Stuart Park

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Stuart Park is around 4,424, reflecting a growth of 323 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,101. This increase represents a 7.9% change from the census figure. The current population estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,681 persons per square kilometer, placing Stuart Park in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 7.9% growth since the census is within 0.3 percentage points of the SA3 area's 8.2%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 75.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for the area.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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. Looking ahead, demographic trends project an above median population growth for national statistical areas. Stuart Park is expected to grow by 930 persons to reach a total of 5,354 by 2041, reflecting a 20.9% increase over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Stuart Park averaged approximately four new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated twenty homes. In FY26 so far, zero approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 4.4 new residents arrived per year for each dwelling constructed, indicating demand significantly exceeded new supply, which typically results in price growth and increased buyer competition. New homes were being built at an average expected construction cost value of $743,000, suggesting developers targeted the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $78,000 in commercial approvals registered, reflecting the area's residential nature. Relative to Greater Darwin, Stuart Park had slightly more development, 15.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values. However, development activity has moderated recently and is below national average, suggesting possible planning constraints. Recent development consisted entirely of standalone homes, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

Notably, developers constructed more detached housing than the existing pattern implied (25.0% at Census), reflecting persistent strong demand for family homes despite densification trends. Stuart Park reflects a highly mature market with around 1462 people per dwelling approval. Future projections estimate Stuart Park will add 926 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Stuart Park has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 26thth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified ten projects potentially impacting the area. Notable ones include Stuart Highway Road Safety Improvements in Stuart Park, Darwin Inner Suburbs Area Plan, Charles Darwin University City Campus, and Darwin City Stadium. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

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The exceptional employment performance in Stuart Park places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Stuart Park has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 1.6% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Darwin's 3.1%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.2%.

Residents' participation in the workforce is high at 83.4%, compared to Greater Darwin's 76.0%. Only 4.4% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food sectors. Stuart Park has a particular specialization in accommodation & food employment with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, education & training has limited presence with 6.6% employment compared to the regional average of 8.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the ratio of working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, while labour force grew by 2.0%, leading to a decrease in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Darwin recorded employment growth of 1.9% with a marginal rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Stuart Park's employment mix indicates potential local employment increases of 6.5% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

The suburb of Stuart Park has one of the highest income levels in Australia based on latest Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Stuart Park is $68,328, with an average income of $84,351. These figures compare to those for Greater Darwin's median income of $66,956 and average income of $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 $74,095 (median) and $91,470 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Stuart Park rank between the 82nd and 92nd percentiles nationally. The largest income segment consists of 41.3% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, with a total of 1,827 residents falling into this category. This is consistent with broader regional trends where 36.7% earn within the same range. Notably, 32.9% of residents in Stuart Park earn over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Despite high housing costs consuming 15.7% of income, disposable income ranks at the 81st percentile nationally. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it within the 8th decile.

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

As per the latest Census evaluation, Stuart Park's dwelling structure consisted of 24.9% houses and 75.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Darwin metro's 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Stuart Park stood at 14.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.2% and rented ones at 58.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,980, below Darwin metro's average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Stuart Park was $400, compared to Darwin metro's $385. Nationally, Stuart Park's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households make up 61.7% of all households, including 23.5% couples with children, 29.6% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.3%, with lone person households at 27.6% and group households comprising 10.9%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

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

Stuart Park's residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications than the Northern Territory (NT) and Australia averages. Specifically, 42.2% of Stuart Park residents hold such qualifications compared to 27.3% in NT and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.4%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 32.1% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (20.3%).

Educational participation is notably high in Stuart Park, with 32.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.4% in tertiary education, 7.5% in primary education, and 6.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Stuart Park has 12 operational public transport stops serving buses. These stops are covered by 32 routes offering a total of 1,472 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is excellent with residents located an average of 173 meters from the nearest stop. Most commuters travel outward due to the residential nature of the area. Car usage dominates at 84%, while cycling accounts for 3%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

Only 4.4% work from home (2021 Census). Service frequency averages 210 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 122 weekly trips per stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Stuart Park, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups.

Approximately 60% of the total population (2,656 people) have private health cover, compared to 57.8% across Greater Darwin. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 5.9 and 5.7% of residents respectively. 80.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.1% across Greater Darwin. The area has 9.5% of residents aged 65 and over (420 people), which is lower than the 10.8% in Greater Darwin. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than those of the general population.

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

Stuart Park has a high level of cultural diversity, with 32.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Stuart Park, making up 37.2% of people. Hinduism is overrepresented compared to Greater Darwin, comprising 7.6% of Stuart Park's population versus 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.1%), Australian (18.3%), and Other (15.2%). Notably, Filipino, Sri Lankan, and French ethnicities have higher representation in Stuart Park compared to the regional averages: Filipino at 4.6% vs 3.8%, Sri Lankan at 1.3% vs 0.3%, and French at 0.7% vs 0.4%.

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

Stuart Park's median age is 34 years, which matches Greater Darwin's average but is lower than Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Stuart Park has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (26.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has increased from 11.8% to 12.9%, while the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 8.8% to 7.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Stuart Park's age profile. The 45-54 age cohort is expected to grow steadily, increasing by 221 people (43%) from 522 to 744. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age cohort is projected to grow modestly by 6% (18 people).