Barkly

The community is noticeably younger than the rest of the Territory, with children under 15 making up 23.8% of the population. Seniors are rare here, as only 7.4% of residents are aged 65 or over, which is well below the national figure.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 10.3% were born overseas, which is far below the national average. However, the number of people born abroad has risen by 3.7 percentage points since 2011.

A high 43.2% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure far above the national average. This trend has grown, rising 7.6 percentage points over the last decade.

About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 33.9% report no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen by 9.5 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 31.4% of people completing Year 12. Only 11.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure.

Incomes are among the lowest in the region, with a typical personal weekly income of $485. The typical family earns $1,084 a week, which is far below the national figure of $2,120.

Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than the national average, with 19.5% of people having one. Only 3.2% of people need help with daily activities, which is a little below the national figure.

Unpaid care for children is very common here, with 35.9% of people providing this support. Conversely, volunteering is much lower than in most areas at 10.1%.

First Nations people make up a large part of the community, with 58.6% speaking a First Nations language. This group faces significant challenges, including an unemployment rate of 28.3%, which is far above the national figure.

Homes here are larger than usual, averaging 3.0 people. There is a high proportion of one-parent families at 26.6%, and 30.3% of people live alone.

Rental properties are very common, with 58.1% of households renting. Rent is very affordable, with a typical weekly cost of $135, which is far below the national figure.

Public transport is virtually non-existent, with no routes or stops available. This makes cars essential, although 30.8% of homes have no motor vehicle, a figure far above the national average.

The area has seen a recent surge in overseas arrivals, with 24.9% arriving in the last five years. However, overall mobility is low, as only 34.5% of residents moved in the last five years.

Full-time employment is high at 74.2%, though the overall rate of people working or looking for work is much lower than most areas at 49.8%. The unemployment rate is among the highest at 11.7%.

The population is small and growing slowly, with an estimated 6,183 people and a growth rate of 2.9% since 2021, which is well below the Territory average.

The region is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 34.9 degrees and annual rainfall of 384mm, both of which are typical for the Northern Territory.

While there is no public transport, many homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (76.9%) and health services (64.1%), making the area somewhat walkable.