Driver NT 0830
Driver sits 22 km from Darwin CBD in Northern Territory, around 23 minutes by car. Census data records 2,747 residents with a median age of 33 and a median household income of $103,168 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb fell 4.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,950. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Driver a good suburb?
Driver scores a C (52/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit.
Mixed results
2 schools
Very walkable
Walkability 64/100 · 21.8 km · 23 min drive to Darwin
Median available
Median $605K
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 33 · 2,747 residents
Liveability Rating
52 / 100 · Ranked #51 in NTEach bar is Driver's rank among NT suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 3 of 5 factors: no school or safety data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No bushfire or crime or flood data is published for Northern Territory — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Driver?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
52 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataDriver's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $605,000, roughly 11% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$605,000
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $612,500)
Based on 75 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 15 days — median across 9 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 51 sales $600K
- 4 bed 18 sales $665K
Units
$380,000
6% above its 3 neighbours (median $360,000)
Based on 68 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 16 days — median across 14 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 47 sales $340K
- 3 bed 20 sales $402K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Driver are currently listed at around $695,000 on average. Based on 11 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$695K
11 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$399K
5 units listed in the last 6 months.
16 of the suburb's 940 dwellings (1.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Driver rent for around $720 a week on average, based on 23 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$720/wk
8% above its 4 neighbours (median $668/wk)
23 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$570/wk
14 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
37 rentals advertised against an estimated 444 rented homes (8.3%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$720/week ($37,000 a year) on a $695,000 median
$570/week ($30,000 a year) on a $399,000 median
Based on a small sample (5 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Crime in the Palmerston area
Crime recorded across the whole area over the 12 months to Aug 2026, not in Driver alone. NT Police publish by town and district, not by suburb, and recent months can take several months to settle.
| Type | Count | Per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| All offences | 3,942 | 91.7 |
| Assault | 1,102 | 25.6 |
| Domestic violence assault | 726 | 16.9 |
| Sexual offences | 82 | 1.9 |
| House burglary | 204 | 4.7 |
| Commercial burglary | 80 | 1.9 |
| Theft | 1,170 | 27.2 |
| Property damage | 1,123 | 26.1 |
| Robbery and extortion | 57 | 1.3 |
| Endangering people | 123 | 2.9 |
Rates use the Palmerston area’s 43,006 residents. The latest month is preliminary and may be revised.
Schools
Two schools serve Driver, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 1,676 students across 2 schools (avg 838)
- • ICSEA 884-914, median 899 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Palmerston College (1,267 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Driver is somewhat walkable on foot — at 64/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Driver.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 32.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 19.6 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 13.3 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 15.5 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Driver.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 100%
- Premises covered
- 1,173
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Palmerston: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 6 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Driver is home to about 2,700 residents, with a median age of 33, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $103,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,747
Median Age
33
Median Household Income
$103,168/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,950/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$52,572/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.0%
Total Dwellings
940
Owner-Occupier Rate
52.8%
Houses
65.9%
Rental Stress
17.6%
Mortgage Stress
22.7%
Work From Home
3.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
75 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 3 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 433 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 67.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 71.0%
- Employment Rate
- 66.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 38.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
177 residents (6.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,543 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
29% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (412 of 1,418).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 288 people work here; 1,418 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.2 jobs per working resident. At least 80% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,608 a year through Palmerston based on 2026 figures.
Building Approvals: Palmerston
In the year to August 2026, 247 new dwellings were approved across Palmerston. That mix is 152 houses and 95 units. Approvals are down 3.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Darwin Airport, 11.3 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 22 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 4.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,836 mm
- 98 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 32.5°C
- 27 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 19.8°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
6 facilities within 5 km- 2.8 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Zinc and compounds · Manganese & compounds
- 3.7 km
- 3.9 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 4.2 km
- 4.2 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Fluoride compounds · Manganese & compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 0830, 49 of 12,291 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.0% (371 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 0830, 2,646 rooftop-solar systems totalling 20.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,800 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 106 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$50,000 for new homes.
Administered as the HomeGrown Territory Grant. Established-home buyers may also be eligible for the separate BuildBonus Grant.
Mortgage repayments
2 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 830.
Stamp duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Territory Revenue Office
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Luke John Gosling Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Luke John Gosling | 51.3% | 48.7% | -7.1 |
| 2022 | Luke Gosling | 59.4% | 40.6% | -6.3 |
| 2019 | Luke John Gosling | 53.1% | 46.9% | +3.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Clinton Howe Country Liberal
Next state election: 26 August 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Clinton Howe CLP | 65.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2023, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
Looking at a specific address in Driver?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 2,747 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #4 in Highest-yielding Darwin suburbs (units)
- #5 in Darwin suburbs with the largest non-religious population
- #6 in Best Darwin suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #7 in Darwin suburbs with the largest Sikh community
- #8 in Darwin suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #9 in Best Darwin suburbs to rent in
- #9 in Highest-yielding Darwin suburbs (houses)
- #10 in Darwin suburbs with the most apartments
- #10 in Where the Nepali community lives in Darwin
- #11 in Best Darwin suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #11 in Darwin suburbs where the most Nepali is spoken at home
- #11 in Darwin suburbs where young families live
- #14 in Sportiest Darwin suburbs
- #15 in Where the Indian community lives in Darwin
Nearby suburbs
Durack NT 0830
Woodroffe NT 0830
Gray NT 0830
Moulden NT 0830
Marlow Lagoon NT 0830
Palmerston City NT 0830
Compare Driver to another suburb
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Common questions about Driver
Is Driver a safe place to live?
NT does not publish suburb-level crime statistics, so there is no crime figure for Driver.
Is Driver a good place to live?
Driver has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (52/100), ranked against other NT suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Driver?
Driver, NT had a population of 2,747 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Driver, NT?
The postcode for Driver, NT is 0830.
How far is Driver from Darwin?
Driver is 22 km from Darwin CBD by road, about 23 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Driver?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Driver was $103,168 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Driver?
The median advertised rent in Driver is $720 a week for houses (23 listings) and $570 a week for units (14 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Driver?
The median age of residents in Driver was 33 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Driver?
There are 2 schools inside the Driver boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Driver walkable?
Driver scores 64/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Driver?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Driver, Darwin Airport (11.3 km away), summer days average 32.5°C, winter nights 19.8°C, 1,836 mm of rain a year over 98 rainy days, and 27 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Driver?
First-home buyers in NT may be eligible for $50,000 towards new homes. The grant is administered by Territory Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Driver belong to?
Driver sits within the Palmerston local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Driver?
The average residential rates bill through Palmerston is $1,608 a year (2026). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Driver?
Across Palmerston, 247 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 3.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Driver in?
Driver sits within the federal Division of Solomon, currently held by Luke John Gosling (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2026–27
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.