Milingimbi
A median age of 27 and an average household size of 5.7 people set Milingimbi apart from almost every other suburb in Australia. The national average household size is 2.5, making Milingimbi's figure 3.2 above that benchmark, reflecting extended-family living patterns typical of remote Indigenous communities. The population of 1,097 occupies 4.44 square kilometres on Yolngu Country in Arnhem Land, with 92.4% of residents renting rather than owning and household income sitting at the 40.9th percentile nationally. A striking 77.6% of residents walk or cycle as their main mode of transport, compared to the national car-dependent norm, pointing to a community where daily life is organised around a compact, walkable settlement.
Population
1,097
Median Age
27.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,410/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
No median house price is recorded for Milingimbi because the property market here functions differently from mainstream Australian suburbs. Ownership is rare: only 7.6% of dwellings are owned outright and mortgage holders are effectively absent, compared to the national average where outright ownership and mortgage together account for roughly 65% of tenure. The housing stock is 97.2% separate houses, with 58.3% having 3 bedrooms and 30.2% having 2 bedrooms, so the physical stock is standard detached housing. Weekly rent averages just $45, far below any comparable figure nationally or across the NT, because much of the housing is community housing rather than private market stock. Buyers entering this market face a fundamentally different legal and social framework than standard freehold suburbs.
For Buyers
No median house price is recorded for Milingimbi because the property market here functions differently from mainstream Australian suburbs. Ownership is rare: only 7.6% of dwellings are owned outright and mortgage holders are effectively absent, compared to the national average where outright ownership and mortgage together account for roughly 65% of tenure. The housing stock is 97.2% separate houses, with 58.3% having 3 bedrooms and 30.2% having 2 bedrooms, so the physical stock is standard detached housing. Weekly rent averages just $45, far below any comparable figure nationally or across the NT, because much of the housing is community housing rather than private market stock. Buyers entering this market face a fundamentally different legal and social framework than standard freehold suburbs.
For Investors
A 92.4% renter share is one of the highest in Australia, yet the investment picture is complicated by context. Weekly rent of $45 is extremely low compared to the national median, and the vacancy rate sits at 7.9%, which is above the standard healthy threshold of around 3%. Without a recorded median house price, standard yield calculations cannot be made. There were 0 development applications in the past 12 months, indicating no pipeline of new private dwellings. The 95.7% resident retention rate, where only 4.3% of the population moved in the previous year, reflects a stable but captive community rather than market-driven demand. Private residential investment in Milingimbi is uncommon; the housing market is largely administered through government and community housing organisations.
Schools in Milingimbi iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Milingimbi School
T-12 · 236 students
Demographics
Milingimbi has a median age of 27, which is 13 years below the national figure of 40, making it one of the youngest suburban populations in Australia. Average household size of 5.7 is 3.2 above the national average, consistent with multigenerational household structures. Indigenous language speakers number 511 out of a total population of 1,097, representing close to half the community, while overseas-born residents make up just 0.4%, which is 21.2 percentage points below the national figure. English-ancestry residents (37 people) and Irish-ancestry (11) appear in the data but represent a small minority. Christianity is recorded for 575 residents and 306 are listed under other religions. University qualifications reach 22.4% of residents, which is 7.7 points below the national rate, reflecting the limited post-secondary education infrastructure available in remote NT communities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.2%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure structure in Milingimbi is almost entirely rental at 92.4%, with outright owners at just 7.6% and no measurable mortgage holders, a pattern that differs sharply from the national mix. The stock is 97.2% separate houses, with the dominant configuration being 3-bedroom homes at 58.3%, followed by 2-bedroom at 30.2% and 4-plus bedroom at 11.5%. Weekly rent of $45 is a fraction of the NT state average, reflecting subsidised community housing rather than a private rental market. No median house price data exists because private sale transactions are rare, distinguishing Milingimbi entirely from standard Australian housing markets where median prices are the central measure. The vacancy rate of 7.9% suggests some housing supply sits unused despite the community's density of 246.8 people per square kilometre.
Mortgage / mo
$0
Rent / wk
$45
HH Size
5.7
Personal Income / wk
$233
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.9%
Unoccupied
12
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
3.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
5.5%
Couples, no children
1,015
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education dominates Milingimbi's employment base at 50% of all jobs recorded, followed by Healthcare at 15.5% and Public Administration at 13.8%, with Agriculture and Retail each accounting for less than 9%. This pattern, where government-funded services make up the overwhelming majority of local employment, is typical of remote NT communities. The unemployment rate of 30.9% is high compared to the national average, and the labour force participation rate of just 23% means 587 of 1,097 residents are not in the labour force at all. Personal weekly income averages $233, placing household incomes at the 40.9th percentile nationally. The top occupations are Professionals (37 workers), Community and Personal Service (32) and Clerical and Administrative (18), consistent with a service-sector economy driven by external funding.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.8%
Part-time
18.3%
Participation
23.0%
Employed
132
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.4%
Postgraduate
3.4%
Born Overseas
0.4%
Dwellings
143
Transport to Work
Walking and cycling account for 77.6% of journeys to work in Milingimbi, a figure far above the national average and reflecting the compact, car-limited nature of the community on an island accessible only by air or sea. Car usage for work travel is just 16.8%, compared to the national average above 60%. The 4.3% of residents needing daily assistance (45 people) is a relatively low share. Rent-to-income at 3.2% is minimal, well below any housing stress threshold, because rents at $45 per week are heavily subsidised. No schools are listed in this dataset, though community education services operate in Milingimbi as part of the Northern Territory government's remote schooling network. Crime statistics are not available in this dataset, making a direct safety comparison against state or national rates impossible.
Drive
16.8%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
77.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Milingimbi compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Milingimbi a good suburb to live in?
Milingimbi is a remote Indigenous community on Yolngu Country in Arnhem Land, NT, with a population of 1,097 and a median age of 27. Rent-to-income is just 3.2% and 95.7% of residents stayed in the same location, indicating strong community ties. Access is by air or sea only, and services differ significantly from urban suburbs.
What is the median house price in Milingimbi?
No median house price is recorded for Milingimbi because private property transactions are rare. The housing stock is 92.4% rental, with weekly rent averaging just $45, reflecting subsidised community housing rather than a private market. Outright ownership is just 7.6% of dwellings.
What schools are in Milingimbi?
No schools appear in this dataset for the Milingimbi postcode 0822. The Northern Territory government operates remote community schooling services in the region. The local university qualification rate is 22.4%, which is 7.7 points below the national average.
Is Milingimbi safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Milingimbi in this dataset, so a direct comparison against NT state or national rates cannot be made. As a contextual indicator, 4.3% of residents (45 people) need daily assistance and the volunteering rate is 2.9%. Detailed safety data would need to be sought from NT Police or ABS crime statistics.
Is Milingimbi good for property investment?
Private investment in Milingimbi is uncommon. The 92.4% renter share is high nationally but weekly rent is just $45, well below any standard investment yield benchmark. There were 0 development applications in the past 12 months and no median house price is recorded, making standard return calculations impossible compared to mainstream NT markets.
How is Milingimbi's population changing?
Milingimbi has a resident retention rate of 95.7%, with only 4.3% of the population moving in the reference year, indicating a very stable community. The median age of 27 is 13 years below the national figure, and average household size of 5.7 is 3.2 above national, suggesting a young, family-oriented population base. No formal forecast data is available.
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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