Ghan vs Namatjira
Namatjira is the younger of the two, with a median age of 29 against 32 in Ghan. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Ghan, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Namatjira, the large majority of households rent. On these figures, Ghan tends to suit young adults, while Namatjira suits families with children.
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
Namatjira
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more separate houses rather than flats (92% vs 68%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Ghan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $30/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Namatjira
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (1053 min vs 1372 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1630.6 km vs 1786.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Ghan has more units and townhouses to downsize into (32% vs 8%)
- Namatjira has more residents already 65 and over (9% vs 4%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Ghan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.5% vs -6.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Ghan and Namatjira 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
Namatjira rents higher ($30/wk vs $0/wk); Ghan has higher household incomes ($121,316 vs $76,648).
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 132 | 164 +24% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +6.5% | -6.3% |
| Median age | 32 | 29 |
| Median household income | $121,316/yr +37% vs other | $76,648/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $30/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 (29.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).
Development activity
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 7 across MacDonnell same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NT
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 83% of NT | Higher than 46% of NT |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 33% of NT | Higher than 40% of NT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of NT | Higher than 44% of NT |
Liveability
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 2 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 2 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 114 | 12 |
Mobility
Ghan sits further from the CBD (1786.6 km vs 1630.6 km).
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Darwin | 1786.6 km +9% vs other | 1630.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 1372 min | 1053 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 0872 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 8 postcode 0872 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 (65.2%).
Setting
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 380 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 603 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 36 premises | 0% 17 premises |
Council rates
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,387/yr same for both | |
| Council | MacDonnell same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lingiari same for both | |
| Member | Marion Scrymgour same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Ghan | Namatjira | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $50,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Ghan
Namatjira
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Ghan
Other comparisons with Namatjira
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.