State Electorate · Area profile
Namatjira
197,944 km²
Daily life in Namatjira is shaped by a young population and a strong Indigenous presence, with 45.6% of residents identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The community has grown by 43% since 2011 to reach 10,306 people, and the typical resident is just 34 years old. It is a place where large families are common and many people use languages other than English at home. This reflects a diverse and evolving community situated within the MacDonnell region of the Northern Territory.
Families are well catered for: 13 schools serve Namatjira.
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The area has a very high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a figure that rose 39 points since 2011. It is noticeably younger than the national average, with 20.8% of the population being children under 15.
Most of the community was born in Australia, though recent overseas arrivals have increased to 26.1%. Those with listed ancestry are most often Australian or English.
Language diversity has grown rapidly, with 33.9% of people now using a language other than English at home, which is far above the national figure. However, the proportion of people who speak little or no English fell to 3.2% since 2016.
Religion is common here, as the 33% of residents reporting no religion is well below both the state and national figures. Christianity is the most frequent affiliation at 47.3%.
Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 36.8% of residents completing Year 12. The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 15.3%, which is far below the national average.
Incomes have generally fallen since 2011; the typical family now earns $1,758 a week, which is well below the Northern Territory figure. About 39.1% of individuals earn under $650 per week.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than most Australians, with only 20% having one, compared to a national figure of 27.7%. Mental health conditions are also among the lowest at 4.0%.
Unpaid care for children is common at 27.3%, but other forms of volunteering and housework are less frequent than in similar areas. Only 12.3% of the community volunteers, a drop of 5 points since 2011.
Homes are often crowded, with a typical 2.8 people per home and a high rate of one-parent families at 22.3%. This is consistent with the high number of children in the area.
Renting is very common, with 48.1% of households renting, while outright home ownership is among the lowest at 14.9%. Weekly rents are very low, with a typical payment of $180.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, and 17.8% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is far above the national average. Public transport use is low, with only 2.2% of people commuting this way.
While 36% of residents moved in the last five years, there has been a significant increase in recent arrivals from overseas, who now make up 26.1% of the population.
Only 50.3% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average. However, those who are employed are likely to be full-time, with a rate of 69.9%.
The community is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.0. Many residents lack easy access to essentials, as only 7.7% live within a 15-minute walk of health services.