Northern Territory · Suburb Profile

Papunya NT — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Papunya, Northern Territory. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Papunya NT is 438 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Papunya is $240 per week ($12,480 per year). Median rent in Papunya is $83 per week ($360 per month). Papunya has a median age of 27 years, younger than the national median of 38. Papunya has a population density of 92.4 people per km².

The most common religion is Lutheran (58% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other.

Papunya Map

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Papunya Population

residents (Census 2021)

Papunya Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$240/wk

$12,480 per year

#8900 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$83/wk

$360 per month

#8721 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

27years

11 years younger than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$0/mo

Avg household size: —

Papunya Demographics

Gender Split

Male 46.6% (205) Female 53.4% (235)

Population Density

92.4

people per km²

438 people · 4.7 km²

Households

—

Avg household size

—

Persons per bedroom

$519

Family income/wk

Papunya Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Papunya Country of Birth

Australia

100.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Papunya Religion

Lutheran

57.7%

Not stated

21.5%

No Religion

10.3%

Pentecostal

3.5%

Baptist

2.6%

Catholic

2.1%

Anglican

1.2%

Christnty Sevnth dy Advntst

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Papunya Education Level

Year 10 or equivalent

32.0%

Year 9 or equivalent

30.7%

Year 12 or equivalent

24.7%

Year 11 or equivalent

12.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Papunya Languages Spoken at Home

Other

51.0%

Australian Indigenous

49.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Papunya Employment

💼

Employed full-time

14.8% 42 people

⏰

Employed part-time

13.1% 37 people

🔍

Unemployed

3.2% 9 people

🏠

Not in labour force

68.9% 195 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Papunya Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

29.7%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

29.7%

Certificate III/IV

21.6%

Postgraduate Degree

10.8%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

8.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Papunya Occupation

Professionals

48.6%

Community & Personal Service

31.4%

Managers

20.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Papunya Field of Study

Education

36.4%

Creative Arts

15.2%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

15.2%

Engineering

12.1%

Health

12.1%

Society & Culture

9.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Papunya Dwelling Types

Separate house

95.6%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Papunya Weekly Household Income

$150-$299/wk

5.0%

$400-$499/wk

5.0%

$500-$649/wk

5.0%

$650-$799/wk

6.7%

$800-$999/wk

6.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.0%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

16.7%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.7%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

11.7%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

10.0%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

8.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

8.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Papunya Marital Status

💍

Married

48.9% 157

↔️

Separated

5.9% 19

📋

Divorced

1.2% 4

🕊️

Widowed

5.3% 17

👤

Never married

38.6% 124

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Papunya Ancestry

Aboriginal Australianralian

88.9%

Australian

3.2%

English

2.3%

Scottish

1.6%

German

1.4%

Other

1.2%

Filipino

0.7%

Irish

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Papunya School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

65.9%

Secondary — Government

15.9%

Pre-school

10.2%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

4.5%

Vocational Education

3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Papunya Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

5.2% 40

✅

No need for assistance

94.8% 726

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Papunya Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

3.6% 10

—

Not a volunteer

96.4% 266

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Papunya How People Get to Work

Walked only

65.3%

Car (driver)

22.2%

Car (passenger)

12.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Papunya Car Ownership

0 vehicles

47.9%

1 vehicle

35.6%

2 vehicles

8.2%

3 vehicles

8.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Papunya Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

5.1%

2 bedrooms

22.8%

3 bedrooms

41.8%

4 bedrooms

16.5%

5 bedrooms

7.6%

6+ bedrooms

6.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Papunya Population Mobility

20.2%

moved in the last year

31.7%

moved in the last 5 years

10.5%

unemployment rate (Census)

30.0%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Papunya Indigenous Population

90.2%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

781

Indigenous residents

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Papunya Long-term Health Conditions

Diabetes

Heart disease

Mental health

Asthma

Kidney disease

Lung condition

Stroke

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Papunya Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

12.3%

$1-$149/wk

9.3%

$150-$299/wk

56.5%

$300-$399/wk

3.0%

$400-$499/wk

1.5%

$500-$649/wk

1.9%

$650-$799/wk

1.5%

$800-$999/wk

1.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

3.7%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.1%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

1.5%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

2.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Papunya Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

50.3%

One parent — children under 15

24.9%

Couple — no children

12.8%

One parent — no children under 15

8.6%

Couple — no children under 15

3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Papunya Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.1% 42

—

Did not provide

84.9% 237

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Papunya Children Ever Born

No children

28.8%

1 child

20.0%

2 children

21.6%

3 children

17.6%

4 children

5.6%

5+ children

6.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Papunya When Migrants Arrived

2011–2015

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Papunya Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

10.4%

5–14 hours

28.8%

15–29 hours

27.3%

30+ hours

2.2%

Did not do domestic work

31.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Papunya Household Size

1 person

27.9%

2 persons

13.2%

4 persons

5.9%

5 persons

4.4%

6+ persons

48.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Papunya Where Residents Moved From

Same address

331

Moved from NT

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from QLD

Moved from VIC

Moved from SA

Moved from NSW

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Papunya Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

78.8%

Intact family — other children present

21.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Papunya Schools

schools nearby

government

582

avg ICSEA score

total students

Papunya School Government

Combined · T-12 · 71 students

582

ICSEA

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Papunya with map →

Papunya Rent Prices & Affordability

of income

Affordable

Household Income $1,520/wk

Median Rent $83/wk

Rent-to-Income 5.5%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Papunya

Your weekly income

≈ $6,587/month

Median rent $83/wk

Left after rent $1,437/wk

Rent share 5.5%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

East Arnhem

Income: $281/wk Rent: $35/wk Save: $48/wk

Milingimbi

Income: $233/wk Rent: $45/wk Save: $38/wk

Gunbalanya

Income: $276/wk Rent: $70/wk Save: $13/wk

Wurrumiyanga

Income: $227/wk Rent: $80/wk Save: $3/wk

Papunya vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NT

Wagait Beach

Pop: 422 Income: $826/wk Rent: $250/wk

Warruwi

Pop: 432 Income: $276/wk Rent: $105/wk

Adelaide River

Pop: 317 Income: $583/wk Rent: $200/wk

Ali Curung

Pop: 394 Income: $391/wk Rent: $65/wk

Alice Springs

Pop: 231 Income: $952/wk Rent: $313/wk

Alpurrurulam

Pop: 350 Income: $246/wk Rent: $92/wk

Compare Papunya

Papunya vs Wagait Beach →Papunya vs Warruwi →Papunya vs Adelaide River →Papunya vs Ali Curung →

Frequently Asked Questions About Papunya

What is the population of Papunya NT?

The population of Papunya NT is 438 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 92.4 people per km².Papunya is ranked #5,244 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Papunya?

The median personal income in Papunya NT is $240 per week, or $12,480 per year.The median household income is $1,520 per week.Family income is $519 per week.Papunya is ranked #8,900 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Papunya?

Median rent in Papunya NT is $83 per week ($360 per month).Rent represents 5.5% of household income, which is considered affordable.Papunya ranks #8,721 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What is the median age in Papunya?

The median age in Papunya NT is 27 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Papunya a good suburb to live in?

Papunya is a suburb in Northern Territory with a population of 438.The median income is $240/wk, which is below the NT average of $760/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (5.5% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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📊 Australian Average Salary 🏘️ Australian House Prices

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 70218. All dollar figures in AUD.