Moving to Desert Springs NT 0870
What the official numbers say about living in Desert Springs — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $500 a week, against a median household income of $3,025 a week.
Who you'll be living with
Desert Springs grew 2% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (1,499 → 1,536 people).
Largest overseas birthplaces: United States, India, New Zealand; most spoken languages besides English: Punjabi, Hindi, Malayalam.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Desert Springs sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (85% of workers).
Nearest airport: Alice Springs Airport, 10 km south.
The Darwin CBD is roughly 1292 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 17 schools · 19 cafes & restaurants · 6 supermarkets · 14 parks — see them all on the Desert Springs profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Traegar Campus 1.3 km · Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Sadadeen Campus 1.6 km · Sadadeen Primary School 1.8 km · St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre 1.8 km · Acacia Hill School 1.9 km · Gillen Primary School 2 km · Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Bath Street Campus 2.1 km · Centralian Senior College 2.1 km
Groceries: Woolworths 1.8 km · Coles 2 km · Sadadeen Supermarket 2.1 km · IGA East Side 2.1 km · Foodtown Supermarket 2.1 km · IGA 2.8 km
Parks and reserves: Hospital Lawns 1.4 km · Billy Goat Hill 1.7 km · Newland Park 1.9 km · Ashwin Park 2 km · Ross Park 2.2 km · Trevor Reid Park 2.3 km · Allan Brumby Memorial Park 2.4 km · Noonie Park 2.4 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Desert Springs, most often seen first: Black Kite · Magpie-lark · Little Crow · Crested Pigeon · Masked Lapwing · Grey Teal.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Desert Springs, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Springs here | 1,536 | — | 10/10 | 4% |
| Mount Johns | 541 | — | 10/10 | 4% |
| The Gap | 1,945 | — | 6/10 | 17% |
| Alice Springs | 231 | — | 4/10 | 8% |
| Sadadeen | 2,307 | — | 3/10 | 0% |
| Gillen | 4,466 | — | 6/10 | 5% |
| East Side | 3,098 | — | 9/10 | 5% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Alice Springs — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Lingiari — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 0870 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Desert Springs profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $500 a week.
The population grew 2% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 1,499 people to 1,536. It sits about 1292 km from the Darwin CBD in a straight line. Local government is Alice Springs council, and the federal seat is Lingiari.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Desert Springs vs Mount Johns · Desert Springs vs The Gap.
Nearby guides: Mount Johns · The Gap · Alice Springs · Sadadeen · Gillen · East Side.
Keep an eye on Desert Springs
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