Urban Centre · Area profile
Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu)
10 km²
Low typical incomes mark the community of Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu), where a typical weekly household earns just $715. This is a young and predominantly Indigenous community, with 85.1% of residents identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. While the population has shrunk slightly since 2011, the area remains a distinctive hub on the Tiwi Islands with a strong cultural identity and a typical resident age of 32.
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The community is far more likely to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander than the rest of the Territory. It is a young population with few seniors, as only 4.9% are aged 65 and over, which is far below the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born people in the country at 2.5%.
A huge 85.4% of people use another language at home, a figure far above the national average, though very few residents report speaking little or no English.
Faith is very common here, with 83.5% of people identifying as Christian and only 6.5% reporting no religion, which is far below the national figure.
Education levels are much lower than most areas, with only 6.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the proportion of people finishing Year 12 rose nearly 10 points since 2011.
Typical weekly incomes are far below the national and state figures, with the typical personal income sitting at just $227. Very few households earn $3,000 or more per week.
The community has far fewer people with long-term health conditions and mental health conditions than the national average. About 5.3% of people need help with daily activities.
Participation in unpaid care and volunteering is well below the national average. About 26% of people provide unpaid care for children, a figure that has fallen 10 points since 2011.
Homes tend to be crowded, with an average of 3.5 people per home. One-parent families are much more common here than in most other areas.
Rentals are very common, with 79.3% of households renting, and typical weekly rent is just $80. Most people live in separate houses, but very few own their homes outright.
Car ownership is very low, as 69.3% of homes have no motor vehicle. This helps explain why 59% of workers walk to their jobs.
The population is very stable, with far fewer people moving into the area in the last five years compared to the rest of Australia.
The unemployment rate is very high at 29.4%, which is far above the national figure. Many of those who do work are employed in education and training.
While the area is mostly car-dependent, it is very convenient for essentials, with 82.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries.