Living in Alice Springs

Alice Springs is a city in Australia. Median personal income was A$1,131 per week in August 2021. In August 2021, Alice Springs had a population of 25,912. Foreign-born residents accounted for 26.2% of the population in 2021.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Alice Springs?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Alice Springs.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$375 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,800 in August 2021.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Alice Springs yet.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Dwellings	10,065 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	8,891 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	375 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

26.2% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 6,793 people of 25,912 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 1.7% in March 2026. Median household income was A$2,142 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Alice Springs is 1.7%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	9,793 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	66.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	2,142 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	1,131 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,566 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁶Official
Unemployment rate	1.7 %country median 4.4%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026⁷Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Alice Springs. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Alice Springs. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	24.44 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Alice Springs. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Alice Springs.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average daytime high by month	Jan 37.2 · Feb 35.9 · Mar 33.6 · Apr 29.5 · May 23.8 · Jun 20.2 · Jul 20.8 · Aug 23.6 · Sep 28.9 · Oct 31.9 · Nov 34.4 · Dec 35.7 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 21.6 · Feb 20.5 · Mar 17.3 · Apr 12.4 · May 7.7 · Jun 4.3 · Jul 3.7 · Aug 5.4 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 14.3 · Nov 17.8 · Dec 20.2 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 29.4 · Feb 28.2 · Mar 25.5 · Apr 21 · May 15.7 · Jun 12.3 · Jul 12.2 · Aug 14.5 · Sep 19.7 · Oct 23.1 · Nov 26.1 · Dec 28 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 48.9 · Feb 40.7 · Mar 19.3 · Apr 19.3 · May 18 · Jun 10.3 · Jul 12.1 · Aug 3.8 · Sep 7.6 · Oct 18.7 · Nov 33.8 · Dec 40.1 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by month	Jan 317.1 · Feb 274.3 · Mar 298.4 · Apr 290.9 · May 268 · Jun 253.2 · Jul 284.2 · Aug 313.5 · Sep 302.1 · Oct 317 · Nov 297.7 · Dec 295.3 hours	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT⁵Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Ulladulla26,519 residents Bacchus Marsh24,717 residents Grafton24,565 residents Mount Isa27,489 residents Burnie - Wynyard27,826 residents Muswellbrook27,828 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 327.7 km² in 2016. Population density was 86.9 people per km² in 2021.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	327.7 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.³Official
Foreign-resident share	32.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	6,793 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.²Official
Population density	86.91 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁴Official
Population Female	13,309 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population Male	12,598 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	25,912 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 15.0% between 2001 and 2025, from 26,849 to 30,875.

International community in Alice Springs

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	25,912	100.0%
Australia	17,380	67.1%
Country of birth not stated	1,729	6.7%
India	962	3.7%
New Zealand	826	3.2%
Born elsewhere(d)	788	3.0%
United States of America	687	2.7%
England	618	2.4%
Philippines	589	2.3%
Nepal	213	0.8%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	192	0.7%

Show 39 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Zimbabwe	181	0.7%
South Africa	165	0.6%
Sri Lanka	123	0.5%
Germany	104	0.4%
Fiji	103	0.4%
Vietnam	90	0.3%
Scotland	82	0.3%
Ireland	74	0.3%
Italy	69	0.3%
Papua New Guinea	67	0.3%
Thailand	67	0.3%
Indonesia	66	0.3%
Pakistan	66	0.3%
Taiwan	66	0.3%
France	58	0.2%
Canada	54	0.2%
Malaysia	44	0.2%
Netherlands	44	0.2%
Korea, Republic of (South)	42	0.2%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	36	0.1%
Japan	36	0.1%
Bangladesh	35	0.1%
Samoa	32	0.1%
Brazil	31	0.1%
Wales	24	0.1%
Chile	17	0.1%
Poland	17	0.1%
Mauritius	16	0.1%
Myanmar	15	0.1%
Greece	14	0.1%
Singapore	14	0.1%
Egypt	13	0.1%
Iran	10	0.0%
Cambodia	9	0.0%
Lebanon	6	0.0%
Turkey	4	0.0%
Afghanistan	3	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3	0.0%
Malta	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	25,912	100.0%
Australia	17,380	67.1%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	6,793	26.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	25,912	100.0%
Australian citizen	20,299	78.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Is Alice Springs a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker53%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 43–63%

Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–72%

Student61%strong on education, weak on safety · range 53–69%

Family64%strong on family, weak on safety · range 55–73%

Retirement51%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 38–64%

Foreign residents6,793 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population25,912 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings10,065 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate66.9 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)2,566 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate1.7 %31 Mar 2026Independent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	26.22 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	8,891 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	69.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	34 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,800 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Alice Springs when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Alice Springs?

The median gross salary is 2,566 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Alice Springs?

The unemployment rate is 1.7 %. Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How many people live in Alice Springs?

The published population is 25,912 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Alice Springs?

6,793 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Alice Springs a good place to live?

Alice Springs may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Afghanistan live in Alice Springs?

The official country of birth distribution records 3 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Alice Springs, Australia: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/alice-springs/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_alice-springs-australia-rent-salary-jobs_0a5be07b3a4a,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Alice Springs, Australia: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/alice-springs/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Alice Springs, Australia: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/alice-springs/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.