Malak vs Wulagi

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wulagi, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Wulagi: a median of $670,000, against $610,000 in Malak, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Wulagi tends to suit couples.

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

Wulagi

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (11 vs 8)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 75%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 62%)
  • But Malak has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • Malak has cheaper units ($342,000 vs $457,000)
  • Wulagi leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 27%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Malak

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper rent ($301/wk vs $425/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Wulagi

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 68/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Malak has more units and townhouses to downsize into (25% vs 2%)
  • Wulagi is more walkable (79/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Wulagi

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.0% vs 4.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Malak Wulagi
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.

Malak Wulagi
Walkability 68 / 79
Malak — Walkability: 68/100 Wulagi — Walkability: 79/100

Demographics

Wulagi rents higher ($425/wk vs $301/wk); Wulagi has higher household incomes ($121,212 vs $87,152).

Malak Wulagi
Population 3,013
+17% vs other
 2,510
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.4% +3.1%
Median age 35 36
Median household income $87,152/yr $121,212/yr
+39% vs other
Median weekly rent $301/wk $425/wk
+41% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Malak Wulagi
0-4 6.4% / 7.4%
Malak — 0-4: 6.4% Wulagi — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 16.3% / 17.9%
Malak — 5-14: 16.3% Wulagi — 5-14: 17.9%
15-19 7.1% / 7.0%
Malak — 15-19: 7.1% Wulagi — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 5.4% / 4.3%
Malak — 20-24: 5.4% Wulagi — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 13.6% / 11.2%
Malak — 25-34: 13.6% Wulagi — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 14.2% / 15.6%
Malak — 35-44: 14.2% Wulagi — 35-44: 15.6%
45-54 12.7% / 15.6%
Malak — 45-54: 12.7% Wulagi — 45-54: 15.6%
55-64 12.3% / 9.7%
Malak — 55-64: 12.3% Wulagi — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 8.8% / 7.6%
Malak — 65-74: 8.8% Wulagi — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 2.7% / 2.9%
Malak — 75-84: 2.7% Wulagi — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ 0.3% / 0.4%
Malak — 85+: 0.3% Wulagi — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Malak 36.8% couple families
Malak — Couple Families: 36.8% Malak — One Parent Families: 24.9% Malak — Lone Person: 29.7% Malak — Group Household: 6.1% Malak — Other Families: 2.4%
Wulagi 52.2% couple families
Wulagi — Couple Families: 52.2% Wulagi — One Parent Families: 23.5% Wulagi — Lone Person: 17.5% Wulagi — Group Household: 4.8% Wulagi — Other Families: 2.0%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Malak 42.4% renting
Malak — Owned Outright: 21.5% Malak — Mortgage: 36.1% Malak — Renting: 42.4%
Wulagi 28.2% renting
Wulagi — Owned Outright: 23.4% Wulagi — Mortgage: 48.3% Wulagi — Renting: 28.2%
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.

Malak Wulagi
Philippines 5.5% / 3.1%
Malak — Philippines: 5.5% Wulagi — Philippines: 3.1%
England 1.7% / 2.2%
Malak — England: 1.7% Wulagi — England: 2.2%
Indonesia 1.9% / 1.4%
Malak — Indonesia: 1.9% Wulagi — Indonesia: 1.4%
India 1.5% / 1.5%
Malak — India: 1.5% Wulagi — India: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.4%
Malak — New Zealand: 1.3% Wulagi — New Zealand: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

Qualifications

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

Malak Wulagi
Certificate III & IV 12.7% / 13.5%
Malak — Certificate III & IV: 12.7% Wulagi — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Bachelor Degree 9.3% / 10.4%
Malak — Bachelor Degree: 9.3% Wulagi — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.7% / 6.9%
Malak — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7% Wulagi — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 3.7%
Malak — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Wulagi — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 1.7%
Malak — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Wulagi — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Malak 75.2% houses
Malak — Houses: 75.2% Malak — Townhouses: 24.8% Malak — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Wulagi 98.3% houses
Wulagi — Houses: 98.3% Wulagi — Townhouses: 1.3% Wulagi — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Malak Wulagi
Median house price $610,500 $670,000
Median unit price $342,000 $457,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 14 days
from 14 sales
 22 days
from 24 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.

Malak Wulagi
3 bed $587K / $631K
Malak — 3 bed: $587K (56 sales) Wulagi — 3 bed: $631K (68 sales)

56 vs 68 sales

4 bed $665K / $768K
Malak — 4 bed: $665K (23 sales) Wulagi — 4 bed: $768K (16 sales)

23 vs 16 sales

Development activity

Malak Wulagi
New dwellings approved 171
across Darwin
same for both
Approvals change year on year +47%
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.

Malak Wulagi
Houses 4.5%
$595/wk on $695K
 5.0%
$720/wk on $745K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NT

Malak Wulagi
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 53% of NT Higher than 83% of NT
Schools Higher than 19% of NT —
Walkability Higher than 93% of NT Higher than 98% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 75% of NT Higher than 76% of NT
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of NT Higher than 96% of NT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of NT Higher than 38% of NT

Liveability

Wulagi scores higher overall (72 vs 49); Wulagi is more walkable (79 vs 68).

Malak Wulagi
Grade C A
Score 49/100 72/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Malak Wulagi
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 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Malak Wulagi
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Casuarina Campus, 3.2 km
 1
Casuarina Campus, 1.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.1% 0.7%

Schools in Malak

  • Malak Primary School Government · Primary
  • Sanderson Middle School Government · Secondary
  • Top End School of Flexible Learning Government · Secondary

Schools in Wulagi

  • Wulagi Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Malak Wulagi
Parks & reserves 8 11
Childcare 2 3
GPs 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Malak Wulagi
Walkability score 68/100 79/100
Distance to Darwin 15.9 km
+8% vs other
 14.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 22 min
Public transport score 92/100
Bus
 67/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 34.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 22.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 0812
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 0812
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.

Malak Wulagi
Car (driver) 81.2% / 82.5%
Malak — Car (driver): 81.2% Wulagi — Car (driver): 82.5%
Car (passenger) 9.6% / 8.8%
Malak — Car (passenger): 9.6% Wulagi — Car (passenger): 8.8%
Worked from Home 3.5% / 3.3%
Malak — Worked from Home: 3.5% Wulagi — Worked from Home: 3.3%
Bus 2.7% / 2.8%
Malak — Bus: 2.7% Wulagi — Bus: 2.8%
Bicycle 1.6% / 1.2%
Malak — Bicycle: 1.6% Wulagi — Bicycle: 1.2%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.5%
Malak — Walked Only: 1.0% Wulagi — Walked Only: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.5%).

Setting

Malak Wulagi
Elevation 21 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.3 km 4.0 km
4.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Malak Wulagi
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
1,221 premises
 100%
893 premises

Climate

Malak Wulagi
Annual rainfall 1,836 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 19.8°C
same for both

Council rates

Malak Wulagi
Average residential rate $1,870/yr
same for both
Council Darwin
same for both

Federal electorate

Malak Wulagi
Division Solomon
same for both
Member Luke John Gosling
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Malak Wulagi
Grant amount $50,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Malak

Easy Commute Family Middle-Ring Parks Townhouses Transport Hub

Wulagi

Family Middle-Ring Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Malak

Malak vs Karama Malak vs Leanyer Malak vs Anula Malak vs Marrara

Other comparisons with Wulagi

Wulagi vs Leanyer Wulagi vs Anula Wulagi vs Wagaman Wulagi vs Wanguri
Full data on Malak Full data on Wulagi
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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