NT · Alice Springs Council
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,943
Growth (1 yr)
+2.6%
Growth (5 yr)
+17.8%
Median age
36
Median income
$3,025/wk
Employment rate
78.5%
University qualified
34.7%
Work from home
3.7%
Languages at home
17.7%non-English
Most common: Punjabi, Malayalam, Mandarin
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
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Suburb profile
Desert Springs is a major regional centre in the Northern Territory, in Alice Springs Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.
Local amenities are a relative strength, with local amenities 29% above the peer median. Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres, and university qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, with university qualifications 101% above the peer median, and population growth is an exceptional strength. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness.
Overall, Desert Springs suits people prioritising socio-economic advantage and university qualifications over school quality.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Northern Territory (33)
Who it suits
Housing, growth and risk
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent (Census)
$500/wk
2021 Census median weekly rent
Population (ERP)
1,943
+2.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
14.2%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#3
among Country & regional · Growth area
Pop. growth
89th
percentile in NT
Rented dwellings
37%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
3rd
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Data sources & freshness
Estimated resident population
1,943(June 2025)
+2.6% annual · +17.8% over 5 years · 89th percentile in NT
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
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 (~2,100), extrapolated at +1.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
34.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.4% across Northern Territory. 17% have a trade or vocational qualification.
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
| Measure | Definition |
|---|---|
| University qualified | Bachelor degree or higher |
| Diploma qualified | Advanced Diploma / Diploma |
| Trade / vocational | Certificate III + IV |
| Year 12 | Year 12 as highest attainment |
| Below Year 12 | Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below |
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
62nd percentile in NT · +19% vs Australia
53rd percentile in NT · +10% vs Australia
65th percentile in NT · +9% vs Australia
38th percentile in NT · -27% vs Australia
62nd percentile in NT · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 0870 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NT, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
17.7% speak a language other than English at home; 37% born overseas
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
45.8%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 45.8%, while Christianity accounts for 40.4%.
| Measure | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| No religion | 45.8% | 38.1% |
| Christianity | 40.4% | 40.5% |
| Hinduism | 4% | 2.7% |
| Other / not stated | 9.8% | 18.8% |
| Denomination | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 19.7% | 16.9% |
| Anglican | 4.8% | 6% |
| Uniting Church | 4.1% | 3.7% |
| Christian (not further defined) | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| Pentecostal | 2% | 1.3% |
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Figures are for the Alice Springs reporting region, not this suburb alone.
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Data sources & freshness
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
3 public transport stops in this suburb
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability
Data sources & freshness
66 mapped amenities
2 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 playgrounds · 24 swimming pools
27 Tuncks Road
93 Barrett Drive
Barrett Drive
4 bus stops
93 Barrett Drive
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
3 named sporting clubs in this suburb
Golf
Golf
Golf
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Data sources & freshness
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Hospitals, GPs and aged care
Data sources & freshness
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
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.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping. Flood cover uses inundation polygons against the suburb boundary where published.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Two-party preferred (2025)
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1040.7 km away).
1.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +8.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
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
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).
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 (12%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)
Data sources & freshness
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Northern Territory.