Howard Springs vs Girraween

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Howard Springs: a median of $898,000, against $794,000 in Girraween.

Howard Springs is the larger suburb with 3153 residents and sits closer to Darwin's CBD at 31.7 km, though median house prices are notably higher at $897,500 compared to Girraween's $794,000. Girraween offers a higher median household income of $155,584 and scores better on liveability (63 versus 50) and walkability (28 versus 0), making it more suited to those prioritising neighbourhood amenity and pedestrian-friendly living. Both suburbs have similar median ages and rental costs, though Girraween ranks slightly higher on the socio-economic decile.

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

Howard Springs

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (7 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Girraween

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($794,000 vs $897,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Howard Springs sits closer to the CBD (31.7 km vs 34.8 km)
  • Girraween is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Howard Springs has more residents already 65 and over (15% vs 9%)
  • Girraween is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Girraween

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.6% vs -38.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Howard Springs Girraween
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.

Howard Springs Girraween
Walkability 0 / 28
Howard Springs — Walkability: 0/100 Girraween — Walkability: 28/100

Demographics

Howard Springs has more residents (3,153 vs 1,668); Girraween has higher household incomes ($155,584 vs $133,120).

Howard Springs Girraween
Population 3,153
+47% vs other
 1,668
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -38.6% +1.6%
Median age 43 41
Median household income $133,120/yr $155,584/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk $420/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Howard Springs Girraween
0-4 6.0% / 4.3%
Howard Springs — 0-4: 6.0% Girraween — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 11.6% / 15.8%
Howard Springs — 5-14: 11.6% Girraween — 5-14: 15.8%
15-19 6.1% / 7.1%
Howard Springs — 15-19: 6.1% Girraween — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 4.8% / 5.2%
Howard Springs — 20-24: 4.8% Girraween — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 11.0% / 11.0%
Howard Springs — 25-34: 11.0% Girraween — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 13.0% / 13.1%
Howard Springs — 35-44: 13.0% Girraween — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 16.3% / 21.0%
Howard Springs — 45-54: 16.3% Girraween — 45-54: 21.0%
55-64 15.8% / 13.7%
Howard Springs — 55-64: 15.8% Girraween — 55-64: 13.7%
65-74 10.3% / 6.5%
Howard Springs — 65-74: 10.3% Girraween — 65-74: 6.5%
75-84 4.4% / 1.9%
Howard Springs — 75-84: 4.4% Girraween — 75-84: 1.9%
85+ 0.5% / 0.5%
Howard Springs — 85+: 0.5% Girraween — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Howard Springs 57.9% couple families
Howard Springs — Couple Families: 57.9% Howard Springs — Lone Person: 23.2% Howard Springs — One Parent Families: 13.1% Howard Springs — Group Household: 5.1% Howard Springs — Other Families: 0.7%
Girraween 62.8% couple families
Girraween — Couple Families: 62.8% Girraween — Lone Person: 18.3% Girraween — One Parent Families: 13.8% Girraween — Group Household: 3.4% Girraween — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Howard Springs 16.6% renting
Howard Springs — Owned Outright: 34.7% Howard Springs — Mortgage: 48.7% Howard Springs — Renting: 16.6%
Girraween 13.1% renting
Girraween — Owned Outright: 26.3% Girraween — Mortgage: 60.6% Girraween — Renting: 13.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Howard Springs Girraween
Certificate III & IV 22.0% / 22.8%
Howard Springs — Certificate III & IV: 22.0% Girraween — Certificate III & IV: 22.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.3%
Howard Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Girraween — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 7.3%
Howard Springs — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Girraween — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 1.8%
Howard Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Girraween — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.9%
Howard Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Girraween — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

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.

