Wagaman

Wagaman has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of Feb 2026, AreaSearch estimates Wagaman's population to be around 2,055, reflecting an increase of 32 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 1.6% rise from the previous population count of 2,023. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,446 persons per square kilometer for Wagaman, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth, contributing approximately 72.0% of overall gains.

AreaSearch's projections for Wagaman are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population dynamics suggest a median increase for Wagaman, with an expected growth of 190 persons to reach 2,245 by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 9.2% over the 17-year period.

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

Wagaman has had limited development with just one approval in the past five years. This indicates a mature suburb where land for new construction is scarce. Buyers may face competition primarily among existing homes due to this scarcity of new housing stock, which can support property values.

Compared to Greater Darwin, Wagaman shows significantly less construction activity, further strengthening demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, development activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible constraints on development.

Wagaman has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 13thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects that may affect this region: Casuarina Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Royal Darwin Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit and CSSD Upgrade, Casuarina Square Redevelopment, Northern Suburbs Youth Hub.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Wagaman maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Wagaman has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.7% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6% over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of that date, 1,138 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 0.6% higher than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%.

Workforce participation lagged significantly at 70.5%, compared to Greater Darwin's 76.0%. Census responses indicated that only 3.6% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and accommodation & food. Wagaman showed strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, public administration & safety was under-represented at 13.2% of Wagaman's workforce compared to Greater Darwin's 19.5%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.6% while labour force increased by 1.5%, resulting in a unemployment fall of 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Darwin saw employment rise by 1.9%, with the labour force growing by 1.9%, and unemployment rising marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offered further insight into potential future demand within Wagaman. These projections estimated national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with differing growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Wagaman's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Wagaman has a median taxpayer income of $51,807 and an average income of $60,335 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is lower than the national average, with Greater Darwin having a median income of $66,956 and an average income of $77,199. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $56,180 (median) and $65,427 (average). Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Wagaman fall around the 66th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 37.1% of Wagaman's population, equivalent to 762 individuals, have incomes within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to the surrounding region where this group also represents 36.7%. Housing expenses account for 14.1% of income. Residents rank highly in disposable income, placing them at the 74th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Wagaman, as per the latest Census, consisted of 80.6% houses and 19.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Darwin metro had 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wagaman was at 22.4%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (36.0%) or rented (41.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,820, below Darwin metro's average of $2,100. The median weekly rent figure was $340, compared to Darwin metro's $385. Nationally, Wagaman's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 76.5% of all households, including 37.8% couples with children, 22.1% couples without children, and 14.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 23.5%, with lone person households at 16.5% and group households comprising 7.4%. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

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

Wagaman Trail has 30.1% of residents aged 15 and above with university degrees, compared to 36.1% in the SA3 area. The most common qualification is a bachelor degree at 18.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.7% and graduate diplomas at 3.0%. Vocational credentials are held by 29.7% of residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 8.3% and certificates at 21.4%. Educational participation is high, with 34.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.7% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 8.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wagaman has seven active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by twenty-four different routes, offering a total of 1,330 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated highly, with residents typically located 166 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily. Car remains the primary mode of transport at 85%, while bus accounts for 5% and walking for another 5%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 3.6% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 190 trips per day, resulting in approximately 190 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Wagaman is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Wagaman demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population, around 1,041 people, compared to 57.8% across Greater Darwin and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and diabetes, impacting 4.9 and 4.8% of residents respectively. 79.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.1% in Greater Darwin. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 13.4% of residents aged 65 and over, around 275 people, which is higher than the 10.8% in Greater Darwin. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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

Wagaman has a high level of cultural diversity, with 46.4% of its population born overseas and 48.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Wagaman, making up 47.1% of the population. Hinduism is overrepresented compared to Greater Darwin, comprising 8.4% of Wagaman's population versus 4.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (19.9%), Australian (15.4%), and English (14.5%), with Other being substantially higher than the regional average of 13.1%, while Australian and English are notably lower than their respective averages of 22.6% and 21.7%. Notably, Greek (8.5%) Filipino (7.2%), and Spanish (0.8%) groups are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 2.3%, 3.8%, and 0.4%, respectively.

Wagaman's population is younger than the national pattern

Wagaman's median age is 35 years, comparable to Greater Darwin's average of 34 years and marginally lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Wagaman has a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (11.4%) compared to Greater Darwin but fewer residents aged 25-34 (16.1%). According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 3.2% to 4.4%, while the 0-4 cohort has declined from 7.3% to 5.0%. By 2041, Wagaman's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 45-54 cohort is expected to grow by 23%, adding 64 residents to reach 340. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 50% of the population growth. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts.