Cairns North vs Parramatta Park

Parramatta Park is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Cairns North. In both, most households rent. In Cairns North, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. In Parramatta Park, about half of households are people living alone.

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

Parramatta Park

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (35% vs 14%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 2)
  • But Cairns North has more parks and reserves (8 vs 3)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Parramatta Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($290/wk vs $340/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Parramatta Park

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (1169 min vs 1174 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1698.1 km vs 1700.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cairns North

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (86% vs 65%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Cairns North returns a higher gross yield on units (6.4% vs 5.2%)
  • Parramatta Park returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.4% vs 3.6%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Cairns North and Parramatta Park drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Hides rows where both suburbs match

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.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Walkability 82 / 79
Cairns North — Walkability: 82/100 Parramatta Park — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 3 / 7
Cairns North — Safety: 3/100 Parramatta Park — Safety: 7/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cairns North — Low fire risk: 100/100 Parramatta Park — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cairns North has more residents (5,334 vs 3,621); Cairns North rents higher ($340/wk vs $290/wk).

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Population 5,334
+32% vs other
 3,621
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.8% +3.2%
Median age 37 33
Median household income $72,904/yr
+14% vs other
 $62,972/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+15% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
0-4 3.9% / 3.7%
Cairns North — 0-4: 3.9% Parramatta Park — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 7.6% / 8.4%
Cairns North — 5-14: 7.6% Parramatta Park — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 4.0% / 5.6%
Cairns North — 15-19: 4.0% Parramatta Park — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 8.5% / 8.8%
Cairns North — 20-24: 8.5% Parramatta Park — 20-24: 8.8%
25-34 21.9% / 26.4%
Cairns North — 25-34: 21.9% Parramatta Park — 25-34: 26.4%
35-44 16.2% / 14.8%
Cairns North — 35-44: 16.2% Parramatta Park — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 13.1% / 12.0%
Cairns North — 45-54: 13.1% Parramatta Park — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 12.2% / 10.6%
Cairns North — 55-64: 12.2% Parramatta Park — 55-64: 10.6%
65-74 8.6% / 6.9%
Cairns North — 65-74: 8.6% Parramatta Park — 65-74: 6.9%
75-84 3.1% / 2.4%
Cairns North — 75-84: 3.1% Parramatta Park — 75-84: 2.4%
85+ 0.9% / 0.4%
Cairns North — 85+: 0.9% Parramatta Park — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cairns North 57.7% lone person
Cairns North — Lone Person: 57.7% Cairns North — Couple Families: 15.8% Cairns North — One Parent Families: 13.1% Cairns North — Group Household: 11.6% Cairns North — Other Families: 1.8%
Parramatta Park 53.3% lone person
Parramatta Park — Lone Person: 53.3% Parramatta Park — Couple Families: 14.7% Parramatta Park — One Parent Families: 17.3% Parramatta Park — Group Household: 13.6% Parramatta Park — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cairns North 65.3% renting
Cairns North — Owned Outright: 16.5% Cairns North — Mortgage: 18.3% Cairns North — Renting: 65.3%
Parramatta Park 65.2% renting
Parramatta Park — Owned Outright: 14.4% Parramatta Park — Mortgage: 20.4% Parramatta Park — Renting: 65.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Bachelor Degree 16.2% / 15.8%
Cairns North — Bachelor Degree: 16.2% Parramatta Park — Bachelor Degree: 15.8%
Certificate III & IV 11.8% / 13.6%
Cairns North — Certificate III & IV: 11.8% Parramatta Park — Certificate III & IV: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 9.0%
Cairns North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Parramatta Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / 3.3%
Cairns North — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Parramatta Park — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.5%
Cairns North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Parramatta Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

