Desert Springs vs Sadadeen

Sadadeen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 36 in Desert Springs. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Desert Springs, most households own their home and most households are couple families. In Sadadeen, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Desert Springs: a median of $760,000, against $440,000 in Sadadeen, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Desert Springs tends to suit couples, while Sadadeen suits renters, 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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Desert Springs is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 55%)
  • Sadadeen has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Sadadeen

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($440,500 vs $760,000)
  • has cheaper units ($301,750 vs $400,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sadadeen

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $500/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (53% vs 37%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sadadeen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (60/100 vs 30/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sadadeen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (60/100 vs 30/100)

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

Investors

Desert Springs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (7.0% vs 6.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Desert Springs and Sadadeen 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 Sadadeen
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 Sadadeen
Walkability 30 / 60
Desert Springs — Walkability: 30/100 Sadadeen — Walkability: 60/100

Demographics

Desert Springs has higher household incomes ($157,300 vs $93,860); Desert Springs rents higher ($500/wk vs $320/wk).

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Population 1,536 2,307
+50% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% +8.7%
Median age 36 32
Median household income $157,300/yr
+40% vs other
 $93,860/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+36% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs Sadadeen
0-4 7.6% / 8.4%
Desert Springs — 0-4: 7.6% Sadadeen — 0-4: 8.4%
5-14 13.0% / 14.3%
Desert Springs — 5-14: 13.0% Sadadeen — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 6.2% / 6.5%
Desert Springs — 15-19: 6.2% Sadadeen — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 3.7% / 5.9%
Desert Springs — 20-24: 3.7% Sadadeen — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 16.1% / 20.0%
Desert Springs — 25-34: 16.1% Sadadeen — 25-34: 20.0%
35-44 16.3% / 15.8%
Desert Springs — 35-44: 16.3% Sadadeen — 35-44: 15.8%
45-54 13.2% / 11.8%
Desert Springs — 45-54: 13.2% Sadadeen — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 13.2% / 10.1%
Desert Springs — 55-64: 13.2% Sadadeen — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 7.5% / 5.8%
Desert Springs — 65-74: 7.5% Sadadeen — 65-74: 5.8%
75-84 2.6% / 1.2%
Desert Springs — 75-84: 2.6% Sadadeen — 75-84: 1.2%
85+ 0.6% / 0.2%
Desert Springs — 85+: 0.6% Sadadeen — 85+: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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%
Sadadeen 35.9% couple families
Sadadeen — Couple Families: 35.9% Sadadeen — Lone Person: 36.4% Sadadeen — One Parent Families: 19.4% Sadadeen — Group Household: 6.6% Sadadeen — Other Families: 1.6%
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%
Sadadeen 52.6% renting
Sadadeen — Owned Outright: 10.1% Sadadeen — Mortgage: 37.3% Sadadeen — Renting: 52.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Bachelor Degree 17.4% / 10.3%
Desert Springs — Bachelor Degree: 17.4% Sadadeen — Bachelor Degree: 10.3%
Certificate III & IV 13.4% / 13.5%
Desert Springs — Certificate III & IV: 13.4% Sadadeen — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 6.3%
Desert Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Sadadeen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 8.1% / 4.2%
Desert Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1% Sadadeen — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.9%
Desert Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Sadadeen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.4%).

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 Sadadeen
India 4.0% / 2.8%
Desert Springs — India: 4.0% Sadadeen — India: 2.8%
New Zealand 3.1% / 3.5%
Desert Springs — New Zealand: 3.1% Sadadeen — New Zealand: 3.5%
Philippines 2.3% / 3.2%
Desert Springs — Philippines: 2.3% Sadadeen — Philippines: 3.2%
England 2.7% / 1.6%
Desert Springs — England: 2.7% Sadadeen — England: 1.6%
South Africa 1.4% / —
Desert Springs — South Africa: 1.4% Sadadeen — South Africa: not among its largest
Nepal — / 1.0%
Desert Springs — Nepal: not among its largest Sadadeen — Nepal: 1.0%

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%
Sadadeen 59.0% houses
Sadadeen — Houses: 59.0% Sadadeen — Townhouses: 35.3% Sadadeen — Flats / Apartments: 5.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Median house price $760,000 $440,500
Median unit price $400,000 $301,750
Median land price $720,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 54 days
from 20 sales
 56 days
from 19 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 Sadadeen
3 bed $738K / $426K
Desert Springs — 3 bed: $738K (12 sales) Sadadeen — 3 bed: $426K (25 sales)

12 vs 25 sales

4 bed $775K / $570K
Desert Springs — 4 bed: $775K (20 sales) Sadadeen — 4 bed: $570K (9 sales)

20 vs 9 sales

Development activity

Desert Springs Sadadeen
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 Sadadeen
Houses 7.0%
$1,275/wk on $948K
 6.4%
$580/wk on $470K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NT

Desert Springs Sadadeen
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 97% of NT Higher than 57% of NT
Schools — Higher than 6% of NT
Walkability Higher than 75% of NT Higher than 88% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 72% of NT Higher than 64% of NT
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NT Higher than 72% of NT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 89% of NT Higher than 84% of NT

Liveability

Sadadeen is more walkable (60 vs 30); Desert Springs scores higher overall (64 vs 37).

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Grade B C
Score 64/100 37/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Desert Springs Sadadeen
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
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
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 Sadadeen

  • Centralian Senior College Government · Secondary
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College - Sadadeen Road Campus Catholic · Secondary
  • Sadadeen Primary School Government · Primary
  • Acacia Hill School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 2
same for both
GPs 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Walkability score 30/100 60/100
Distance to Darwin 1500.7 km 1501 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 953 min 955 min
Public transport score 18/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 1.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.8
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 Sadadeen
Car (driver) 76.6% / 79.0%
Desert Springs — Car (driver): 76.6% Sadadeen — Car (driver): 79.0%
Car (passenger) 8.6% / 10.4%
Desert Springs — Car (passenger): 8.6% Sadadeen — Car (passenger): 10.4%
Bicycle 5.7% / 3.2%
Desert Springs — Bicycle: 5.7% Sadadeen — Bicycle: 3.2%
Worked from Home 4.2% / 2.7%
Desert Springs — Worked from Home: 4.2% Sadadeen — Worked from Home: 2.7%
Walked Only 3.0% / 3.8%
Desert Springs — Walked Only: 3.0% Sadadeen — Walked Only: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.0%).

Setting

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Elevation 584 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 583 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Desert Springs Sadadeen
Connectivity score 68/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
656 premises
 36%
943 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Desert Springs

Quiet Townhouses

Sadadeen

Affordable Easy Commute Family Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Desert Springs

Desert Springs vs East Side Desert Springs vs The Gap Desert Springs vs Mount Johns Desert Springs vs Alice Springs

Other comparisons with Sadadeen

Sadadeen vs East Side Sadadeen vs Mount Johns
Full data on Desert Springs Full data on Sadadeen
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.

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