East Arnhem vs Yirrkala

East Arnhem is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 32 in Yirrkala. In both, the large majority of households rent and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Yirrkala tends to suit renters.

East Arnhem is the larger community with 1,194 people and a younger median age of 27 years, while Yirrkala has 657 people with a median age of 32 years. Yirrkala stands out for higher median household income at $87,308 compared to $63,648 in East Arnhem, and notably higher weekly rent at $83 versus $35. Yirrkala also scores better on liveability (33 versus 28) and walkability (25 versus 1), though both suburbs are remote from the CBD and share zero risk across bushfire, crime, and flood categories. East Arnhem may suit those seeking a larger, younger population in a quieter setting, while Yirrkala offers stronger income levels and more walkable infrastructure.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

  • East Arnhem is already more of a family suburb (89% vs 77%)
  • Yirrkala has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • East Arnhem has cheaper rent ($35/wk vs $83/wk)
  • Yirrkala has a bigger rental market to choose from (98% vs 80%)

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

Commuting to the city

East Arnhem

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (862.7 km vs 1037.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (829 min vs 980 min)
  • But Yirrkala is more walkable (27/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Yirrkala

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (27/100 vs 0/100)

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

Where they sit

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

East Arnhem Yirrkala
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.

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Walkability 0 / 27
East Arnhem — Walkability: 0/100 Yirrkala — Walkability: 27/100

Demographics

Yirrkala rents higher ($83/wk vs $35/wk); East Arnhem has more residents (1,194 vs 657).

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Population 1,194
+45% vs other
 657
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — -18.8%
Median age 27 32
Median household income $63,648/yr $87,308/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $35/wk $83/wk
+137% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

East Arnhem Yirrkala
0-4 6.1% / 7.6%
East Arnhem — 0-4: 6.1% Yirrkala — 0-4: 7.6%
5-14 17.0% / 15.1%
East Arnhem — 5-14: 17.0% Yirrkala — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 11.1% / 7.8%
East Arnhem — 15-19: 11.1% Yirrkala — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 11.1% / 9.1%
East Arnhem — 20-24: 11.1% Yirrkala — 20-24: 9.1%
25-34 15.7% / 17.4%
East Arnhem — 25-34: 15.7% Yirrkala — 25-34: 17.4%
35-44 13.3% / 16.3%
East Arnhem — 35-44: 13.3% Yirrkala — 35-44: 16.3%
45-54 12.6% / 12.5%
East Arnhem — 45-54: 12.6% Yirrkala — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 7.5% / 9.4%
East Arnhem — 55-64: 7.5% Yirrkala — 55-64: 9.4%
65-74 3.7% / 4.7%
East Arnhem — 65-74: 3.7% Yirrkala — 65-74: 4.7%
75-84 1.3% / 1.5%
East Arnhem — 75-84: 1.3% Yirrkala — 75-84: 1.5%
85+ — / —
East Arnhem — 85+: not among its largest Yirrkala — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

East Arnhem 44.0% couple families
East Arnhem — Couple Families: 44.0% East Arnhem — One Parent Families: 45.4% East Arnhem — Lone Person: 2.8% East Arnhem — Other Families: 7.9%
Yirrkala 44.0% couple families
Yirrkala — Couple Families: 44.0% Yirrkala — One Parent Families: 32.7% Yirrkala — Lone Person: 16.7% Yirrkala — Other Families: 6.7%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

East Arnhem 79.6% renting
East Arnhem — Owned Outright: 20.4% East Arnhem — Mortgage: 0.0% East Arnhem — Renting: 79.6%
Yirrkala 97.5% renting
Yirrkala — Owned Outright: 2.5% Yirrkala — Mortgage: 0.0% Yirrkala — Renting: 97.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

East Arnhem Yirrkala
England — / 1.1%
East Arnhem — England: not among its largest Yirrkala — England: 1.1%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
East Arnhem — Netherlands: not among its largest Yirrkala — Netherlands: 0.5%
Fiji 0.3% / —
East Arnhem — Fiji: 0.3% Yirrkala — Fiji: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.1%).

Qualifications

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

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Certificate III & IV 2.6% / 6.2%
East Arnhem — Certificate III & IV: 2.6% Yirrkala — Certificate III & IV: 6.2%
Bachelor Degree 0.8% / 5.0%
East Arnhem — Bachelor Degree: 0.8% Yirrkala — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 1.0% / 2.4%
East Arnhem — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.0% Yirrkala — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.4%
Postgraduate Degree 0.3% / 2.3%
East Arnhem — Postgraduate Degree: 0.3% Yirrkala — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.3% / 1.4%
East Arnhem — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.3% Yirrkala — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

East Arnhem 96.0% houses
East Arnhem — Houses: 96.0% East Arnhem — Flats / Apartments: 4.0% East Arnhem — Townhouses: 0.0%
Yirrkala 94.4% houses
Yirrkala — Houses: 94.4% Yirrkala — Flats / Apartments: 3.5% Yirrkala — Townhouses: 2.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Development activity

East Arnhem Yirrkala
New dwellings approved 13
across East Arnhem
same for both
Approvals change year on year -100%
same for both

Ranking within NT

East Arnhem Yirrkala
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of NT Higher than 53% of NT
Schools Higher than 69% of NT —
Walkability Higher than 42% of NT Higher than 73% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 37% of NT Higher than 3% of NT
NBN connectivity Higher than 47% of NT Higher than 81% of NT

Liveability

Yirrkala is more walkable (27 vs 0).

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Grade D
same for both
Score 21/100 23/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

East Arnhem Yirrkala
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
97/100
 High
74/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Inside the suburb 3 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in East Arnhem

  • Baniyala Garrangali School Government · Combined
  • Gawa Christian School Independent · Combined
  • Mapuru Yirralka College Independent · Combined

Schools in Yirrkala

  • Laynhapuy Homelands School Government · Combined above peers
  • Yirrkala School Government · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 2
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 13 0

Mobility

Yirrkala sits further from the CBD (1037.6 km vs 862.7 km).

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Walkability score 0/100 27/100
Distance to Darwin 862.7 km 1037.6 km
+20% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 829 min 980 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 0822
 0.1%
postcode 0880
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 0822
 3
postcode 0880

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.

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Walked Only 56.5% / 38.3%
East Arnhem — Walked Only: 56.5% Yirrkala — Walked Only: 38.3%
Car (driver) 15.2% / 35.9%
East Arnhem — Car (driver): 15.2% Yirrkala — Car (driver): 35.9%
Car (passenger) 21.0% / 15.0%
East Arnhem — Car (passenger): 21.0% Yirrkala — Car (passenger): 15.0%
Worked from Home 5.1% / 5.4%
East Arnhem — Worked from Home: 5.1% Yirrkala — Worked from Home: 5.4%
Bus 2.2% / 5.4%
East Arnhem — Bus: 2.2% Yirrkala — Bus: 5.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.5%).

Setting

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Elevation 55 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 18.2 km 208 m

NBN connectivity

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Connectivity score 15/100 99/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
81 premises
 99%
156 premises

Council rates

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Average residential rate $3,294/yr
same for both
Council East Arnhem
same for both

Federal electorate

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Division Lingiari
same for both
Member Marion Scrymgour
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

East Arnhem Yirrkala
Grant amount $50,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

East Arnhem

Family Multicultural Professionals Rural Students

Yirrkala

Acreage Coastal Family Multicultural Professionals Quiet
Full data on East Arnhem Full data on Yirrkala
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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