Where the Chinese community lives in Cairns
Parramatta Park has the largest Chinese community: 5.1% of residents reported Chinese ancestry, 1.8% were born in China, and 3.9% speak Mandarin or Cantonese at home. Kanimbla and Bungalow follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 25 eligible Cairns suburbs.
This page ranks Cairns suburbs by where the Chinese community is most established, using the 2021 Census. Suburbs are ordered by the share of residents who reported Chinese ancestry, and each one also shows the share who were born in China and speak Mandarin or Cantonese at home. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.
No single number captures a community on its own — ancestry is the broadest (it includes Australian-born second and third generations), country of birth captures migrants, and language spoken at home tracks the actively speaking core. We show every angle the 2021 Census publishes for the Chinese community so you can see the full picture. Ancestry is a multiple-response question, so shares read as "residents who reported this ancestry" rather than an exclusive count. Percentile ranks are computed within Cairns's pool. This is descriptive demographic information, not a recommendation. Country of birth here is mainland China — the ABS counts Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan separately.
Where the Chinese community lives in Cairns
Ranked by the share of residents who reported Chinese ancestry in the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents. Each suburb also shows the share who were born in China and speak Mandarin or Cantonese at home — the angles the census publishes on where the Chinese community is established.
Parramatta Park
QLD 4870 · 3,621 residents5% Chinese ancestry · 2% born in China · 4% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Kanimbla
QLD 4870 · 2,827 residents5% Chinese ancestry · 2% born in China · 3% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Bungalow
QLD 4870 · 2,358 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 2% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Cairns North
QLD 4870 · 5,334 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 3% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Smithfield
QLD 4878 · 6,664 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 2% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Cairns City
QLD 4870 · 3,616 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 2% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Mooroobool
QLD 4870 · 7,136 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Westcourt
QLD 4870 · 3,841 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 2% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Edge Hill
QLD 4870 · 4,088 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Earlville
QLD 4870 · 4,200 residents3% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Brinsmead
QLD 4870 · 5,537 residents2% Chinese ancestry · 0% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Mount Sheridan
QLD 4868 · 8,678 residents2% Chinese ancestry · 0% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Whitfield
QLD 4870 · 4,262 residents2% Chinese ancestry · 1% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Trinity Park
QLD 4879 · 3,536 residents2% Chinese ancestry · 0% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Woree
QLD 4868 · 5,127 residents2% Chinese ancestry · 0% born in China · 1% speak Mandarin or Cantonese
Ranked from 25 qualifying suburbs.
Ranked on the share of residents who reported this ancestry (the broadest signal — it includes Australian-born second and third generations) in the 2021 Census, percentile-ranked within Cairns's candidate pool. Every suburb also shows all three census angles — ancestry, country of birth, and language spoken at home — because no single number captures a community on its own. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify. Ancestry is a multiple-response question, so shares read as "residents who reported this ancestry", not an exclusive count. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.
Common questions about this ranking
How is this ranking put together?
Suburbs are ordered by the share of residents who reported Chinese ancestry. Ancestry is the broadest measure — it includes Australian-born second and third generations, not just migrants. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Cairns's pool, so the list reflects concentration relative to other metro suburbs.
What do the percentages on each suburb mean?
They are different census angles on the Chinese community: ancestry is the broadest, since it includes people born here, country of birth counts only those who migrated, and language at home counts the actively speaking core. They rarely match, and seeing them together tells you whether a suburb's community is long-established, newly-arrived, or somewhere in between.
Why don't the percentages add up?
They measure different things and come from different census questions. Ancestry is a multiple-response question (a person can report up to two), so it isn't a clean share of population; birthplace counts only people born overseas; and language counts only those who still speak it at home. This is descriptive demographic data, not a recommendation to seek out or avoid anywhere.
Anything else worth knowing about this list?
Country of birth here is mainland China — the ABS counts Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan separately.
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
- Where the Chinese community lives in Sydney
- Where the Chinese community lives in Melbourne
- Where the Chinese community lives in Brisbane
- Where the Chinese community lives in Perth
- Where the Chinese community lives in Adelaide
- Where the Chinese community lives in Hobart
- Where the Chinese community lives in Darwin
- Where the Chinese community lives in Canberra
- Where the Chinese community lives in Newcastle
- Where the Chinese community lives in Central Coast
- Where the Chinese community lives in Sunshine Coast
- Where the Chinese community lives in Gold Coast
- Where the Chinese community lives in Wollongong
- Where the Chinese community lives in Geelong
- Where the Chinese community lives in Townsville
- Where the Chinese community lives in Toowoomba
- Where the Chinese community lives in Busselton
- Where the Chinese community lives in Ballarat
- Where the Chinese community lives in Albany
- Where the Chinese community lives in Ballina
- Where the Chinese community lives in Geraldton
- Where the Chinese community lives in Warragul
- Where the Chinese community lives in Bundaberg
- Where the Chinese community lives in Launceston
- Where the Chinese community lives in Bendigo
- Where the Chinese community lives in Rockhampton
- Where the Chinese community lives in Mackay
- Where the Chinese community lives in Albury – Wodonga
- Where the Chinese community lives in Camden Haven
- Where the Chinese community lives in Burnie
- Where the Chinese community lives in Wagga Wagga
- Where the Chinese community lives in Coffs Harbour
- Where the Chinese community lives in Alice Springs
- Where the Chinese community lives in Mount Isa
Related
Rankings last computed 12 October 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.