Howard Springs Girraween
England 3.6% / 3.2%
Howard Springs — England: 3.6% Girraween — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.4%
Howard Springs — New Zealand: 1.9% Girraween — New Zealand: 1.4%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.7%
Howard Springs — Philippines: 0.8% Girraween — Philippines: 0.7%
Ireland 0.5% / 0.5%
Howard Springs — Ireland: 0.5% Girraween — Ireland: 0.5%
India 0.7% / —
Howard Springs — India: 0.7% Girraween — India: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.7%
Howard Springs — South Africa: not among its largest Girraween — South Africa: 0.7%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Howard Springs — Scotland: not among its largest Girraween — Scotland: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Howard Springs 94.7% houses
Howard Springs — Houses: 94.7% Howard Springs — Flats / Apartments: 3.9% Howard Springs — Townhouses: 1.4%
Girraween 99.4% houses
Girraween — Houses: 99.4% Girraween — Flats / Apartments: 0.6% Girraween — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Howard Springs Girraween
Median house price $897,500 $794,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $775,000 $852,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 41 days
from 33 sales
 16 days
from 8 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.

Howard Springs Girraween
3 bed $840K / $852K
Howard Springs — 3 bed: $840K (30 sales) Girraween — 3 bed: $852K (12 sales)

30 vs 12 sales

4 bed $910K / $793K
Howard Springs — 4 bed: $910K (37 sales) Girraween — 4 bed: $793K (5 sales)

37 vs 5 sales

Development activity

Howard Springs Girraween
New dwellings approved 130
across Litchfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NT

Howard Springs Girraween
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 89% of NT Higher than 96% of NT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 5% of NT Higher than 73% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 81% of NT Higher than 55% of NT
NBN connectivity Higher than 60% of NT
same for both

Liveability

Girraween is more walkable (28 vs 0); Girraween scores higher overall (63 vs 50).

Howard Springs Girraween
Grade C B
Score 50/100 63/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Howard Springs Girraween
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

Howard Springs Girraween
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Howard Springs

  • Howard Springs Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Good Shepherd Lutheran College Independent · Combined

Schools in Girraween

  • Girraween Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Howard Springs Girraween
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 3 0
Childcare 7 1
GPs 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 4 1

Mobility

Girraween sits further from the CBD (34.8 km vs 31.7 km).

Howard Springs Girraween
Walkability score 0/100 28/100
Distance to Darwin 31.7 km 34.8 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 29 min 32 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 0835
 0.3%
postcode 0836
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 0835
 57
postcode 0836

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.

Howard Springs Girraween
Car (driver) 84.3% / 86.8%
Howard Springs — Car (driver): 84.3% Girraween — Car (driver): 86.8%
Worked from Home 7.8% / 4.4%
Howard Springs — Worked from Home: 7.8% Girraween — Worked from Home: 4.4%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 5.6%
Howard Springs — Car (passenger): 4.9% Girraween — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.3%
Howard Springs — Walked Only: 1.3% Girraween — Walked Only: 1.3%
Bus 1.2% / 1.2%
Howard Springs — Bus: 1.2% Girraween — Bus: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.8%).

Setting

Howard Springs Girraween
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 11.3 km 12.6 km

NBN connectivity

Howard Springs Girraween
Connectivity score 26/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
1,096 premises
 0%
566 premises

Climate

Howard Springs Girraween
Annual rainfall 1,836 mm 1,541 mm
Summer max (Jan) 32.5°C —
Winter min (Jul) 19.8°C —

Council rates

Howard Springs Girraween
Average residential rate $1,153/yr
same for both
Council Litchfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Howard Springs Girraween
Division Lingiari
same for both
Member Marion Scrymgour
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Howard Springs

Acreage Outer Premium

Girraween

Acreage Outer Premium

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Howard Springs

Howard Springs vs Zuccoli Howard Springs vs Johnston Howard Springs vs Holtze Howard Springs vs Virginia Howard Springs vs McMinns Lagoon Howard Springs vs Coolalinga

Other comparisons with Girraween

Girraween vs Humpty Doo Girraween vs Herbert Girraween vs McMinns Lagoon
Full data on Howard Springs Full data on Girraween
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