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Suburb Insights · NT 0852

McArthur, NT 0852 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

McArthur is a regional centre in Northern Territory, Australia, with a population of approximately 392, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 692 km from the Darwin CBD, McArthur is a regional area in Northern Territory. The median household income is $43,888 per year.

Investment Score

22 / 100 Weak

Household earnings in McArthur are below the state average, which may affect long-term capital growth. Regional positioning means lower entry costs but potentially longer hold periods for capital gains.

Location

Darwin
McArthur
Northern Territory · 0852
692 km from Darwin CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
0852

Official Australia Post postcode for McArthur. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
392

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$34/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$43,888/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
692 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
1

Estimated 1 school within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
1

Estimated 1 park and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
N/A

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
26% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Investment Insight

McArthur is a smaller community of 392 — about 13% of the Northern Territory suburb median (3,057) — so investors should factor in the narrower buyer pool and longer average time-on-market. McArthur's median household income of $43,888/year is 61% below the Northern Territory suburb median ($113,308) — this is an affordability play where returns lean on yield and patient capital growth rather than demographic premium. The median weekly rent of $34 translates to approximately $1,768/year in gross rental income, setting the upper bound on yield before vacancy, rates, insurance and maintenance. McArthur is 692 km from Darwin, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand. Only 26% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 68% state median), so this is a unit-heavy market where body-corporate decisions and strata supply meaningfully shape investor returns.

McArthur vs Northern Territory Median

How McArthur stacks up against the median of all Northern Territory suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean McArthur sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricMcArthurNT medianΔ vs state
Population3923,057-87%
Median household income$43,888/yr$113,308/yr-61%
Median rent (weekly)$34$360-91%
Distance to CBD692 km15 km+4513%
Separate houses26%68%-42pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for McArthur — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

Buy & Hold

Limited buy-and-hold upside: a small population of 392 means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider Northern Territory market over full cycles.

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Rental Yield

Gross rent of $34/week (~$1,768/year) sets the yield ceiling. Cross-check against your purchase price to confirm whether this suburb hits the 4–5% gross yield most Australian investors target.

Renovation / Flip

Only 26% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 68% NT median) — this is a unit and townhouse market, where cosmetic flips struggle against body-corporate restrictions, thinner after-reno uplift and competing new supply.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a McArthur property

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30-year projections for McArthur

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for McArthur are modest for 2026 — incomes 61% below the NT median of $113,308 and a population of 392 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rents sit around $34/week, setting the baseline gross rental income at roughly $1,768/year — refine this against current listings before running your numbers. The EquitySight investment score of 22/100 places McArthur in the lower tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is McArthur a good suburb for investment?

McArthur scores 22/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a weak rating. That score is driven by a population of 392, median household income of $43,888/year and median weekly rent of $34. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in McArthur?

The main demand drivers in McArthur are a median household income of $43,888/year, a dwelling mix that is 26% separate houses, roughly 1 schools and 1 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of McArthur?

McArthur has a usual resident population of approximately 392, compared with a Northern Territory suburb median of 3,057 — placing it in the lower half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is McArthur from the Darwin CBD?

McArthur sits 692 km straight-line from the Darwin CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in McArthur?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $34 in McArthur, equating to approximately $1,768/year in gross rental income (state median $360/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in McArthur?

A reliable median mortgage figure was not captured for McArthur. Use our loan serviceability calculator to estimate a realistic monthly repayment for your target purchase price and deposit.

Is McArthur cash-flow positive for investors?

Census data was not complete enough in McArthur to compute a clean rent-to-mortgage coverage. Use current listings to benchmark weekly rent, then plug your expected purchase price into our rental yield calculator to see whether the investment runs cash-flow positive or negative.

What are the main risks of investing in McArthur?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (392 residents), interest-rate sensitivity, below-median household incomes ($43,888 vs $113,308 state median), a unit-heavy dwelling mix (26% houses) where body-corporate costs and apartment supply affect resale, the broader Northern Territory market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this McArthur profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

Nearby Suburbs

Northern Territory Property Resources