Palmerston City vs Gunn
Palmerston City is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 31 in Gunn. In Palmerston City, the large majority of households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Gunn, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Palmerston City tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Gunn suits families with children and 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
Gunn
ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 0%)
- has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)
- is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 39%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Palmerston City
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (100% vs 42%)
- has cheaper rent ($259/wk vs $480/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Palmerston City
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (88/100 vs 78/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Palmerston City
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 2%)
- has more GPs (2 vs 0)
- is more walkable (88/100 vs 78/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Palmerston City
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (823.8% vs -3.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Palmerston City and Gunn 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
Gunn has more residents (2,564 vs 194); Gunn rents higher ($480/wk vs $259/wk).
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 194 | 2,564 +1222% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +823.8% | -3.8% |
| Median age | 28 | 31 |
| Median household income | $76,856/yr | $129,220/yr +68% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $259/wk | $480/wk +85% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.4%).
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 (17.8%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $672,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 13 days from 21 sales |
Development activity
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 247 across Palmerston same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -3% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | 4.9% $750/wk on $790K |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within NT
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 46% of NT | Higher than 88% of NT |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 99% of NT | Higher than 97% of NT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 60% of NT | Higher than 71% of NT |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 76% of NT | Higher than 94% of NT |
| Rental yield (houses) | — | Higher than 33% of NT |
Liveability
Palmerston City is more walkable (88 vs 78).
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | A |
| Score | — | 76/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5 within 5 km | 2 within 5 km |
Schools
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 2 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 7 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 6 |
| Childcare | 1 same for both | |
| GPs | 2 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 2 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 88/100 | 78/100 |
| Distance to Darwin | 20.8 km | 22.2 km +7% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 21 min | 23 min |
| Public transport score | 92/100 Bus | 32/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 74.2 7-9am + 5-7pm | 5.0 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 11 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 0830 | 0.4% postcode 0832 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 39 postcode 0830 | 51 postcode 0832 |
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 (84.4%).
Setting
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 50 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 24 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.3 km | 5.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 85/100 | 100/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 56% 429 premises | 100% 986 premises |
Climate
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,608/yr same for both | |
| Council | Palmerston same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Solomon same for both | |
| Member | Luke John Gosling same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Palmerston City | Gunn | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $50,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Palmerston City
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Palmerston City
Other comparisons with Gunn
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.