NT · Central Desert Council
Est. population · Jun 2025
24
Growth (1 yr)
0.0%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.3%
Median age
36
Median income
$1,187/wk
Employment rate
54.2%
University qualified
20.8%
Work from home
0%
Languages at home
45.8%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
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Suburb profile
Lake Mackay is a remote locality in the Northern Territory, in Central Desert Council. It is close to the Haasts Bluff and Lake Mackay Aboriginal Land Trust.
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 70% above the peer median. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked remote localities.
Overall, Lake Mackay suits people prioritising university qualifications and employment.
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
Remote locality · compared with remote localities in Northern Territory (174)
No relative weaknesses against comparable places.
Housing, growth and risk
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
24
0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
50.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Pop. growth
15th
percentile in NT
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Estimated resident population
24(June 2025)
0.0% annual · +4.3% over 5 years · 15th 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 (~0), extrapolated at +0.0% 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.
20.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.4% across Northern Territory. 0% 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.
0th percentile in NT · -33% vs Australia
0th percentile in NT · -41% vs Australia
0th percentile in NT · -64% vs Australia
0th percentile in NT · -90% vs Australia
6th percentile in NT · -71% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 0872 — 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
45.8% speak a language other than English at home; 18.2% born overseas
44%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 44%, while 40% reported no religion.
| Measure | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| No religion | 40% | 38.1% |
| Christianity | 44% | 40.5% |
| Other / not stated | 16% | 21.5% |
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.
5 mapped amenities
2 campgrounds
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
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 930.2 km away).
3.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +6.6 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
Other suburbs in the same local government area.