Herbert

Demographics

The median age of 38 is 2.0 years below the national figure, consistent with a family-oriented suburb. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above national, and 56% of families are couples with children, the dominant household type. Overseas-born residents account for 12.1%, which is 9.5 points below the national rate, reflecting an Anglo-Celtic majority: English (649), Scottish (168) and Irish (160) are the top ancestries. University qualifications reach 14.2%, which is 15.9 points below national, though that gap is partly explained by the construction and trades-heavy employment base. The suburb follows an aging trajectory, with the senior share rising 8.5 points over the decade while the young share fell 4.8 points.

Tenure is dominated by mortgaged households at 70%, well above the national norm, while outright owners sit at only 17.9% and renters at 12.1%. The low renter share means the market is driven by owner-occupiers, not investors. Separate houses make up 98.8% of dwellings, with virtually no apartments or semi-detached stock. The bedroom split skews large: 38.1% have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.1% have 3, suiting families with children. Mortgage-to-income at 19.4% and rent-to-income at 16.6% are both comfortably below stress levels, confirming that housing costs are manageable relative to the high local incomes at the 95.9th percentile nationally.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Public administration is the largest employer at 16.7% of local workers, followed by Construction at 15.9% and Education at 10.6%, with Healthcare at 8.8% and Mining at 8.1%. By occupation, Clerical and Admin roles lead (150 workers), then Professionals (128) and Managers (119). Unemployment is low at 2.9% and the full-time employment rate of 75.5% is high by national standards. Despite high incomes, SEIFA places Herbert in decile 1 on all four indexes, a known NT pattern where high government and mining wages inflate earnings while relative disadvantage indicators, educational attainment and access to services, pull scores down.

Transport to Work

Herbert is almost entirely car-dependent: 92.5% of residents drive to work, compared to a national average closer to 68%, and just 1.0% use public transport. The suburb spans 35.69 km2 at low density, which explains the transport profile. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. Crime data is not available for this suburb. SEIFA decile 1 on IRSAD reflects access limitations and lower qualification rates rather than income, since household income sits at the 95.9th percentile nationally. The volunteering rate of 15% and the low rent-to-income of 16.6% suggest a stable community that is not under financial pressure.

Population Forecast

Population growth is slow, averaging 8 persons per year, a 0.14% annual rate, and the 10-year change of 0.7% places Herbert firmly in the slow-growth category. Medium forecasts project the broader area reaching 5,746 by 2031, a marginal increase from 5,730 in 2025. The migration balance is positive but modest, with net internal arrivals averaging 37 per year and overseas arrivals 19. Rent grew 25.7% over the measured period, above the pace of real income growth of 5.8%, tightening affordability at the margins. The suburb is aging, with the senior share up 8.5 points over the decade and the working-age share down 3.2 points, a trend that typically moderates housing turnover over time.

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

How Herbert compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions