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West Arnhem
Northern Territory · Northern Territory - Outback · 6,279 people · 8 suburbs · 2 postcodes
West Arnhem at a glance
Map shows the West Arnhem LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.
Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).
Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Federal electorate boundaries can be toggled on the map. Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021 CED boundaries.
West Arnhem is a Local Government Area in Northern Territory, in the Darwin region. It covers 8 suburbs across 2 postcodes and an area of 49,388 km². West Arnhem has a population of 6,279 , ranking #8 most populous in NT. The most populous suburb is Maningrida (2,518 residents).About 4.3% of residents were born overseas and 77.8% speak a language other than English at home.
Who lives here
Age structure
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 1,503 (24.0%) |
| 15–24 years | 1,119 (17.9%) |
| 25–44 years | 2,168 (34.6%) |
| 45–64 years | 1,252 (20.0%) |
| 65+ years | 215 (3.4%) |
How they live
Housing tenure
Dwelling type mix
Work and learning
Schools in West Arnhem
5 schools across West Arnhem: 100.0% Government, 0% Catholic, 0% Independent. The NT average is 78.8% / 9.2% / 12.0%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 639 (range 601 to 778). NT median is 778; national mean is 1000.
Sector mix
Type breakdown
ICSEA range
ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.
All 5 schools in West Arnhem, sorted by enrolment:
| School | Sector | Type | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maningrida College | Government | Combined | Maningrida | 584 | 601 |
| Gunbalanya School | Government | Combined | Gunbalanya | 231 | 668 |
| Jabiru Area School | Government | Combined | Jabiru | 149 | 778 |
| Warruwi School | Government | Combined | Warruwi | 79 | 639 |
| Mamaruni School | Government | Combined | Minjilang | 33 | 626 |
Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.
SEIFA socio-economic indexes
SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within West Arnhem. Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.
IRSAD
Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage
IRSD
Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)
IER
Economic resources: income, wealth, housing
IEO
Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels
Suburbs in West Arnhem
West Arnhem contains 8 suburbs and 2 postcodes. Sorted by population.
| Suburb | Postcode | Population | Median income | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maningrida | 0822 | 2,518 | $1,449/wk | 27 |
| Gunbalanya | 0822 | 1,177 | $1,277/wk | 27 |
| West Arnhem | 0822 | 785 | $1,174/wk | 27 |
| Jabiru | 0886 | 755 | $2,090/wk | 34 |
| Warruwi | 0822 | 432 | $1,420/wk | 25 |
| Kakadu | 0822 | 315 | $1,687/wk | 36 |
| Minjilang | 0822 | 265 | $1,392/wk | 26 |
| Cobourg | 0822 | 32 | $1,375/wk | 29 |
Postcodes covered
Compare West Arnhem with neighbouring LGAs
Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of West Arnhem and its closest neighbouring LGAs.
| LGA | Population | Median age | SEIFA IRSAD | % renting | % overseas-born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Arnhem (NT) | 6,279 | 28.1 | 731 | 95.9% | 4.3% |
| Palmerston | 37,044 | 31.3 | 998 | 45.9% | 22.1% |
| Unincorporated NT | 2,183 | 42.6 | 938 | 51.0% | 18.5% |
| East Arnhem | 12,791 | 29.4 | 808 | 94.3% | 6.2% |
Services and amenities
Frequently asked questions about West Arnhem
What is the population of West Arnhem?
The 2021 Census recorded 6,279 people living in West Arnhem, across 8 suburbs.
What suburbs are in West Arnhem?
West Arnhem contains 8 suburbs. The most populous are Maningrida, Gunbalanya, West Arnhem, Jabiru, Warruwi.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.
What postcodes are in West Arnhem?
West Arnhem covers 2 postcodes: 0822, 0886.
How many schools are in West Arnhem?
West Arnhem has 5 schools, including 5 government, 0 Catholic, and 0 independent schools (ACARA 2025).
What is the SEIFA score for West Arnhem?
West Arnhem has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 731, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.