Katherine
A 53.1% renter majority and a 19.7% vacancy rate make Katherine one of the NT's most fluid residential markets, driven by the government and healthcare workforce that cycles through the town. Household incomes sit at the 77th percentile nationally despite an IRSAD decile of just 4, a gap explained by high public-sector wages that coexist with significant pockets of disadvantage. The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, reflecting a working-age population that arrives for employment rather than retirement.
Population
1,254
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,053/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$365K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $365,000 is affordable compared to most Australian capitals, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.8% sits well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 76.8% of stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 20.3% and apartments at just 2.9%. Three-bedroom homes account for 55.3% of all dwellings, which is the dominant configuration for the family-sized workforce accommodation that defines the suburb. Outright ownership at 16.3% is low relative to the national average, because the transient public-sector workforce tends to rent rather than commit to purchase. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,408, making the purchase entry point lower than state capitals.
For Buyers
The median house price of $365,000 is affordable compared to most Australian capitals, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.8% sits well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 76.8% of stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 20.3% and apartments at just 2.9%. Three-bedroom homes account for 55.3% of all dwellings, which is the dominant configuration for the family-sized workforce accommodation that defines the suburb. Outright ownership at 16.3% is low relative to the national average, because the transient public-sector workforce tends to rent rather than commit to purchase. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,408, making the purchase entry point lower than state capitals.
For Investors
With 53.1% of residents renting and weekly rent at $360, Katherine offers a landlord a functioning yield, though the 19.7% vacancy rate is a significant risk factor. Rent has grown 47.5% over the past decade, well above inflation, because government and healthcare employers have continually drawn workers who need housing quickly. Net overseas migration adds 76 residents a year while internal migration subtracts 32, leaving a positive net flow that keeps rental demand broadly stable. The broader Katherine area population is forecast to grow from around 11,269 to 11,535 by 2031 under the medium scenario, a modest but steady trajectory. Investors should weigh the high vacancy against the rent-to-income ratio of 17.5%, which signals tenants are not under stress and churn is affordability-driven rather than hardship-driven.
Schools in Katherine iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Catholic College
T-12 · 299 students
Katherine School Of The Air
T-9 · 137 students
Clyde Fenton Primary School
T-6 · 114 students
Demographics
The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, pulling the suburb toward a working-age profile dominated by Professionals (179 workers) and Community/Personal Service workers (110). Overseas-born residents account for 25.6%, which is 4 percentage points above the national average, with Nepali speakers (13) recorded as the largest non-English language group alongside Australian Indigenous languages (12). English-background ancestry leads, with English (315), Irish (130) and Scottish (99) the top recorded ancestries. University qualifications at 30.5% match the national level almost exactly, sitting just 0.4 points above national. The average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below national, consistent with the high share of couples without children (30% of families) and the transient workforce composition.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.8%
Houses
20.3%
Townhouse
2.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Katherine's housing stock is 76.8% separate houses, well above the national apartment-heavy averages in capital cities, and 55.3% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms. The tenure split shows 53.1% renting against 30.5% on mortgages and 16.3% owning outright, a renter-majority profile unusual outside remote and regional NT. The 19.7% vacancy rate is high, reflecting the stop-start nature of government and defence postings that leave properties empty between tenants. At $365,000 median, housing is affordable in absolute terms, and rent-to-income at 17.5% keeps tenants well below the 30% stress threshold. The mobility turnover rate of 42% confirms that nearly half the population changed address in the five years to the last census, reinforcing the transient nature of Katherine's resident base.
Mortgage / mo
$1,408
Rent / wk
$360
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,141
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
19.7%
Unoccupied
97
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.0%
Couples, no children
657
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 28.2% of workers (129 people), reflecting Katherine's role as a regional medical hub for the Top End. Public Administration and Education each account for 14.6% (67 workers each), which is the government-service concentration typical of NT regional centres. Hospitality at 7.6% and Construction at 7.2% round out the top five industries. The unemployment rate is 3.0% and the full-time employment rate is 82.2%, both strong figures relative to many regional NT areas. The SEIFA IRSD decile of 3 indicates significant relative disadvantage at the SA2 level, which sits below the IEO decile of 5, because disadvantage measures capture a broader geographic footprint than the suburb boundary where higher-income public servants are concentrated. Real incomes grew 15.0% over the decade.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
8,022
Unemployed
201
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
82.2%
Part-time
14.8%
Participation
59.9%
Employed
614
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.5%
Postgraduate
7.3%
Born Overseas
25.6%
Dwellings
379
Transport to Work
Car dependency is moderate at 75.4% of commuters driving, while 16.8% walk or cycle, a notably high active-transport rate for a regional NT town, reflecting the compact 5.02 km2 footprint. Public transport usage at 0.5% is very low, typical of NT regional centres where bus services are limited. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in the broader Katherine area. The IRSAD decile of 4 nationally indicates below-average advantage, while the income household percentile of 77 is above average, a divergence that reflects the public-sector wage premium in an otherwise low-SEIFA region. The volunteering rate of 19.5% is solid, and only 5.2% of residents (55 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the young working-age demographic.
Drive
75.4%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
16.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.52%/yr
(+59 people/yr)
EstablishedKatherine's broader population grew from 11,076 in 2023 to 11,269 in 2025, a 1.7% rise, with annual growth of 0.52%. The medium forecast projects 11,535 residents by 2031, driven primarily by overseas migration at a net 76 arrivals per year, which more than offsets the net internal outflow of 32 per year. The young-adult share has declined by 2.7 percentage points over the decade while the senior share grew 2.8 points, signalling a gradual aging trend typical of NT service towns. Rent grew 47.5% over the decade compared to a real income growth of 15.0%, meaning affordability has tightened. The gentrification score of 38 registers as early signs, which in Katherine's context reflects income-upgraded public-sector occupants arriving into an area where the IRSAD decile remains 4 nationally.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+76
Net Internal / yr
-32
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Katherine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Katherine a good suburb to live in?
Katherine suits working-age residents employed in government, healthcare or education. Household incomes sit at the 77th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio is 15.8% and rent-to-income is 17.5%, both well below stress thresholds. The IRSAD decile of 4 reflects broader regional disadvantage, and the 19.7% vacancy rate points to a transient rather than settled community.
What is the median house price in Katherine?
The median house price is $365,000, estimated from current rental data as at 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,408, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.8%, well below the 30% stress level. Weekly rent averages $360, and rents have grown 47.5% over the past decade.
What schools are in Katherine?
No schools are recorded within the Katherine suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on educational institutions in the broader Katherine township area. University qualification rates in the suburb sit at 30.5%, marginally above the national figure, reflecting the professional workforce composition.
Is Katherine safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Katherine suburb in this dataset. As context, the IRSD decile of 3 indicates above-average relative disadvantage at the regional level, while the suburb itself has an above-average income profile (77th percentile nationally) because the resident workforce is concentrated in higher-paid public-sector roles.
Is Katherine good for property investment?
The 53.1% renter share and weekly rent of $360 provide an active tenant market, and rent has grown 47.5% over the past decade. However, the 19.7% vacancy rate is a significant risk, driven by the transient workforce cycling through government and defence postings. Overseas migration net positive at 76 per year supports long-run demand, and the $365,000 median keeps entry costs lower than capital cities.
How is Katherine's population changing?
The broader Katherine area grew from 11,076 in 2023 to 11,269 in 2025, and medium forecasts project 11,535 by 2031. Annual growth runs at 0.52%, sustained by net overseas migration of 76 per year, which more than offsets net internal outflow of 32. The young-adult share fell 2.7 points over the decade while the senior share rose 2.8 points.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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