Central Desert (R)
Community Explorer based on results from the 2021 and 2016 Census of Population and Housing.
4,128
Estimated resident population
2024 ERP
+0%
Annual ERP growth
2023-2024
3.3%
Born overseas
2021 Census
3.8%
Households that own outright or have a mortgage
2021 Census
6.2%
Bachelor Or Higher Degree
2021 Census
At a glance
Key indicators across each category. Click any tile to explore the full data.
Population
5 topics
3,591
total persons (2021)
Children are 4.5pp above Regional NT; 70+ is 0.3pp below Regional NT.
Cultural diversity
6 topics
0.7%
born in New Zealand
Top overseas birthplaces: New Zealand, England and India.
Housing
8 topics
78.4%
Separate house
Medium/high density is 13.3pp below Regional NT.
Income
4 topics
6.8%
households earning $3,000+/wk
High-income households are 12.2pp below Regional NT.
Education
2 topics
6.2%
Bachelor Or Higher Degree
Bachelor+ is 8.3pp below Regional NT.
Employment
8 topics
18.4%
unemployment rate
Unemployment fell 21.8pp since 2016.
40.2%
2016
18.4%
2021
Specialist topics
4 topics
16
dwelling approvals (2025-26 FYTD)
0 approved in Jan 2026.
About this explorer
The Central Desert (R) Community Explorer provides demographic analysis based on results from the 2021 and 2016 Census of Population and Housing.
Data is compiled and presented by Geografia.
Data coverage
Current Census
Primary dataset
2021
Comparison Census
Change over time
2016
Benchmark types
Depends on geography
3-4
Topics covered
Topic routes available
42