suburb.guide

NT · Barkly Council

Tennant Creek, 0860

Current weather

24.2°COvercast

65% humidity · 6.4 km/h wind · 25.8° / 19.4° today · 1.2 mm rain

Desirability score

50.8/100
Average

Top 7% of Northern Territory's suburbs

58% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Affordable
  • Green space
  • Schools
  • Shops
  • Regional
What Tennant Creek is known for: Affordable, Green space, Schools, Shops, Regional

Suburb profile

As a regional hub in Barkly, Tennant Creek combines local convenience with the appeal of a mid-sized suburb that feels genuinely its own. Far from the capital hubbub, it offers genuine distance, local character and room to live at a slower pace. The community skews younger, with family life visible on every street.

Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete.

The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker community and employment and housing affordability against similar regional towns, even with safety and transport and access holding up better.

Population

Population
3,080
Median age
33
Median household income / week
$1,677
Dwelling vacancy
16.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
189 of 1,133
Median monthly mortgage
$1,114
Employment rate
46.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
141 / 108 / 53

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
743
  • Tennant Creek High SchoolSecondary
  • Tennant Creek Primary SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

54 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Headframe Bottle ShopAlcohol
  • Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural CentreArts centre
  • ANZBank
  • WestpacBank
  • Bicycle Parking (6)
  • GreyhoundBus Station
  • Barkly Quality ButchersButcher
  • Nyinkka Nyunyu Coffee ShopCafe
  • Car repair
  • Paul Talbot MechanicCar repair

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Kathleen ParkPark
  • Nelson ParkPark
  • Peko ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
3
Emergency department
On site
  • Pharmacypharmacy
  • Royal Flying Doctor Servicedoctor
  • Tennant Creek Hospitalhospital

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
6
Parks (OSM)
6

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability index

Desirability score
50.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 7% of Northern Territory's suburbs
National rank
1672nd in Australia
State rank
10th in NT
Peer rank
#2 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#2 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
58%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Pharmacyhealthpharmacy
  • Royal Flying Doctor Servicehealthdoctor
  • Tennant Creek Hospitalhealthhospital
  • Kathleen Parkgovernmentpark
  • Nelson Parkgovernmentpark
  • Peko Parkgovernmentpark
  • Tennant Creek High SchoolschoolsSecondary
  • Tennant Creek Primary SchoolschoolsPrimary
  • ANZamenitiesbank
  • Arnhem Explorationamenitiestravel_agency

Data sources & freshness