Katherine East
A 30-year median age makes Katherine East 10 years younger than the national benchmark, while 60.9% of dwellings are rented and 83.7% are separate houses. That combination points to a young, workforce-oriented market where detached living is common but tenure is less secure than ownership. Household income sits at the 78th percentile, above the national midpoint, yet the 16.0% vacancy rate is high, likely reflecting a mobile regional population and employer-linked housing demand. Compared with Katherine South, Katherine East reads as a practical, renter-heavy residential area, with 3,061 residents across 7.87 square kilometres.
Local council: Katherine
Population
3,061
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,075/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers in Katherine East are choosing from detached-dominant stock rather than a unit market: 83.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 16.0% are semi-detached and only 0.3% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 59.4% of dwellings, while 26.8% have four or more bedrooms, supporting family-sized demand. The mortgage repayment indicator is $1,517 a month, with mortgage costs equal to 16.9% of household income and mortgage stress not flagged. Compared with the 60.9% renting share, only 24.4% of dwellings carry a mortgage. Use recent settled sales by dwelling type, land size and condition because no suburb median is established.
For Buyers
Homebuyers in Katherine East are choosing from detached-dominant stock rather than a unit market: 83.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 16.0% are semi-detached and only 0.3% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 59.4% of dwellings, while 26.8% have four or more bedrooms, supporting family-sized demand. The mortgage repayment indicator is $1,517 a month, with mortgage costs equal to 16.9% of household income and mortgage stress not flagged. Compared with the 60.9% renting share, only 24.4% of dwellings carry a mortgage. Use recent settled sales by dwelling type, land size and condition because no suburb median is established.
For Investors
Katherine East's investment case is shaped more by rental depth than by a published sale median. Renting accounts for 60.9% of dwellings, well above the 24.4% mortgaged and 11.0% owned-outright shares, because the local economy draws a mobile workforce. Weekly rent is $350, while the 16.0% vacancy rate is high and can reduce competition between tenants, making income forecasts sensitive to turnover. The wider growth trend is 0.52% a year and overseas migration is the primary driver, so demand may follow employment and arrivals rather than rapid owner-occupier expansion. Investors should stress-test vacancy, maintenance and insurance costs, then compare Katherine East with Katherine South using settled sales and achieved rents.
Demographics
Katherine East has 3,061 residents and a median age of 30, which is 10 years below the national comparison. University attainment is 26.8%, or 3.3 percentage points below the national level, while overseas-born residents account for 21.3%, just 0.3 points below the national figure. The largest recorded ancestries are English at 613 people, Other at 421 and Irish at 203, with Scottish at 189. No religion is recorded for 1,332 residents, compared with 1,054 identifying with Christianity and 116 with Hinduism. A 33.4% turnover rate helps explain why the suburb feels more mobile than a settled family district, despite 2.8 people per household, 0.3 higher than the national comparison.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.7%
Houses
16.0%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Katherine East is predominantly a conventional family-home market: 83.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 59.4% contain three bedrooms and 26.8% contain four or more. Semi-detached housing is 16.0%, compared with just 0.3% apartments, so buyers seeking units have fewer options than detached-home households. Tenure is renter-heavy, with 60.9% renting, 24.4% paying a mortgage and 11.0% owning outright. Weekly rent is $350, and the mortgage repayment indicator is $1,517 per month; both housing-cost measures sit at 16.9% of household income in the stress indicators. A price-to-income comparison needs current settled sales because no suburb median is established, while Katherine South provides a useful nearby comparison for property condition and land size.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,079
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
16.0%
Unoccupied
182
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.3%
Couples with children
32.9%
Couples, no children
22.0%
Single parent
706
Total families
Economy & Employment
Public administration leads Katherine East's industry mix at 26.9% with 257 workers, followed by healthcare at 24.4% and 233, education at 13.2% and 126, construction at 9.1% and 87, and hospitality at 4.7% and 45. This mix ties household demand to government, care, education and construction activity. Community and personal service occupations lead at 320 people, followed by professionals at 263, trades at 187, clerical/admin at 174 and managers at 159. Labour-force participation is 65.3%, unemployment is 5.4% and full-time work is 73.0%. Household income is $2,075 weekly, at the 78th percentile and above the national midpoint. SEIFA is mixed: IEO is decile 5, but IER is decile 2, IRSD decile 3 and IRSAD decile 4, indicating stronger employment specialisation than broad household security.
Unemployment
5.4%
Labour Force
1,459
Unemployed
79
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.0%
Part-time
18.6%
Participation
65.3%
Employed
1,380
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.8%
Postgraduate
8.4%
Born Overseas
21.3%
Dwellings
943
Transport to Work
Daily mobility in Katherine East is strongly car-led: 80.6% travel as car drivers, compared with 0.6% using public transport and 6.0% walking or cycling. Only 3.6% work from home, reinforcing the importance of reliable access to jobs and services. The suburb covers 7.87 square kilometres at a density of 388.8 people per square kilometre, so distances can feel manageable but travel conditions and service locations still matter. For safety, check current police advice, lighting and street-level conditions before deciding, because a suburb-wide numerical crime comparison is not established. With 3,061 residents and a median age of 30, the area may suit households prioritising practical access over a highly walkable inner-suburban setting.
Drive
80.6%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
6.0%
Work from Home
3.6%
Growth Outlook
Katherine East is an established market with a modest forecast trend of 0.52% annually, compared with rapid-growth settings. Population change across the wider area is 4.9% over ten years, and overseas migration is identified as the primary driver, so demand is more likely to follow regional employment and arrivals than a sharp construction cycle. The shift trajectory is labelled "Declining young": the young share is down 2.7 percentage points, while the senior share is up 2.8 points and the working-age share is up 1.5. Rent growth of 47.5% shows housing costs have moved faster than the population trend. The shift assessment records a gentrification score of 38 at "Early signs", although the current gentrification label is "Not gentrifying", so buyers should treat uplift as selective rather than established.
Population trend: Katherine council area
Katherine East sits in the Katherine council area. These are the council area's residents, not Katherine East's.
Residents 2025
11,282
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.0%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Katherine East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Katherine East a good suburb to live in?
Katherine East can suit households that value detached housing and access to regional employment. The median age is 30, 83.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 80.6% commute by car. Renters should note that 60.9% rent and vacancy is 16.0%, so the experience can vary by property and street.
What is the median house price in Katherine East?
There is no reliable single median to quote for Katherine East, so use recent comparable settled sales for the exact street, land size and dwelling condition. Weekly rent is $350, while 83.7% of homes are separate houses, making detached-home sales the most relevant comparison set.
What schools are in Katherine East?
Check current enrolment zones and nearby-school options against the exact address. Katherine East covers 7.87 square kilometres and 80.6% of commuters drive, so school travel time and transport routes can vary by property, year level and catchment boundary.
Is Katherine East safe?
Treat safety as a street-by-street decision and review current police advice, lighting and travel routes before renting or buying. Katherine East has 3,061 residents across 7.87 square kilometres, but those population and area figures are not a substitute for current incident checks.
Is Katherine East good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking a high-rental-share market, but vacancy risk needs careful testing. Renting is 60.9%, weekly rent is $350 and vacancy is 16.0%; the annual growth trend is 0.52%. With no settled suburb median, compare recent sales, insurance, maintenance and achieved rents before estimating yield.
How is Katherine East's population changing?
Population change is modest rather than rapid: the annual trend is 0.52% and change across the wider area is 4.9% over ten years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the shift is labelled "Declining young", with the young share down 2.7 points and senior share up 2.8.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
Explore Katherine East on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map