NT · Darwin Council

Nightcliff, 0810

Est. population · Jun 2025

4,324

Growth (1 yr)

+1.6%

Growth (5 yr)

+5.7%

Median age

34

Median income

$2,051/wk

Employment rate

71.8%

Languages at home

32.7%non-English

Most common: Nepali, Greek, Punjabi

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

54.9/100
Average

Top 7% of Northern Territory's suburbs

Verified 68% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • High desirability
  • Green suburb
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • Café precinct
What Nightcliff is known for: High desirability, Green suburb, Excellent transport, Education hub, Café precinct

Suburb profile

Nightcliff hums with inner-city energy, a mid-sized suburb where there is always something happening nearby. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Overseas-born and multilingual households are a noticeable part of the local population.

Fitness and outdoor sport options are a real part of local life, not just a distant club trip away. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas.

Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. The suburb still has an emerging character, as newer residents settle in and local identity forms.

Desirability lands around average here: softer safety weighing on the result versus similar metro suburbs, even with community and employment, plus schools and education holding up better.

At a glance

Nightcliff snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

4,324

+1.6% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

10.1%

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

#5

among Metro Darwin · Emerging

Pop. growth

73rd

percentile in NT

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

73rd

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
54.9/100 — Average
State standing
Top 7% of Northern Territory's suburbs
National rank
1569th in Australia
State rank
11th in NT
Peer rank
#5 among Metro Darwin · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#11 among Metro Darwin suburbs
Data confidence
68%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

4,324(June 2025)

+1.6% annual · +5.7% over 5 years · 73th percentile in NT

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.6%
5-year growth
+5.7%
Change in 1 year
+68
Change in 5 years
+232
Growth rank in NT
73th 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 (~4,450), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
3,884
Median age
34
Median household income / week
$2,051
Dwelling vacancy
10.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
171 of 1,695
Median monthly mortgage
$1,972
Employment rate
71.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
545 / 137 / 837

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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
5
Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
1,063
Median ICSEA percentile
73th
School list
  • Nightcliff Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1063 · 73th percentile · LBOTE 49% · 478 students · Top SEA quarter 36% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
  • Nightcliff High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 986 · 40th percentile · LBOTE 51% · 409 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
  • The Essington SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1128 · 91th percentile · LBOTE 40% · 782 students · Top SEA quarter 54% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
  • St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1077 · 78th percentile · LBOTE 41% · 221 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Millner Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 911 · 13th percentile · LBOTE 59% · 171 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Nightcliff Community Early Learning CentreCunjevoi Crescentchildcare

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

Childcare centre count

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare servicesOpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Public transport

11 public transport stops in this suburb

  • 11 Bougainvilia Street
  • 27 Bougainvilia Street
  • 47 Bougainvilia Street
  • Aralia St at Shops
  • Aralia St before Jacaranda Ave

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

149 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

4 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 1 fast food · 1 libraries · 2 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 15 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
  • Decent local green space7 parks in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access11 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation20 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
54/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.26
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.54
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.8
Food & drink(6)
  • Cafe
  • Bruce's Charcoal Chicken & Chinese TakeawayFast food

    38 Progress Drive

  • Asian Gateway RestaurantRestaurant

    58 Aralia Street, Nightcliff

  • Lucky Bat cafe and pizzeriaRestaurant

    8 Pavonia Place

  • Patty Shack Burger BarRestaurant

    Progress Drive

  • Spice Garden Eating House & GrillRestaurant
Shopping(1)
  • Aralia SupermarketSupermarket

    60 Aralia Street, Nightcliff

Community(3)
  • Nightcliff Community Early Learning CentreChildcare

    1 Cunjevoi Crescent, Nightcliff

  • Nightcliff LibraryLibrary

    10-12 Pavonia Place

  • Nightcliff Primary SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(28)
  • FitnessWorks NightcliffGym

    71D Progress Drive, Nightcliff

  • Alf Blaser ParkPark
  • Grevillea ParkPark
  • Kurrajong ParkPark
  • Park (2)
  • Topsy Secretary Juwaning ParkPark
  • Picnic area
  • Picnic Table & BBQPicnic area
  • Playground (2)
  • Nightcliff Aquatic CentreSports centre

    259 Casuarina Drive, Nightcliff

  • Sports field
  • Nightcliff Swimming PoolSwimming pool
  • Swimming pool (14)
Entertainment(1)
  • Viewpoint
Transport(10)

10 bus stops

Other(23)
  • Bbq (2)
  • Jacaranda BBQBbq
  • Bench (3)
  • Exercise EquipmentBench
  • Bicycle Parking (5)
  • SalvosCharity
  • Able Computer SupportComputer

    Unit 4 60 Aralia Street, Nightcliff

  • Drinking water (5)
  • Filtered WaterDrinking water
  • Fitness Station (2)
  • Garden (15)
  • Kaotique Hair StudioHairdresser

    Unit 2 60 Aralia Street, Nightcliff

  • Parking (31)
  • Puma NightcliffPetrol station

    26 Progress Drive, Nightcliff

  • ShellPetrol station
  • Shell Coles Express NightcliffPetrol station

    37 Progress Drive, Nightcliff

  • Picnic Table (22)
  • Nightcliff Police StationPolice
  • Nightcliff Police StationPolice

    53 Progress Drive, Nightcliff

  • Australia Post Nightcliff LPOPost office
  • Public toilets
  • BBQShelter
  • Slipway

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

5 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Alf Blaser ParkPark
  • Grevillea ParkPark
  • Kurrajong ParkPark
  • Topsy Secretary Juwaning ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
27
Parks (OSM)
7

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

Health access

Nearest hospital
Darwin Private Hospital (4.6 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
81
Participants per 1,000 residents
18.7

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

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
31° / 25°
Rainfall
1,010 mm · ~90 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
31° / 24°
Rainfall
491 mm · ~61 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
30° / 20°
Rainfall
8 mm · ~1 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
32° / 24°
Rainfall
171 mm · ~21 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 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

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Solomon
Member of Parliament
Luke John GOSLING (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
78,702
Turnout (2025)
79.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-7.1 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 48.7%Labor 51.3%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 5.6 km away).

Coalition 35.8%Labor 64.2%

12.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -4.2 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Rapid CreekLabor 67.2% · Coalition 32.8% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
  • MillnerLabor 58.8% · Coalition 41.2% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
  • NakaraLabor 60.1% · Coalition 39.9% TPP (2025)3.5 km away
  • MoilLabor 52.5% · Coalition 47.5% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
  • WanguriLabor 55.1% · Coalition 44.9% TPP (2025)4.6 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
8/10

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

This suburb ranks highly for

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Darwin Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Northern Territory.

Nightcliff, NT 0810 profile | Suburb Guide