Desert Springs vs East Side

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Desert Springs, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Desert Springs: a median of $760,000, against $545,000 in East Side, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Desert Springs tends to suit couples, while East Side suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

East Side

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 2)
  • But Desert Springs is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 50%)

Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

East Side

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($545,000 vs $760,000)
  • has cheaper units ($352,500 vs $400,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

East Side

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($393/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

East Side

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (62/100 vs 30/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

East Side

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (62/100 vs 30/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

East Side

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (7.6% vs 7.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Desert Springs and East Side drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Desert Springs East Side
Hides rows where both suburbs match

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.

Desert Springs East Side
Walkability 30 / 62
Desert Springs — Walkability: 30/100 East Side — Walkability: 62/100

Demographics

East Side has more residents (3,098 vs 1,536); Desert Springs has higher household incomes ($157,300 vs $115,700).

Desert Springs East Side
Population 1,536 3,098
+102% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% +6.1%
Median age 36 34
Median household income $157,300/yr
+26% vs other
 $115,700/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+21% vs other
 $393/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs East Side
0-4 7.6% / 6.4%
Desert Springs — 0-4: 7.6% East Side — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 13.0% / 12.4%
Desert Springs — 5-14: 13.0% East Side — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 6.2% / 4.8%
Desert Springs — 15-19: 6.2% East Side — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 3.7% / 4.3%
Desert Springs — 20-24: 3.7% East Side — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 16.1% / 22.1%
Desert Springs — 25-34: 16.1% East Side — 25-34: 22.1%
35-44 16.3% / 15.2%
Desert Springs — 35-44: 16.3% East Side — 35-44: 15.2%
45-54 13.2% / 12.3%
Desert Springs — 45-54: 13.2% East Side — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 13.2% / 12.0%
Desert Springs — 55-64: 13.2% East Side — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 7.5% / 7.5%
Desert Springs — 65-74: 7.5% East Side — 65-74: 7.5%
75-84 2.6% / 2.5%
Desert Springs — 75-84: 2.6% East Side — 75-84: 2.5%
85+ 0.6% / 0.5%
Desert Springs — 85+: 0.6% East Side — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs 58.2% couple families
Desert Springs — Couple Families: 58.2% Desert Springs — Lone Person: 26.8% Desert Springs — One Parent Families: 8.2% Desert Springs — Group Household: 4.9% Desert Springs — Other Families: 1.9%
East Side 34.7% couple families
East Side — Couple Families: 34.7% East Side — Lone Person: 37.0% East Side — One Parent Families: 15.8% East Side — Group Household: 10.7% East Side — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs 36.7% renting
Desert Springs — Owned Outright: 22.8% Desert Springs — Mortgage: 40.5% Desert Springs — Renting: 36.7%
East Side 42.2% renting
East Side — Owned Outright: 20.3% East Side — Mortgage: 37.6% East Side — Renting: 42.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs East Side
Bachelor Degree 17.4% / 19.1%
Desert Springs — Bachelor Degree: 17.4% East Side — Bachelor Degree: 19.1%
Certificate III & IV 13.4% / 11.0%
Desert Springs — Certificate III & IV: 13.4% East Side — Certificate III & IV: 11.0%
Postgraduate Degree 8.1% / 10.0%
Desert Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1% East Side — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 6.6%
Desert Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% East Side — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 4.1%
Desert Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% East Side — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Desert Springs East Side
England 2.7% / 3.6%
Desert Springs — England: 2.7% East Side — England: 3.6%
New Zealand 3.1% / 2.7%
Desert Springs — New Zealand: 3.1% East Side — New Zealand: 2.7%
India 4.0% / 1.4%
Desert Springs — India: 4.0% East Side — India: 1.4%
Philippines 2.3% / 1.0%
Desert Springs — Philippines: 2.3% East Side — Philippines: 1.0%
South Africa 1.4% / 0.7%
Desert Springs — South Africa: 1.4% East Side — South Africa: 0.7%
Nepal — / 2.0%
Desert Springs — Nepal: not among its largest East Side — Nepal: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs 66.9% houses
Desert Springs — Houses: 66.9% Desert Springs — Townhouses: 31.4% Desert Springs — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
East Side 64.2% houses
East Side — Houses: 64.2% East Side — Townhouses: 31.0% East Side — Flats / Apartments: 4.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Desert Springs East Side
Median house price $760,000 $545,000
Median unit price $400,000 $352,500
Median land price $720,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 54 days
from 20 sales
 57 days
from 31 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Desert Springs East Side
3 bed $738K / $475K
Desert Springs — 3 bed: $738K (12 sales) East Side — 3 bed: $475K (32 sales)

12 vs 32 sales

4 bed $775K / $572K
Desert Springs — 4 bed: $775K (20 sales) East Side — 4 bed: $572K (24 sales)

20 vs 24 sales

5 bed $765K / $750K
Desert Springs — 5 bed: $765K (15 sales) East Side — 5 bed: $750K (6 sales)

15 vs 6 sales

Development activity

Desert Springs East Side
New dwellings approved 30
across Alice Springs
same for both
Approvals change year on year +25%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Desert Springs East Side
Houses 7.0%
$1,275/wk on $948K
 7.6%
$862/wk on $592K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NT

Desert Springs East Side
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 97% of NT Higher than 77% of NT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 75% of NT Higher than 89% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 72% of NT Higher than 70% of NT
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NT Higher than 73% of NT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 89% of NT Higher than 96% of NT

Liveability

East Side is more walkable (62 vs 30).

Desert Springs East Side
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Desert Springs East Side
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 None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Desert Springs East Side
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Desert Springs

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in East Side

  • Ross Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Desert Springs East Side
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 3
same for both
Parks & reserves 1 5
Childcare 2 5

Mobility

Desert Springs East Side
Walkability score 30/100 62/100
Distance to Darwin 1500.7 km 1500.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 953 min
same for both
Public transport score 18/100
Bus
 28/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 1.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 6.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 0870
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 0870
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.

Desert Springs East Side
Car (driver) 76.6% / 68.0%
Desert Springs — Car (driver): 76.6% East Side — Car (driver): 68.0%
Bicycle 5.7% / 10.8%
Desert Springs — Bicycle: 5.7% East Side — Bicycle: 10.8%
Car (passenger) 8.6% / 7.2%
Desert Springs — Car (passenger): 8.6% East Side — Car (passenger): 7.2%
Walked Only 3.0% / 7.0%
Desert Springs — Walked Only: 3.0% East Side — Walked Only: 7.0%
Worked from Home 4.2% / 5.4%
Desert Springs — Worked from Home: 4.2% East Side — Worked from Home: 5.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Desert Springs East Side
Elevation 584 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 592 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Desert Springs East Side
Connectivity score 68/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
656 premises
 40%
1,351 premises

Climate

Desert Springs East Side
Annual rainfall 285 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 36.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Desert Springs East Side
Average residential rate $2,106/yr
same for both
Council Alice Springs
same for both

Federal electorate

Desert Springs East Side
Division Lingiari
same for both
Member Marion Scrymgour
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Desert Springs East Side
Grant amount $50,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Desert Springs

Quiet Townhouses

East Side

Parks Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Desert Springs

Desert Springs vs Sadadeen Desert Springs vs The Gap Desert Springs vs Mount Johns Desert Springs vs Alice Springs

Other comparisons with East Side

East Side vs Sadadeen East Side vs Stuart East Side vs Alice Springs
Full data on Desert Springs Full data on East Side
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or