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.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
England 3.7% / 3.3%
Cairns North — England: 3.7% Parramatta Park — England: 3.3%
India 3.6% / 2.5%
Cairns North — India: 3.6% Parramatta Park — India: 2.5%
New Zealand 2.9% / 3.0%
Cairns North — New Zealand: 2.9% Parramatta Park — New Zealand: 3.0%
Japan 1.4% / 2.7%
Cairns North — Japan: 1.4% Parramatta Park — Japan: 2.7%
Philippines 1.8% / 1.7%
Cairns North — Philippines: 1.8% Parramatta Park — Philippines: 1.7%
China 1.4% / 1.8%
Cairns North — China: 1.4% Parramatta Park — China: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cairns North 81.4% flats / apartments
Cairns North — Flats / Apartments: 81.4% Cairns North — Townhouses: 4.4% Cairns North — Houses: 14.2%
Parramatta Park 5.3% flats / apartments
Parramatta Park — Flats / Apartments: 5.3% Parramatta Park — Townhouses: 59.5% Parramatta Park — Houses: 35.2%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Median house price $750,000 $748,750
Median unit price $432,500 $446,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 17 sales
 40 days
from 20 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
2 bed $720K / $670K
Cairns North — 2 bed: $720K (12 sales) Parramatta Park — 2 bed: $670K (9 sales)

12 vs 9 sales

3 bed $735K / $710K
Cairns North — 3 bed: $735K (10 sales) Parramatta Park — 3 bed: $710K (18 sales)

10 vs 18 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
1 bed $344K / $322K
Cairns North — 1 bed: $344K (58 sales) Parramatta Park — 1 bed: $322K (16 sales)

58 vs 16 sales

2 bed $452K / $460K
Cairns North — 2 bed: $452K (130 sales) Parramatta Park — 2 bed: $460K (73 sales)

130 vs 73 sales

3 bed $618K / $575K
Cairns North — 3 bed: $618K (30 sales) Parramatta Park — 3 bed: $575K (8 sales)

30 vs 8 sales

Development activity

Cairns North Parramatta Park
New dwellings approved 767
across Cairns
same for both
Approvals change year on year -81%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Houses 3.6%
$650/wk on $949K
 4.4%
$650/wk on $772K
Units 6.4%
$575/wk on $470K
 5.2%
$500/wk on $500K

Ranking within QLD

Cairns North Parramatta Park
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 42% of QLD Higher than 28% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 88% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 96% of QLD Higher than 95% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 75% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of QLD Higher than 72% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD

Liveability

Parramatta Park scores higher overall (46 vs 39).

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 46/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
97/100
 High
93/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
35/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 10
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Inside the suburb 2 4
Rated above peers 2
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cairns North

  • Cairns State High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Mother of Good Counsel School Catholic · Primary above peers

Schools in Parramatta Park

  • Parramatta State School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Augustine's College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Indie School, Logan - Parramatta Park Campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 14 2
Parks & reserves 8 3
Childcare 3 4
GPs 4 1
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 4 3
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Cairns North sits further from the CBD (1700.9 km vs 1698.1 km).

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Walkability score 82/100 79/100
Distance to Brisbane 1700.9 km 1698.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1174 min 1169 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 132.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 28.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 4870
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 4870
same for both

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.

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Car (driver) 58.4% / 60.3%
Cairns North — Car (driver): 58.4% Parramatta Park — Car (driver): 60.3%
Worked from Home 13.9% / 11.0%
Cairns North — Worked from Home: 13.9% Parramatta Park — Worked from Home: 11.0%
Walked Only 13.1% / 11.7%
Cairns North — Walked Only: 13.1% Parramatta Park — Walked Only: 11.7%
Car (passenger) 7.7% / 7.0%
Cairns North — Car (passenger): 7.7% Parramatta Park — Car (passenger): 7.0%
Bicycle 4.0% / 7.3%
Cairns North — Bicycle: 4.0% Parramatta Park — Bicycle: 7.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.3%).

Setting

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 203 m 1.4 km

NBN connectivity

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Connectivity score 87/100 97/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 62%
3,866 premises
 92%
2,093 premises

Climate

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Annual rainfall 2,121 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 18.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Cairns North Parramatta Park
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Average residential rate $1,354/yr
same for both
Council Cairns
same for both

Federal electorate

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Division Leichhardt
same for both
Member Matt Smith
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cairns North Parramatta Park
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cairns North

Affordable Apartments Coastal Multicultural Parks

Parramatta Park

Affordable Coastal Multicultural Parks River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cairns North

Cairns North vs Manunda Cairns North vs Whitfield Cairns North vs Edge Hill Cairns North vs Cairns City Cairns North vs Aeroglen Cairns North vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with Parramatta Park

Parramatta Park vs Manunda Parramatta Park vs Westcourt Parramatta Park vs Cairns City Parramatta Park vs Bungalow Parramatta Park vs Portsmith
Full data on Cairns North Full data on Parramatta Park
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or