Wadeye
With 98.9% of residents renting and a median age of 27 that is 13 years below the national figure, Wadeye stands apart from almost any other suburb in the NT data set. Household income sits at the 3.9th percentile nationally, and average household size of 4.8 is 2.3 above the national average, pointing to large multi-generational households making do in a remote service community. The labour market is highly constrained: the participation rate is only 22.7% against a national norm above 60%, and 772 residents speak an Australian Indigenous language at home, reflecting the community's First Nations character. No median house price is recorded because private market transactions are effectively absent.
Population
1,924
Median Age
27.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$767/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
No median house price data is available for Wadeye because private home sales are not recorded in this market. Only 1.1% of dwellings are owned outright, compared to more than a third nationally, and the mortgage-holding figure rounds to zero. The housing stock is largely non-market: 72.7% are separate houses and 22.3% semi-detached, but 98.9% are rented, mostly through community and government tenancies. Weekly rent is $50, far below the national median, which reflects subsidised rather than market pricing. The 17.6% vacancy rate is elevated, suggesting a portion of the housing stock sits unused despite overall conditions. Buyers seeking private ownership will find limited to no resale supply here.
For Buyers
No median house price data is available for Wadeye because private home sales are not recorded in this market. Only 1.1% of dwellings are owned outright, compared to more than a third nationally, and the mortgage-holding figure rounds to zero. The housing stock is largely non-market: 72.7% are separate houses and 22.3% semi-detached, but 98.9% are rented, mostly through community and government tenancies. Weekly rent is $50, far below the national median, which reflects subsidised rather than market pricing. The 17.6% vacancy rate is elevated, suggesting a portion of the housing stock sits unused despite overall conditions. Buyers seeking private ownership will find limited to no resale supply here.
For Investors
Wadeye is not a private investment market. The 98.9% renter rate is near-total, yet weekly rent at $50 is below any conventional yield calculation because tenancies are community and government-managed rather than privately let. The 17.6% vacancy rate is high relative to the national average, indicating that even community housing has surplus capacity. Development activity recorded zero applications in the past 12 months, lower than almost any suburb in the NT data set. With household income at the 3.9th percentile nationally and a participation rate of only 22.7%, private market demand drivers are absent. Investors looking for yield or capital growth should consider other NT locations.
Schools in Wadeye iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic College
T-12 · 467 students
Demographics
The median age of 27 sits 13 years below the national figure, one of the youngest profiles in the NT. Household size of 4.8 is 2.3 above the national average, consistent with extended family living arrangements common in remote First Nations communities. University qualifications reach 19.2%, which is 10.9 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting limited local tertiary access. Only 2.6% of residents were born overseas, compared to more than 21% nationally, a gap of 19 percentage points. The 772 Australian Indigenous language speakers represent the most commonly recorded language group, ahead of English-heritage ancestries. Residential stability is high: 88.5% of residents remained at the same address over the previous year, lower mobility than most urban suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
72.7%
Houses
22.3%
Townhouse
1.8%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure pattern in Wadeye is unlike almost anywhere else: 98.9% rent and 1.1% own outright, with mortgages effectively absent. This reflects a community housing model rather than a private market. Separate houses make up 72.7% of stock and semi-detached dwellings 22.3%, with apartments at only 1.8%. Three-bedroom dwellings are the most common at 41.7%, followed by two-bedroom at 36.6% and four-plus bedroom at 15.3%, a size profile that accommodates the average household of 4.8 people, which is 2.3 above national. Weekly rent is $50, far below any metropolitan benchmark. The 17.6% vacancy rate is higher than the national average, suggesting some stock is unoccupied in a context where formal rental listings are largely absent from the private market.
Mortgage / mo
$0
Rent / wk
$50
HH Size
4.8
Personal Income / wk
$181
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.6%
Unoccupied
72
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
6.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
8.9%
Couples, no children
1,712
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education is the dominant industry, employing 31.3% of local workers (57 people), followed by Public Administration at 20.9% (38) and Other Services at 17.6% (32). Healthcare accounts for 13.7% (25 workers), making government-funded services the backbone of the local economy. By occupation, Professionals lead with 87 workers, reflecting the teacher, nurse and administrator cohort that staffs remote community services. The unemployment rate is 14.4%, well above the national figure, and the participation rate of 22.7% is far below national norms because most working-age residents are classified as not in the labour force (966 people). Income at the 3.9th percentile nationally underlines the economic dependency on government funding rather than private sector activity.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
81.8%
Part-time
3.8%
Participation
22.7%
Employed
274
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.2%
Postgraduate
5.1%
Born Overseas
2.6%
Dwellings
337
Transport to Work
Active travel dominates: 51.5% of residents walk or cycle to their main destination, compared to under 5% nationally, because the community is spatially compact and car ownership is low, with only 30.0% driving. Public transport use is 5.9%. No schools are recorded within Wadeye's boundary in this data set; families rely on community-based educational facilities given the remoteness. No crime rate data is available, so a formal safety ranking cannot be calculated. SEIFA disadvantage scores are not available in the brief, though household income at the 3.9th percentile nationally and an unemployment rate of 14.4% indicate high levels of economic disadvantage. The volunteering rate is 6.0% and 4.3% of residents (75 people) need daily assistance.
Drive
30.0%
Public Transport
5.9%
Walk / Cycle
51.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wadeye compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wadeye a good suburb to live in?
Wadeye is a remote First Nations community in the NT with 1,924 residents. Household income sits at the 3.9th percentile nationally and the unemployment rate is 14.4%, well above national levels. Community services are government-funded, and 51.5% of residents walk or cycle rather than drive. It suits those connected to the local community, not general relocators seeking standard suburban amenities.
What is the median house price in Wadeye?
No median house price is recorded for Wadeye because private market sales are effectively absent. 98.9% of residents rent, primarily through community and government tenancies, and weekly rent is $50, far below any metropolitan or regional benchmark. Outright ownership stands at only 1.1% of dwellings.
What schools are in Wadeye?
No schools are listed within Wadeye's boundary in this data set. The community relies on local educational facilities typical of remote NT communities. Education is the largest employment sector at 31.3% of local workers (57 people), reflecting the presence of teachers and education staff, though formal school records are not captured in this data.
Is Wadeye safe?
Formal crime rate statistics are not available for Wadeye in this data set, so a direct safety ranking cannot be provided. Household income sits at the 3.9th percentile nationally and unemployment is 14.4%, factors that correlate with higher disadvantage in remote NT communities. Any assessment of safety should draw on NT Police public data and local community knowledge rather than this data set alone.
Is Wadeye good for property investment?
Wadeye is not suited to private property investment. Weekly rent is $50 on a near-total renter community where 98.9% of tenancies are government or community-managed rather than privately let. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months and no private house price data exists. The 17.6% vacancy rate and household income at the 3.9th percentile nationally indicate no private demand drivers.
How is Wadeye's population changing?
No formal population forecast is available for Wadeye. The current population is 1,924, spread across 20.84 square kilometres. Residential stability is high, with 88.5% of residents remaining at the same address over the previous year, and zero development applications were recorded in the past 12 months. Population change is more likely driven by government housing policy than by private market growth.
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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