Nightcliff

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

As of Nov 2025, the population of the Nightcliff statistical area (Lv2) is estimated at around 4,157. This reflects an increase of 273 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,884 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 4,121, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 59 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,866 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The Nightcliff's 7.0% growth since census positions it within 0.4 percentage points of the SA3 area (7.4%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 59.0% 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). Considering the projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth of national statistical areas is projected. The Nightcliff (SA2) is expected to expand by 630 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 14.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Nightcliff has received approximately 2 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past 5 financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 14 homes were approved, with 1 more in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline during this period, development activity has been relatively adequate, benefiting buyers due to new homes being built at an average expected construction cost of $100,000, lower than regional levels.

This year, Nightcliff has seen $11.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate commercial development. Compared to Greater Darwin, Nightcliff's building activity is 64.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. When compared nationally, Nightcliff's activity is also below average, suggesting an established market with potential planning limitations. New development consists of 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more compact options.

Notably, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (36.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Nightcliff reflects a highly mature market with around 1639 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate Nightcliff will gain 594 residents by 2041, potentially leading to housing supply lagging population growth if current construction levels persist, intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. Two projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially influencing this region. Notable projects include Social Housing Accelerator Payment (SHAP) in Greater Darwin/Nightcliff, John Stokes Square Redevelopment, Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, and Darwin Mid Suburbs Area Plan.

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Nightcliff ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Nightcliff has a highly educated workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.0% in the past year, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation.

As of September 2025, there are 2,629 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 0.8% below Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation is at 74.1%, compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. Health care & social assistance shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, while construction has lower representation at 6.7% versus the regional average of 9.2%.

Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.0%, and labour force increased by 1.7%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Darwin's 1.9% employment growth and 1.9% labour force increase, resulting in a marginal rise in unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NT employment contracted by 1.13% (losing 4,100 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.4%, broadly inline with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Nightcliff's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, based on 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

The suburb of Nightcliff had one of the highest income levels in Australia according to data from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Nightcliff was $72,135 while the average income stood at $84,008. These figures compare with those for Greater Darwin which were $66,956 and $77,199 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $78,223 (median) and $91,098 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Nightcliff stood out at the 91st percentile nationally ($1,203 weekly). The earnings profile showed that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captured 36.4% of the community (1,513 individuals), which was similar to the surrounding region where this cohort also represented 36.7%. The suburb demonstrated considerable affluence with 30.2% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounted for 14.9% of income while strong earnings ranked residents within the 71st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Nightcliff features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Nightcliff, as per the latest Census evaluation, houses comprised 35.9% of dwellings while other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings accounted for 64.1%. This is in contrast to Darwin's metropolitan area where houses made up 68.4% and other dwellings constituted 31.6%. Home ownership in Nightcliff stood at 19.9%, with mortgaged properties at 25.0% and rented dwellings at 55.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,972, lower than Darwin's metropolitan average of $2,028. Median weekly rent in Nightcliff was recorded at $350, matching Darwin metro's figure. Nationally, Nightcliff's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Nightcliff features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 60.9% of all households, including 26.1% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.1%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households comprising 7.9%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.7.

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

Nightcliff residents aged 15+ have a higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 51.1% hold university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in the Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% in Australia. Bachelor degrees are most common at 28.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 17.5% and graduate diplomas at 4.9%. Vocational pathways account for 24.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 16.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.6% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.4% in tertiary education, 8.6% in primary education, and 6.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

Nightcliff has ten active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 39 different routes that together facilitate 2051 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents on average located 211 meters from the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 293 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 205 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows exceptional results in Nightcliff, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is notably high at approximately 60% of the total population (2,490 people), compared to 57.4% across Greater Darwin.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 6.1 and 6.0% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 78.3%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than the 77.0% reported across Greater Darwin. Nightcliff has 13.0% of its population aged 65 and over (540 people), with health outcomes among seniors broadly in line with those of the general population.

Nightcliff 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

Nightcliff's population shows high cultural diversity, with 37.2% born overseas and 32.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 35.9%. Hinduism is notably higher in Nightcliff at 9.5%, compared to 5.1% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (21.7%), Australian (18.8%), and Other (16.5%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Filipino is overrepresented at 3.1% (vs regional 4.7%), Greek at 3.6% (vs 3.7%), and Indian at 4.0% (vs 3.2%).

Nightcliff hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Nightcliff's median age in 2021 was 34 years, matching Greater Darwin's average but lower than Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Nightcliff had a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (23.4%) and fewer residents aged 15-24 (8.7%). This 25-34 concentration was above the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group increased from 16.8% to 17.9% of Nightcliff's population, while the 45 to 54 cohort decreased from 11.9% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Nightcliff's age profile. The 45 to 54 age group is expected to grow by 185 people (43%), reaching 622 from an initial 436. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 cohort is projected to decrease by 8 people.