Urban Centre · Area profile
Nhulunbuy
8 km²
Far higher incomes than the national figures set Nhulunbuy apart as a wealthy, working community. It is a young place where the typical resident is 33, and with 27% of the population being children, families are common. While the population shrank by 17% since 2011, it remains a professional hub with a high proportion of full-time workers. This creates a distinctive environment where high pay and young families define the local character.
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The community is notably young and family-oriented, with a typical age of 33 and a children's population well above the national figure. It is also a place where de facto relationships are far more common than in the rest of Australia.
About 15.2% of residents were born overseas, which is much higher than most similar areas, though this is still far below the national figure. The most common ancestries are Australian and English.
Around 11% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure that rose slightly since 2011. However, very few people speak little or no English, at just 0.8%.
The number of people reporting no religion rose nearly 10 points since 2011 to reach 41%, which is slightly above the national figure.
A well-qualified workforce is evident here, with 20.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is much higher than most similar areas, with a strong focus on engineering and health qualifications.
Weekly incomes are far above the national and state figures, with 40% of households earning $3,000 or more per week. The typical family income of $3,184 is well above the national figure.
Residents are generally healthier than most Australians, with long-term health conditions and those needing help with daily activities appearing far below the national averages.
Volunteer rates are well above the national figure, though the number of people providing unpaid care is among the lowest at this level.
Families are the norm here, with 75.3% of homes consisting of couples with children. This helps explain why homes are larger, with 2.8 people per household.
Rental properties are far more common than across Australia, with 60.8% of households renting. Very few people own their homes outright, but typical weekly rents of $110 are far below the national figure.
Car dependence is high, as 64.1% of people drive to work and only 1.5% use public transport. Very few residents work from home compared to the rest of the country.
The population is quite mobile, with 47.8% of people having moved in the last five years. This is well above the national figure.
Full-time employment is very high at 72.9%, with a very low unemployment rate of 2.3%. The workforce is heavily concentrated in mining and healthcare.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the territory average. While most homes are near a park, very few are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or public transport.