Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Nhulunbuy
66 km²
Young families and working adults dominate the population of Nhulunbuy, where the typical resident is just 33. This community is notably younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up over a quarter of the population. High incomes and a strong presence of professional roles give the area a distinct character, though it remains a transient place with many residents having moved there recently. This mix of age and employment creates a high demand for larger family homes.
Despite high local incomes, the area's schools serve a less advantaged intake.
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The area is much younger than most, with children under 15 representing 26.7% of residents and those over 65 making up only 4.1%. De facto relationships are far more common here than in the rest of Australia, at 23.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia (64.2%), and English is the most common ancestry after Australian. While 14.8% were born overseas, this is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the main language for 64.9% of the community. While 12.3% of people use another language at home, which is much higher than in most similar areas, this is still far below the Northern Territory average.
About 40.4% of residents have no religion, which is a little above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 32.7%.
A fifth of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, a figure that is higher than most similar areas but well below the national average. Engineering and health are the most common fields of qualification.
Incomes are very high here; typical weekly household income is $2,777, which is well above the Northern Territory figure. Nearly 40% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Residents are generally healthy, with only 13% reporting a long-term health condition, which is far below the national average of 27.7%. Only 1.3% of people need help with daily activities.
Unpaid childcare is common, with 31.3% of people caring for children, which is well above the national figure. Volunteering is also high at 18.9%, though unpaid care for other needs is much lower than usual.
First Nations residents in Nhulunbuy earn much more than those in other areas, with a typical household income of $2,550. Unemployment is also much lower than the territory average at 7.3%.
Families with children are very common, making up 74.6% of households. This explains why the typical home has 2.8 people, which is higher than the national average of 2.5.
Rentals are far more common than elsewhere, accounting for 60.5% of homes. While typical weekly rent is very low at $120, very few people own their homes outright (3.8%).
Most people rely on cars, with 64% driving to work and 43.3% of homes having two vehicles. Working from home is very rare here at only 2.3%, far below the national figure.
The population is quite mobile, as 46.9% of residents moved here in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 13.9% of the community.
The workforce is strong, with 73% of people employed full-time and a very low unemployment rate of 2.3%. Mining and health care are the two largest industries.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.1. While 92% of homes are near a park, very few residents are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or public transport.