Katherine
Suburb profile, market snapshot and recent listings for Katherine, NT 0850.
About Katherine
Welcome to Katherine
Katherine sits around 320 kilometres south-east of Darwin on the banks of the Katherine River, at the crossroads of the Stuart and Victoria Highways in the Northern Territory's Top End. It's the region's major service centre, acting as a hub for surrounding cattle stations, remote communities and the Tindal RAAF base, with a compact, practical town centre that punches above its weight for a population of around 1,254.
This is a suburb for people drawn to the rhythms of outback and riverine life rather than city convenience — Defence families posted to nearby Tindal, workers in agriculture, mining and tourism, and those wanting genuine space and a slower pace. With a median age of 34, Katherine has a notably young, working-age population, and its role as a gateway to Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park gives it a steady stream of visitors and a distinctly frontier-town character.
Lifestyle & dining
Life in Katherine revolves around the river, the highway trade and a genuinely close-knit community. The town centre offers a modest but functional spread of cafes, pubs, takeaways and a few Asian and Indigenous-run eateries that cater to both locals and the grey nomads and tourists passing through en route to Nitmiluk Gorge and the Katherine Hot Springs. It's not a dining destination in the capital-city sense, but there's enough variety for everyday life, and the social scene leans heavily on outdoor gatherings, fishing trips and the annual Katherine Show.
Shopping
As the biggest town between Darwin and Alice Springs, Katherine functions as the retail and service hub for a vast catchment of stations and remote communities. There's a Woolworths-anchored shopping centre, a handful of bakeries and butchers, and independent retailers along the main street, plus the usual regional spread of hardware, produce and automotive suppliers that keep the surrounding rural economy running.
Getting around
Katherine is built around the Stuart Highway, which runs straight through town and connects south to Alice Springs and north to Darwin, while the Victoria Highway heads west towards the Western Australian border. Katherine Airport and the nearby RAAF Base Tindal provide air links, and the Ghan railway line passes through, though most day-to-day movement in town is by car given the distances between the centre, the river precinct and outlying properties.
Schools & families
Families in Katherine have a reasonable choice of local schooling, including Clyde Fenton Primary School and Kintore Street School for the early years, and St Joseph's Catholic College for secondary students. The town is also home to Katherine School of the Air, a distance-education institution that has long served children on remote cattle stations and communities across the region — a distinctive feature of life in this part of the Territory.
Parks & recreation
The Katherine River and its surrounding parkland are the town's main recreational drawcard, with swimming, fishing and picnicking popular among locals when conditions allow. A short drive brings residents to Nitmiluk National Park's gorge system, walking trails and boat cruises, while the Katherine Hot Springs offer a low-key spot for a soak. Outdoor pursuits here are shaped heavily by the wet and dry seasons, with river levels and access changing markedly through the year.
The property market
Katherine's housing stock is dominated by standalone houses, which make up 82% of current listings, alongside smaller shares of land (7%), apartments and units (8%) and townhouses (2%) — reflecting its character as a low-density regional town rather than a high-rise or unit-heavy market. The median house price sits at $355,000, with recent figures showing a modest pullback in values of -1.4%, while the median rent of $588 per week points to solid rental demand, likely underpinned by Defence postings at Tindal and the transient workforce tied to the region's pastoral and resources sectors. For buyers and investors, Katherine offers relatively affordable entry prices compared with capital cities, alongside the trade-offs of a smaller, more cyclical regional market.
Market snapshot
Katherine property market
Median sale price
$355k
House · 3 bed
Median rent
$588
per week
Gross rental yield
8.6%
annual rent ÷ sale price
Typical price range
Entry
$237k
Median
$355k
Premium
$494k
Days on market
160
Auction clearance
0%
Sold this year
19
Median sold price trend · House 3 bed
Compound growth +0.4% / yr over 4 yrs
Median price by bedrooms · House
Property types on market
Share of current listings in Katherine by dwelling type.
Who lives here
Demographics
ABS Census 2021 figures for Katherine, NT 0850.
Population
1,254
residents (2021)
Median age
34
years
Household income
$2,053
median, per week
Median rent
$360
per week
Median mortgage
$1,408
per month
Mortgage / income
16%
comfortable
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. Suburb-level (SAL) aggregates.
Education
Schools in Katherine
Government school catchment
Independent & Catholic schools
Recent results
Recently sold in Katherine
$170k
1071 Edith Farms Road
Sold ~July 2026
$349k
25 Walter Young Street
Sold ~July 2026
$250k
4 Donegan Crescent
Sold ~July 2026
$235k
13/10 Victoria Highway
Sold ~July 2026
$420k
20 Burnet Court
Sold ~July 2026
$290k
2 Miniata Crt
Sold ~July 2026
$410k
19 Providence Court
Sold ~July 2026
$520k
10 Bradshaw Crescent
Sold ~July 2026
Sold prices as published on the original listing; some may reflect the last advertised price. Dates are approximate.
Explore the area
Properties & amenities in Katherine
Compare the area
Price map around Katherine
Every listing for sale near Katherine, coloured by price — so you can see how it stacks up against the streets and suburbs next door.
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Common questions
Katherine suburb FAQ
What is the median property price in Katherine?
The median house price in Katherine, NT is $355k for a 3-bedroom home. Over the past year, median sold prices have fallen about 1.4%.
How much is rent in Katherine?
The median weekly rent in Katherine is around $588 per week.
Is Katherine a good place to live?
Katherine is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Katherine is an established residential suburb in NT, with a population of around 1,254 and 4 schools in the area.
What is the population of Katherine?
Katherine has a population of 1,254 (ABS 2021 Census), with a median age of 34.
What schools are in Katherine?
There are 4 schools in or near Katherine, including Katherine School Of The Air, Kintore Street School and St Joseph's Catholic College.
How long do homes take to sell in Katherine?
Properties in Katherine take around 160 days to sell on average, with an auction clearance rate of about 0%.
How much do you need to buy in Katherine?
Entry-level properties in Katherine start around $237k, while premium homes reach $494k.
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