Bellamack

Demographics

Bellamack's median age of 29 is 11 years below the national median, making it one of Darwin's youngest suburbs in the data. The working-age share grew 2.9 points over the decade while the young resident share fell 2.6 points, suggesting the suburb is maturing from a very young base. Overseas-born residents at 22.2% sit 0.6 points above the national figure. Ancestry is led by English (688), Scottish (208) and Irish (181), with a small but notable Hindu population (54 residents) and Muslim community (41). Average household size is 2.9, which is 0.4 above the national figure, consistent with the dominance of couples-with-children families (1,068 out of 1,865 total families). University qualifications at 23.5% are 6.6 points below the national rate.

Ownership rates are unusually low: 4.4% own outright and 35.7% hold a mortgage, while 59.9% rent, a tenure split that reflects the suburb's young median age of 29 and government or defence-linked workforce housing patterns common in Darwin. Separate houses make up 72% of stock, well above inner-urban norms, with 50.8% of dwellings at four or more bedrooms and 30% at three bedrooms. The rent-to-income ratio of 15.4% is comfortable, below the 30% stress mark, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.8% is similarly manageable. The vacancy rate of 9.1% is elevated by Australian standards, indicating softer demand in parts of the market. Rent declined 11.1% over the measured period, a trend consistent with Darwin's post-resources-boom adjustment.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Public Administration dominates at 31.6% of local workers (249 people), reflecting Bellamack's proximity to Darwin's government and defence precinct. Healthcare follows at 14% (110 workers), Construction at 9.8% (77) and Education at 7.5% (59). By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers lead (240), followed by Clerical and Admin (205) and Professionals (172). The unemployment rate of 3.1% is low and the full-time employment rate is 74.9%, with 849 residents employed full-time. Despite this, real income growth was negative at -5.2% over the decade, likely because public sector wages grew slower than inflation. SEIFA scores are above average nationally: IRSD decile 8 and IRSAD decile 7, both higher than typical NT suburb rankings.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is extreme: 88.1% of residents drive to work, well above the national average, and only 1.7% use public transport. Walking and cycling account for just 1.9%, reflecting the suburban layout typical of outer Darwin. No schools are recorded within Bellamack's 1.29 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby schools in the broader Palmerston corridor. Crime statistics are not available at the suburb level. As an indirect indicator, the IRSD decile of 8 places Bellamack above most NT suburbs on relative advantage, and the need-for-assistance rate of 4.4% (95 residents) is moderate. The volunteering rate of 14.6% and housing stress measures well below thresholds suggest a stable, if transient, community.

Population Forecast

Bellamack grew 75% over the 10-year period to 2021, among the fastest rates for any NT suburb, though recent annual growth of 3.05% (roughly 220 persons per year) suggests the pace has moderated. Forecast population for the broader SA2 is expected to rise from 7,223 in 2025 to 9,080 by 2031 under the medium scenario. The primary driver of growth is overseas migration at 95 arrivals per year, while net internal outflow of 132 per year is a structural headwind, a pattern common in NT where interstate residents cycle through for work then return south. The gentrification score is zero and the suburb is classified as not gentrifying, with internal outflow as the key suppressing signal. Affordability improved from 43.9% of income in 2011 to 33.5% in 2021, a positive trend for potential buyers.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Bellamack compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions