Baines vs Buchanan
Buchanan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 23 against 26 in Baines. In Baines, the large majority of households rent and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Buchanan, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Baines tends to suit families with children, while Buchanan suits young adults.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
Baines
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
- But Buchanan is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 72%)
Weighs schools, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Buchanan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $74/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Baines
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (477 min vs 682 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (723.9 km vs 931.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs GPs and walkability.
Investors
Buchanan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (45.5% vs -4.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Baines and Buchanan drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Baines rents higher ($74/wk vs $0/wk); Buchanan has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $39,104).
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 239 +67% vs other | 80 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.0% | +45.5% |
| Median age | 26 | 23 |
| Median household income | $39,104/yr | $117,000/yr +199% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $74/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.8%).
Development activity
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 4 across Victoria Daly same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NT
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 9% of NT | Higher than 79% of NT |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 18% of NT | Higher than 15% of NT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 19% of NT | Higher than 14% of NT |
Liveability
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 | — |
Risk profile
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Crime | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 100/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 2 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Baines
- Amanbidji School Government · Combined
- Bulla Camp School Government · Combined
Schools in Buchanan
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 49 | 16 |
Mobility
Buchanan sits further from the CBD (931.2 km vs 723.9 km).
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Darwin | 723.9 km | 931.2 km +29% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 477 min | 682 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 0852 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 24 postcode 0852 same for both | |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.0%).
Setting
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 227 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 408 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 75 premises | 0% 31 premises |
Council rates
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,399/yr same for both | |
| Council | Victoria Daly same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lingiari same for both | |
| Member | Marion Scrymgour same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Baines | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $50,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Buchanan
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Baines
Other comparisons with Buchanan
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.