Darwin property market: the official numbers
What the census actually says about Darwin, NT — who lives there, what they pay, and what they do for work. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
At the last census, Darwin's median rent was $385/wk — 3% above the national median. Repayments ($2,054/mo) ran ahead of rent ($1,668/mo), but not brutally.
The numbers that matter
The typical repayment ran at about 22% of the median household income. Point-in-time medians, August 2021. Repayments have risen a long way since the 2022–24 rate rises, so use these to compare places, not to price anything today.
The rent-or-buy gap
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $1,668 against a typical mortgage repayment of $2,054:
What this gap does and doesn't tell you
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
Who owns, who rents
46.4% of Darwin households rent — that's the tenant pool an investor here would actually be renting into, and it's a deep pool by national standards.
Who lives here
How to read an age profile
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Darwin's median age of 34 sits below the national median of 38.
What the local economy runs on
19.1% of Darwin's 68,133 workers are in public administration & safety. That's the engine under local housing demand — worth knowing how it's running before you buy.
Buying costs in NT, exactly
Current sale prices live behind licensed feeds we won't republish. The costs of buying don't — they're public and exact:
- Stamp duty in the Northern Territory — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official NT price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Quick answers
What is the median rent in Darwin?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Darwin was $385 a week — 3% above the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Darwin?
127,215 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 34 (national median: 38). Darwin is one of the Northern Territory's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Darwin do for work?
The biggest employing industry is public administration & safety, followed by health care & social assistance (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
The verdict
Your call
Rent covered roughly 81% of the typical repayment here — a middling shape. Owner-occupiers do fine in markets like this; an investor needs a sharper reason to pick it. One employer story dominates — public administration & safety is 19.1% of local jobs. When it hires, housing tightens; when it stops, you'll feel it.
Whatever you do, check the things the census can't show: today's asking rents, vacancy and days on market in Darwin. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the the Northern Territory stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
Other NT markets
All cities & hubs: the full directory.
General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Darwin, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.