Darwin. Nakara has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.5% (296 people), compared to 12.3% in Greater Darwin. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with those of the general population.

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

Nakara has high cultural diversity, with 43.5% speaking a language other than English at home and 46.2% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Nakara, comprising 45.5%. Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Darwin, making up 5.4% vs 4.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.2%), Australian (17.7%), and Other (17.4%). Filipino (3.8%) and Greek (4.3%) are notably overrepresented in Nakara compared to regional averages of 4.7% and 3.7%, respectively. Sri Lankan ancestry is also higher at 0.9% vs 0.4%.

Nakara's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Nakara has a median age of 36, which is slightly higher than Greater Darwin's figure of 34 but lower than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Nakara has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 years (8.6%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 years (10.1%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population aged 25-34 years has grown from 16.5% to 18.4%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has declined from 14.0% to 12.5%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 15.3% to 14.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Nakara. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to grow by 34%, adding 81 residents to reach a total of 320. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age cohort is expected to grow by a modest 2% (an increase of 6 people).