Median house price
—
No data available
NT · Barkly Council
Tennant Creek, 0860
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,599
Growth (1 yr)
-0.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+3.7%
Median age
33
Median income
$1,677/wk
Employment rate
46.9%
Languages at home
39.8%non-English
Most common: Australian Indigenous languages, Nepali, Malayalam
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
- Café precinct
- Education hub
- National parks
Suburb profile
Tennant Creek sits in Barkly Council as a regional mid-sized suburb that feels self-contained and a long way from big-city bustle. The community skews younger, with family life visible on every street. The suburb has a clear multicultural mix alongside longer-term local households.
Neighbourhood food and coffee spots add warmth to the local routine. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas.
Purchase and rent costs sit on the more affordable side of the local range. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Desirability lands around average here: softer community and employment, plus schools and education weighing on the result versus similar regional towns, even with safety holding up better.
At a glance
Tennant Creek snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
3,599
-0.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
16.7%
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
#1
among Country & regional · Established
Pop. growth
3rd
percentile in NT
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
2nd
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
- 51.3/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 13% of Northern Territory's suburbs
- National rank
- 2004th in Australia
- State rank
- 21st in NT
- Peer rank
- #1 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #2 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 58%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
3,599(June 2025)
-0.1% annual · +3.7% over 5 years · 3th percentile in NT
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.1%
- 5-year growth
- +3.7%
- Change in 1 year
- -3
- Change in 5 years
- +127
- Growth rank in NT
- 3th 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 (~3,650), extrapolated at +0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,080
- Median age
- 33
- Median household income / week
- $1,677
- Dwelling vacancy
- 16.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 189 of 1,133
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,114
- Employment rate
- 46.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 758 / 108 / 53 (+ 21 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
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 743
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 2th
School list
- Tennant Creek Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 732 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 63% · 309 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Tennant Creek High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 754 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 66% · 142 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 1.6 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
Amenities
94 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 4 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 2 fast food · 1 libraries · 3 places of worship
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Decent local green space — 6 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Strong local sport and recreation — 8 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 56/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.32
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 2.6
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.95
Food & drink(8)
- Nyinkka Nyunyu Coffee ShopCafe
- Mr Perry'sFast food
- Rocky's Pizza & Fat KebabFast food
- Goldfields HotelPub
- Memorial ClubPub
- Pub
Paterson Street, Tennant Creek
- Tennant Creek HotelPub
- Fernandos's RestaurantRestaurant
Shopping(3)
- Barkly Quality ButchersButcher
- Food BarnSupermarket
Community(8)
- Julakari Aboriginal CorporationCommunity centre
- Julakari Community Service CentreCommunity centre
- Youth CentreCommunity centre
- Library
- Tennant Creek Primary SchoolSchool
- Barkly ShireTownhall
- Civic CentreTownhall
- Townhall
Health & services(3)
- Tennant Creek HospitalHospital
- Royal Flying Doctor ServiceMedical clinic
- Pharmacy
Sport & outdoors(14)
- Kathleen ParkPark
- Nelson ParkPark
Ambrose Street, Tennant Creek
- Park
Haddock Street
- Park (2)
- Peko ParkPark
- Playground
- Sports centre (2)
- Bowls ClubSports field
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (3)
Entertainment(1)
- Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural CentreArts centre
Other(42)
- Headframe Bottle ShopAlcohol
- ANZBank
- WestpacBank
- Bicycle Parking (6)
- GreyhoundBus Station
- Car repair
- Paul Talbot MechanicCar repair
- Outback FashionsClothes
- Outback OutfittersClothes
- College
- Tennant Creek Training CentreCollege
- Court HouseCourthouse
- Tennant Creek Fire StationFire station
49 Thompson Street, Tennant Creek
- Orlando FurnishersFurniture
- Hairdresser (2)
- Mark's ArcadeMall
- Bluestone Motor InnMotel
1 Paterson Street, Tennant Creek
- Safari LodgeMotel
- Newsagent
- Parking
47 Ambrose Street
- Parking (11)
- Central Service StationPetrol station
Paterson Street, Tennant Creek
- Mobil Lone StarPetrol station
1192 Paterson Street
- Place of worship
- Place of worship
Paterson Street, Tennant Creek
- Place of worship
Standley Street, Tennant Creek
- Tennant Creek Police StationPolice
- Australia PostPost office
Paterson Street, Tennant Creek
- Tennant Creek Post OfficePost office
- Barkly Shire OfficesPublic Building
- Public Building
- Public toilets
- Shelter
- Arnhem ExplorationTravel Agency
- Charles Darwin UniversityUniversity
- EmporiumVariety Store
- Little RippersVariety Store
- Nik-NaxVariety Store
- Salmon's WarehouseVariety Store
- Weigh BridgeWeighbridge
- Tallis Security ServiceYes
- Tennant Creek PrintersYes
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
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Kathleen ParkPark
- Nelson ParkPark
- Peko ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 6
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
Places of worship
3 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Place of worship
- Place of worship
Paterson Street, Tennant Creek
- Place of worship
Standley Street, Tennant Creek
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 3
- Nearest hospital
- Tennant Creek Hospital (0.8 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- PharmacyPharmacy
- Royal Flying Doctor ServiceDoctor
- Tennant Creek HospitalHospital
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)
- 124
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 34.5
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
- 37° / 25°
- Rainfall
- 234 mm · ~29 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 31° / 19°
- Rainfall
- 62 mm · ~8 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 26° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 10 mm · ~1 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 34° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 57 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 611.4 km away).
Coalition 46.3%Labor 53.7%
4.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +5.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- BraitlingLabor 53.2% · Coalition 46.8% TPP (2025)448.2 km away
- SadadeenLabor 64.2% · Coalition 35.8% TPP (2025)450.2 km away
- Alice SpringsLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)450.7 km away
- LarapintaLabor 57.3% · Coalition 42.7% TPP (2025)450.7 km away
- GillenLabor 54.8% · Coalition 45.2% TPP (2025)451.5 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)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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 Barkly Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Northern Territory.