Urban Area · Area profile
Alice Springs
328 km²
A highly transient population defines Alice Springs, where nearly half of all residents moved here in the last five years. This is a notably young community with a typical age of 34, which is much lower than in most other Australian areas. It is a diverse regional hub where over 20% of people are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and more than a quarter were born overseas. These factors combine to create a multicultural center with a strong professional workforce and a high proportion of young families.
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The community is much younger than the national average, with 20.8% of people being children under 15. While the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 20.6% since 2011, this is well below the Northern Territory figure.
International migration is a major feature here, with 26.2% of people born overseas, a figure that has risen 6.3 percentage points since 2011. English and Australian ancestries are the most common, followed by Irish and Scottish.
Language diversity is high, with 24.4% of residents using a language other than English at home. This represents a significant increase since 2011, though the proportion of people who speak little or no English remains a little below the national figure.
A move away from organized religion is evident, as the share of people reporting no religion rose 17 percentage points since 2011 to reach 42.9%. This is well above both the territory and national figures.
The area is well-qualified, with 27.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is well above the territory average and consistent with the national figure, with many graduates working in health and management.
Typical incomes are higher than the national figure, with a typical household earning $2,142 a week. The share of households earning $3,000 or more weekly has risen sharply by 15 percentage points since 2011.
Residents are generally healthier than those in most other areas, with a long-term health condition rate of 22.0%, which is well below the national figure. Mental health conditions are also reported less often than the national average.
Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, with 17.4% of people giving their time. However, the proportion of people providing unpaid care is well below the national figure.
Households tend to be larger than usual, with an average of 2.6 people per home. One-parent families make up 17.5% of the community, which is well above the national figure.
Renting is very common, with 43.2% of households renting, far above the national average. Outright home ownership is among the lowest in the country at 15.7%, and typical weekly rents are $375.
Most people rely on cars, as very few residents work from home compared to the rest of Australia. About 8.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is a little above the national figure.
The population is highly mobile, with 48.3% of people moving in the last five years. This is well above the national average and is mirrored by the fact that recent overseas arrivals are far more common here than elsewhere in Australia.
Employment is strong, with 69.3% of adults working or looking for work, well above the national figure. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, which is a little below the national average.
Most homes are within a short walk of a park or school, though fewer have easy access to groceries compared to the territory average. The area is considered somewhat walkable, with a score of 4.9.