Mcarthur vs Borroloola

Borroloola is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 39 in McArthur. In McArthur, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In Borroloola, the large majority of households rent and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, McArthur tends to suit people living alone, while Borroloola suits renters and 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

Borroloola

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (75% vs 37%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 38%)

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

Renters

Borroloola

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (83% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Borroloola

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (619 min vs 660 min)
  • But McArthur sits closer to the CBD (970.5 km vs 973.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

McArthur

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (63% vs 25%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 8%)
  • But Borroloola is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

McArthur

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.9% vs -13.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mcarthur Borroloola
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.

Mcarthur Borroloola
Walkability 0 / 13
Mcarthur — Walkability: 0/100 Borroloola — Walkability: 13/100

Demographics

Borroloola has more residents (755 vs 392); Borroloola has higher household incomes ($67,652 vs $43,888).

Mcarthur Borroloola
Population 392 755
+93% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +32.9% -13.3%
Median age 39 32
Median household income $43,888/yr $67,652/yr
+54% vs other
Median weekly rent $34/wk
+3% vs other
 $33/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mcarthur Borroloola
0-4 1.8% / 7.0%
Mcarthur — 0-4: 1.8% Borroloola — 0-4: 7.0%
5-14 8.2% / 16.3%
Mcarthur — 5-14: 8.2% Borroloola — 5-14: 16.3%
15-19 3.1% / 7.3%
Mcarthur — 15-19: 3.1% Borroloola — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 12.8% / 8.3%
Mcarthur — 20-24: 12.8% Borroloola — 20-24: 8.3%
25-34 14.0% / 14.3%
Mcarthur — 25-34: 14.0% Borroloola — 25-34: 14.3%
35-44 13.3% / 12.3%
Mcarthur — 35-44: 13.3% Borroloola — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 15.1% / 14.2%
Mcarthur — 45-54: 15.1% Borroloola — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 14.8% / 11.4%
Mcarthur — 55-64: 14.8% Borroloola — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 12.0% / 5.6%
Mcarthur — 65-74: 12.0% Borroloola — 65-74: 5.6%
75-84 4.3% / 1.9%
Mcarthur — 75-84: 4.3% Borroloola — 75-84: 1.9%
85+ — / —
Mcarthur — 85+: not among its largest Borroloola — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mcarthur 46.8% lone person
Mcarthur — Lone Person: 46.8% Mcarthur — Couple Families: 19.1% Mcarthur — One Parent Families: 19.1% Mcarthur — Group Household: 8.5% Mcarthur — Other Families: 6.4%
Borroloola 23.2% lone person
Borroloola — Lone Person: 23.2% Borroloola — Couple Families: 38.1% Borroloola — One Parent Families: 32.6% Borroloola — Group Household: 2.8% Borroloola — Other Families: 3.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mcarthur 23.9% renting
Mcarthur — Owned Outright: 76.1% Mcarthur — Mortgage: 0.0% Mcarthur — Renting: 23.9%
Borroloola 83.2% renting
Borroloola — Owned Outright: 13.3% Borroloola — Mortgage: 3.5% Borroloola — Renting: 83.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mcarthur Borroloola
Certificate III & IV 12.8% / 8.9%
Mcarthur — Certificate III & IV: 12.8% Borroloola — Certificate III & IV: 8.9%
Bachelor Degree 3.3% / 4.4%
Mcarthur — Bachelor Degree: 3.3% Borroloola — Bachelor Degree: 4.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.6% / 2.4%
Mcarthur — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.6% Borroloola — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.4%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 1.3%
Mcarthur — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Borroloola — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.3%
Mcarthur — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Borroloola — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.8%).

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.

Mcarthur Borroloola
England 1.8% / 0.4%
Mcarthur — England: 1.8% Borroloola — England: 0.4%
New Zealand 1.8% / 0.4%
Mcarthur — New Zealand: 1.8% Borroloola — New Zealand: 0.4%
Philippines 1.3% / —
Mcarthur — Philippines: 1.3% Borroloola — Philippines: not among its largest
Germany 0.8% / —
Mcarthur — Germany: 0.8% Borroloola — Germany: not among its largest
France 0.8% / —
Mcarthur — France: 0.8% Borroloola — France: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.5%
Mcarthur — Scotland: not among its largest Borroloola — Scotland: 0.5%
China — / 0.4%
Mcarthur — China: not among its largest Borroloola — China: 0.4%
Fiji — / 0.4%
Mcarthur — Fiji: not among its largest Borroloola — Fiji: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mcarthur 37.3% houses
Mcarthur — Houses: 37.3% Mcarthur — Flats / Apartments: 62.7% Mcarthur — Townhouses: 0.0%
Borroloola 75.0% houses
Borroloola — Houses: 75.0% Borroloola — Flats / Apartments: 15.2% Borroloola — Townhouses: 9.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Development activity

Mcarthur Borroloola
New dwellings approved 36
across Roper Gulf
same for both

Ranking within NT

Mcarthur Borroloola
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 14% of NT Higher than 34% of NT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 24% of NT Higher than 61% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NT Higher than 3% of NT

Liveability

Borroloola is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Mcarthur Borroloola
Grade — D
Score — 22/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Mcarthur Borroloola
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
98/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Mcarthur Borroloola
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Mcarthur

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Borroloola

  • Borroloola School Government · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mcarthur Borroloola
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 1
GPs 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1 3
Waterways 33 3

Mobility

Borroloola sits further from the CBD (973.4 km vs 970.5 km).

Mcarthur Borroloola
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Darwin 970.5 km 973.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 660 min 619 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 0852
 0.0%
postcode 0854
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 24
postcode 0852
 8
postcode 0854

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.

Mcarthur Borroloola
Car (driver) 17.9% / 41.5%
Mcarthur — Car (driver): 17.9% Borroloola — Car (driver): 41.5%
Walked Only 25.0% / 31.8%
Mcarthur — Walked Only: 25.0% Borroloola — Walked Only: 31.8%
Car (passenger) 11.9% / 18.5%
Mcarthur — Car (passenger): 11.9% Borroloola — Car (passenger): 18.5%
Worked from Home 20.2% / 4.1%
Mcarthur — Worked from Home: 20.2% Borroloola — Worked from Home: 4.1%
Bus 21.4% / 2.1%
Mcarthur — Bus: 21.4% Borroloola — Bus: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (41.5%).

Setting

Mcarthur Borroloola
Elevation 71 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mcarthur Borroloola
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
91 premises
 0%
85 premises

Climate

Mcarthur Borroloola
Annual rainfall 861 mm 864 mm
Summer max (Jan) 36.7°C 35.5°C
Winter min (Jul) 13.3°C 12.7°C

Council rates

Mcarthur Borroloola
Average residential rate $1,569/yr
same for both
Council Roper Gulf
same for both

Federal electorate

Mcarthur Borroloola
Division Lingiari
same for both
Member Marion Scrymgour
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mcarthur Borroloola
Grant amount $50,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mcarthur

Multicultural Rural

Borroloola

Family
Full data on Mcarthur Full data on Borroloola
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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