Median house price
—
No data available
NT · Alice Springs Council
Araluen, 0870
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,178
Growth (1 yr)
+0.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+9.3%
Median age
34
Median income
$2,451/wk
Employment rate
74.6%
Languages at home
26%non-English
Most common: Malayalam, Punjabi, Australian Indigenous languages
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
- Green suburb
- National parks
Suburb profile
Araluen is a regional mid-sized suburb in Alice Springs Council, oriented around local life rather than the metro orbit of Darwin. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Families and commuters make up much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Many residents were born overseas or speak a language other than English at home. Local shops, markets and community spots keep everyday life grounded in the town itself. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.
Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. The suburb still has an emerging character, as newer residents settle in and local identity forms.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus schools and education lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment, plus safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Araluen snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
3,178
+0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
11.2%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#3
among Country & regional · Emerging
Pop. growth
49th
percentile in NT
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
9th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 45.4/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 28% of Northern Territory's suburbs
- National rank
- 2867th in Australia
- State rank
- 44th in NT
- Peer rank
- #3 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #10 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 61%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
3,178(June 2025)
+0.9% annual · +9.3% over 5 years · 49th percentile in NT
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.9%
- 5-year growth
- +9.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +28
- Change in 5 years
- +270
- Growth rank in NT
- 49th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~3,200), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 2,673
- Median age
- 34
- Median household income / week
- $2,451
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 114 of 1,022
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,870
- Employment rate
- 74.6%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 672 / 217 / 0 (+ 23 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 4
- Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
- 867
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 9th
School list
- Yipirinya SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 729 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 51% · 186 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Araluen Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 997 · 45th percentile · LBOTE 39% · 104 students · Top SEA quarter 15% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- Bradshaw Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 918 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 38% · 381 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Centralian Middle SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 816 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 47% · 338 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
12 public transport stops in this suburb
- Larapinta Drive
- Larapinta Drive
- Larapinta Drive
- Larapinta Drive
- Memorial Drive
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Amenities
44 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 12 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 18/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.12
Community(2)
- Scout HallCommunity centre
- Yipirinya SchoolSchool
LOT 7399 Lovegrove Drive, Araluen
Sport & outdoors(5)
- Park (2)
- Westland ParkPark
- Swimming pool (2)
Entertainment(3)
- Central Australian Aviation MuseumMuseum
6 Memorial Avenue
- Museum of Central AustraliaMuseum
- Museum of Central Australia & Strehlow Research CenterMuseum
Transport(11)
11 bus stops
Other(9)
- Grand Circle Yeperenye ScluptureArtwork
- de Havilland Australia DHA-3 DroverAttraction
- Alice Springs Tourist ParkCamp Site
Larapinta Drive
- Public Water FountainDrinking water
- Parking (9)
- MobilPetrol station
- Public toilets
- Shelter (7)
- Shower
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Westland ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Alice Springs Hospital (2.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 111
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 34.9
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 36° / 21°
- Rainfall
- 117 mm · ~15 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 29° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 78 mm · ~10 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 5°
- Rainfall
- 37 mm · ~5 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 31° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 56 mm · ~7 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- NT Fire Protection and Fire Management zones — Bushfires NT / Department of Lands, Planning and Environment · current · Updated · Shapefile boundaries (CC BY 4.0)
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Lingiari
- Member of Parliament
- Marion SCRYMGOUR (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 76,817
- Turnout (2025)
- 62.2%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +6.5 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 41.9%Labor 58.1%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1038.3 km away).
Coalition 44.0%Labor 56.0%
2.1 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +8.9 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- LarapintaLabor 57.3% · Coalition 42.7% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- GillenLabor 54.8% · Coalition 45.2% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
- BraitlingLabor 53.2% · Coalition 46.8% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
- Alice SpringsLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)3.1 km away
- SadadeenLabor 64.2% · Coalition 35.8% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
This suburb ranks highly for
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Alice Springs Council
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Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in Northern Territory or interstate.