Parap

Parap has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, as of Nov 2025, Parap's estimated population is around 2,973. This reflects a growth of 154 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,819. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,969 residents following examination of ABS' June 2024 ERP data release and validation of 10 new addresses post-Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,702 persons per square kilometer, placing Parap in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Parap has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.2%, outpacing its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 81.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and post-2032 growth estimation, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort to each area based on ABS' latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Population projections indicate a median increase for statistical areas across the nation is expected. Parap is projected to grow by 233 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 7.7% over the 17 years.

Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Parap

Parap has had minimal development with just one approval over five years. This indicates a mature, established suburb where available land for new construction is limited. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and means competition may primarily be among existing homes.

When measured against Greater Darwin, Parap records markedly lower building activity (91.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints.

Parap has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified two projects likely impacting this area. Notable projects are Darwin Inner Suburbs Area Plan, Richardson Park Community Space, Elysium Green, and Darwin City Stadium. The following details projects expected to have the most relevance:.

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 performance in Parap ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Parap has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 2.2%, with estimated employment growth of 1.9% over the past year (AreaSearch data).

As of September 2025, there are 1,912 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% lower than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%. Workforce participation is at 74.2%, compared to Greater Darwin's 69.7%. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Professional & technical employment is particularly notable, with levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Construction has limited presence, with 6.7% employment compared to the regional average of 9.2%. Some residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, while labour force and unemployment remained relatively stable (AreaSearch analysis). In comparison, Greater Darwin saw similar employment growth but a marginal rise in unemployment. State-level data to November 25 shows NT employment contracted by 1.13% with an unemployment rate of 4.4%. National forecasts suggest employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Parap's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

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

The suburb of Parap had one of the highest income levels in Australia according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $70,759 and the average income stood at $87,352. These figures compared to Greater Darwin's median income of $66,956 and average income of $77,199 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $76,731 (median) and $94,725 (average). Parap's household, family, and personal incomes ranked highly nationally, between the 79th and 94th percentiles. The dominant income bracket was $1,500 - 2,999 with 37.0% of residents (1,100 people), similar to the regional figure of 36.7%. Economic strength was evident with 33.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. High housing costs consumed 17.2% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 77th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Parap features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Parap's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 30.6% houses and 69.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Darwin metro's 23.6% houses and 76.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Parap was at 13.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.7% and rented ones at 63.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,232, higher than Darwin metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Parap was recorded at $415, compared to Darwin metro's $420. Nationally, Parap's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,232 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Parap features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 60.3% of all households, including 26.2% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 39.7%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households making up 8.5%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the Greater Darwin average.

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

Parap has a notable educational advantage with 43.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 27.3% in the Northern Territory (NT) and 30.4% in Australia. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 27.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 11.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.3%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 31.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 20.3%. Educational participation is high in Parap, with 31.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.5% in primary education, 7.2% in secondary education, and 7.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Parap has twelve operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by thirty-one different routes that together facilitate 1,930 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is deemed excellent, with residents typically residing only 185 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 275 daily trips across all routes, translating to around 160 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Parap has excellent health outcomes, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population, which consists of 1,819 people.

This rate is higher than the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 6.5% and 5.6% of residents respectively. A significant portion, 76.9%, declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 79.9% across Greater Darwin. Parap has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 12.0%, with 356 people falling into this age group. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong and align broadly with the general population's health profile.

Parap 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

Parap was found to have a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 25.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.2% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Parap, comprising 38.9% of people. However, the category 'Other' is overrepresented, making up 2.0% of Parap's population compared to 1.4% across Greater Darwin.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.3%, Australian at 19.0%, and Other at 13.3%. Notably, Filipino (2.7%), Sri Lankan (0.6%), and German (4.6%) ethnicities have higher representations in Parap compared to regional averages of 2.9%, 0.7%, and 3.3% respectively.

Parap's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Parap has a median age of 36, which is slightly higher than Greater Darwin's figure of 34 but lower than Australia's national median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Darwin, Parap has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (20.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (10.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 9.3% to 10.9%, while the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 2.2% to 3.6%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group has declined from 11.9% to 10.2%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 12.7% to 11.1%. Population forecasts for Parap indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to grow strongly at 26%, adding 84 residents to reach a total of 415. However, both the 25 to 34 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.