Cairns suburbs with the most apartments
Cairns City tops the ranking, where 80.6% of occupied dwellings are flats or apartments (696 of them). Cairns North and Manunda follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 21 eligible Cairns suburbs.
This page ranks Cairns suburbs by the share of occupied private dwellings that are flats or apartments at the 2021 Census. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.
The median Australian suburb has almost no apartments at all — 1.3% of dwellings, measured across a 1,238-suburb sample in September 2026 — so this ranking separates its subjects rather than sorting noise: the top of the list runs past 90%. It counts dwellings, not buildings and not people, and it describes what is there rather than what may be built. The zoning that governs the latter is on each suburb page.
Cairns suburbs with the most apartments
Ranked by the share of occupied private dwellings that are flats or apartments at the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents.
Cairns City
QLD 4870 · 3,616 residents80.6% of dwellings are apartments · 696 flats
Cairns North
QLD 4870 · 5,334 residents79.6% of dwellings are apartments · 1,639 flats
Manunda
QLD 4870 · 5,191 residents47.2% of dwellings are apartments · 1,023 flats
Manoora
QLD 4870 · 6,175 residents43.5% of dwellings are apartments · 1,052 flats
Bungalow
QLD 4870 · 2,358 residents43.3% of dwellings are apartments · 421 flats
Westcourt
QLD 4870 · 3,841 residents37.2% of dwellings are apartments · 610 flats
Freshwater
QLD 4870 · 2,142 residents34.6% of dwellings are apartments · 304 flats
Woree
QLD 4868 · 5,127 residents24.8% of dwellings are apartments · 461 flats
Yorkeys Knob
QLD 4878 · 2,794 residents23.9% of dwellings are apartments · 306 flats
Edge Hill
QLD 4870 · 4,088 residents23.6% of dwellings are apartments · 385 flats
Clifton Beach
QLD 4879 · 3,192 residents21.5% of dwellings are apartments · 274 flats
Palm Cove
QLD 4879 · 2,450 residents21.2% of dwellings are apartments · 212 flats
Trinity Beach
QLD 4879 · 6,594 residents17.8% of dwellings are apartments · 456 flats
Earlville
QLD 4870 · 4,200 residents16.6% of dwellings are apartments · 289 flats
White Rock
QLD 4868 · 4,918 residents10.0% of dwellings are apartments · 167 flats
Ranked from 21 qualifying suburbs.
100% share of occupied private dwellings recorded as a flat or apartment in the 2021 Census, divided by all occupied private dwellings and percentile-ranked within Cairns's candidate pool. It counts dwellings, not buildings and not people, and it describes what stands there rather than what may be built — the planning zones that govern the latter are on each suburb page. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of apartments breaks ties. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.
Common questions about this ranking
What are the cairns suburbs with the most apartments?
Cairns City tops the ranking, where 80.6% of occupied dwellings are flats or apartments (696 of them). Cairns North and Manunda follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 21 eligible Cairns suburbs.
How is this ranking put together?
Each Cairns suburb is ranked by the share of its occupied private dwellings recorded as a flat or apartment in the 2021 Census, divided by all occupied private dwellings. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Cairns's pool.
Does this mean the suburb allows apartments?
No. This counts what stands there now. What may be built is set by the planning zones, which are a separate thing and are shown on each suburb page as a share of the suburb's area.
Is a townhouse an apartment here?
No. The Census separates flats and apartments from semi-detached, row, terrace and townhouse dwellings, and only the first group is counted. Separate houses are not counted either.
How current is it?
The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.
Same list in other cities
- Sydney suburbs with the most apartments
- Melbourne suburbs with the most apartments
- Brisbane suburbs with the most apartments
- Perth suburbs with the most apartments
- Adelaide suburbs with the most apartments
- Hobart suburbs with the most apartments
- Darwin suburbs with the most apartments
- Canberra suburbs with the most apartments
- Newcastle suburbs with the most apartments
- Central Coast suburbs with the most apartments
- Sunshine Coast suburbs with the most apartments
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- Wollongong suburbs with the most apartments
- Geelong suburbs with the most apartments
- Townsville suburbs with the most apartments
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- Mackay suburbs with the most apartments
- Albury – Wodonga suburbs with the most apartments
- Camden Haven suburbs with the most apartments
- Burnie suburbs with the most apartments
- Wagga Wagga suburbs with the most apartments
- Coffs Harbour suburbs with the most apartments
- Alice Springs suburbs with the most apartments
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Related
Rankings last computed 12 October 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.
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