Bartle Frere vs Mirriwinni
Bartle Frere is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 50 in Mirriwinni. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bartle Frere, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Bartle Frere tends to suit families with children and couples, while Mirriwinni suits people living alone and older residents.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Bartle Frere
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bartle Frere
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 4/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Bartle Frere is more walkable (13/100 vs 4/100)
- Mirriwinni has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 13%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Bartle Frere
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (23.4% vs 10.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bartle Frere and Mirriwinni drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Mirriwinni has more residents (492 vs 169); Bartle Frere has higher household incomes ($82,836 vs $64,532).
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 169 | 492 +191% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +23.4% | +10.1% |
| Median age | 41 | 50 |
| Median household income | $82,836/yr +22% vs other | $64,532/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk +2% vs other | $245/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.4%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $457,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 767 across Cairns same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -81% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 54% of QLD | Higher than 30% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 75% of QLD | Higher than 67% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 55% of QLD | Higher than 25% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 63% of QLD | Higher than 52% of QLD |
Liveability
Bartle Frere is more walkable (13 vs 4).
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 62/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Bartle Frere
- Bartle Frere State School Government · Primary
Schools in Mirriwinni
- Mirriwinni State School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 11 | 3 |
Mobility
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 13/100 | 4/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1635.4 km | 1636 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 1121 min same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 4861 | 0.2% postcode 4871 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 40 postcode 4861 | 51 postcode 4871 |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.8%).
Setting
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 39 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 17 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 17.8 km | 11.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 72 premises | 0% 216 premises |
Climate
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 3,531 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.2°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 17.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,354/yr same for both | |
| Council | Cairns same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Kennedy same for both | |
| Member | Bob Katter same for both | |
| Party | Katter's Australian Party (KAP) same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bartle Frere | Mirriwinni | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bartle Frere
Other comparisons with Mirriwinni
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.