Mcminns Lagoon vs Howard Springs
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In McMinns Lagoon, about half of households are couple families. In Howard Springs, most households are couple families. Howard Springs is closer to the city centre: 31.7 km, against 35.6 km.
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 3 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more childcare (7 vs 0)
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs house 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
- Mcminns Lagoon is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
- Howard Springs sits closer to the CBD (31.7 km vs 35.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
McMinns Lagoon
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
McMinns Lagoon
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-13.7% vs -38.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mcminns Lagoon and Howard Springs 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
Howard Springs has more residents (3,153 vs 687).
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 687 | 3,153 +359% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -13.7% | -38.6% |
| Median age | 43 same for both | |
| Median household income | $130,832/yr | $133,120/yr +2% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk same for both | |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $890,000 | $897,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $775,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 30 days from 7 sales | 41 days from 33 sales |
Development activity
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 130 across Litchfield same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within NT
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 88% of NT | Higher than 89% of NT |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 57% of NT | Higher than 5% of NT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 8% of NT | Higher than 81% of NT |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 62% of NT | Higher than 60% of NT |
Liveability
McMinns Lagoon is more walkable (10 vs 0).
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | C |
| Score | 53/100 | 50/100 |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 2 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Mcminns Lagoon
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Howard Springs
- Howard Springs Primary School Government · Primary below peers
- Good Shepherd Lutheran College Independent · Combined
Amenities in the suburb
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Childcare | 0 | 7 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 4 |
Mobility
McMinns Lagoon sits further from the CBD (35.6 km vs 31.7 km).
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Darwin | 35.6 km +11% vs other | 31.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 32 min | 29 min |
| Public transport score | 23/100 Bus | 30/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 4.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 8.0 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 0822 | 0.5% postcode 0835 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 26 postcode 0822 | 61 postcode 0835 |
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 (84.3%).
Setting
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 43 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 29 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.2 km | 11.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 | 26/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 262 premises | 0% 1,096 premises |
Climate
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,153/yr same for both | |
| Council | Litchfield same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lingiari same for both | |
| Member | Marion Scrymgour same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mcminns Lagoon | Howard Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $50,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Mcminns Lagoon
Other comparisons with Howard Springs
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.