Kuranda vs Speewah

Kuranda is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 51 in Speewah. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Speewah, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Kuranda tends to suit families with children, while Speewah suits couples.

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

Kuranda

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Speewah carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 89/100)

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

First-home buyers

Kuranda

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($304,500 vs $1,055,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kuranda

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 9%)
  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $325/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Kuranda

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (1208 min vs 1217 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1727.3 km vs 1735.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Speewah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 89/100)

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

Investors

Kuranda

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.8% vs -0.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kuranda Speewah
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.

Kuranda Speewah
Walkability 0 / 0
Kuranda — Walkability: 0/100 Speewah — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 11 / 68
Kuranda — Safety: 11/100 Speewah — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 42 / 33
Kuranda — Low fire risk: 42/100 Speewah — Low fire risk: 33/100

Demographics

Kuranda has more residents (3,273 vs 850); Speewah rents higher ($325/wk vs $260/wk).

Kuranda Speewah
Population 3,273
+74% vs other
 850
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.8% -0.6%
Median age 46 51
Median household income $66,768/yr $79,092/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $260/wk $325/wk
+25% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kuranda Speewah
0-4 4.8% / 3.4%
Kuranda — 0-4: 4.8% Speewah — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 13.7% / 11.1%
Kuranda — 5-14: 13.7% Speewah — 5-14: 11.1%
15-19 5.8% / 4.2%
Kuranda — 15-19: 5.8% Speewah — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 2.8% / 1.9%
Kuranda — 20-24: 2.8% Speewah — 20-24: 1.9%
25-34 8.3% / 6.7%
Kuranda — 25-34: 8.3% Speewah — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 12.6% / 12.1%
Kuranda — 35-44: 12.6% Speewah — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 14.4% / 15.5%
Kuranda — 45-54: 14.4% Speewah — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 17.4% / 22.9%
Kuranda — 55-64: 17.4% Speewah — 55-64: 22.9%
65-74 13.0% / 13.6%
Kuranda — 65-74: 13.0% Speewah — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 6.0% / 6.8%
Kuranda — 75-84: 6.0% Speewah — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 1.2% / 2.1%
Kuranda — 85+: 1.2% Speewah — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kuranda 33.3% couple families
Kuranda — Couple Families: 33.3% Kuranda — Lone Person: 40.9% Kuranda — One Parent Families: 17.9% Kuranda — Group Household: 6.0% Kuranda — Other Families: 1.9%
Speewah 45.9% couple families
Speewah — Couple Families: 45.9% Speewah — Lone Person: 37.8% Speewah — One Parent Families: 11.2% Speewah — Group Household: 5.1% Speewah — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kuranda 26.3% renting
Kuranda — Owned Outright: 39.7% Kuranda — Mortgage: 34.1% Kuranda — Renting: 26.3%
Speewah 8.7% renting
Speewah — Owned Outright: 44.6% Speewah — Mortgage: 46.7% Speewah — Renting: 8.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kuranda Speewah
Certificate III & IV 14.2% / 22.6%
Kuranda — Certificate III & IV: 14.2% Speewah — Certificate III & IV: 22.6%
Bachelor Degree 11.0% / 11.6%
Kuranda — Bachelor Degree: 11.0% Speewah — Bachelor Degree: 11.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 12.2%
Kuranda — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Speewah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.2%
Postgraduate Degree 3.5% / 4.1%
Kuranda — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5% Speewah — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.0%
Kuranda — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Speewah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

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.

Kuranda Speewah
England 5.6% / 9.3%
Kuranda — England: 5.6% Speewah — England: 9.3%
New Zealand 2.6% / 3.3%
Kuranda — New Zealand: 2.6% Speewah — New Zealand: 3.3%
Germany 1.6% / 2.6%
Kuranda — Germany: 1.6% Speewah — Germany: 2.6%
Netherlands 0.7% / 2.0%
Kuranda — Netherlands: 0.7% Speewah — Netherlands: 2.0%
France 0.5% / 0.8%
Kuranda — France: 0.5% Speewah — France: 0.8%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.7%
Kuranda — Scotland: 0.5% Speewah — Scotland: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kuranda 88.0% houses
Kuranda — Houses: 88.0% Kuranda — Flats / Apartments: 9.6% Kuranda — Townhouses: 2.4%
Speewah 97.4% houses
Speewah — Houses: 97.4% Speewah — Flats / Apartments: 2.6% Speewah — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Kuranda Speewah
Median house price $771,000 $745,000
Median unit price $253,000 —
Median land price $304,500 $1,055,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 54 days
from 36 sales
 —

Development activity

Kuranda Speewah
New dwellings approved 76
across Mareeba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -23%
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.

Kuranda Speewah
Houses 4.9%
$700/wk on $750K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Kuranda Speewah
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 33% of QLD Higher than 49% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 34% of QLD Higher than 16% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 71% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of QLD Higher than 42% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 88% of QLD —

Liveability

Speewah scores higher overall (29 vs 15).

Kuranda Speewah
Grade D
same for both
Score 15/100 29/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Kuranda carries more crime risk (89 vs 32).

Kuranda Speewah
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
67/100
Crime High
89/100
 Low
32/100
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

Kuranda Speewah
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
James Cook University - Cairns, 8.8 km
 None

Schools in Kuranda

  • Cairns Hinterland Steiner School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Kuranda District State College Government · Combined below peers

Schools in Speewah

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Kuranda Speewah
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 12 1
Childcare 3 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 33 5

Mobility

Speewah sits further from the CBD (1735.7 km vs 1727.3 km).

Kuranda Speewah
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1727.3 km 1735.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1208 min 1217 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4881
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 4881
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.

Kuranda Speewah
Car (driver) 68.6% / 67.1%
Kuranda — Car (driver): 68.6% Speewah — Car (driver): 67.1%
Worked from Home 22.7% / 24.7%
Kuranda — Worked from Home: 22.7% Speewah — Worked from Home: 24.7%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 4.9%
Kuranda — Car (passenger): 3.6% Speewah — Car (passenger): 4.9%
Walked Only 3.6% / 2.4%
Kuranda — Walked Only: 3.6% Speewah — Walked Only: 2.4%
Bus 0.6% / 0.9%
Kuranda — Bus: 0.6% Speewah — Bus: 0.9%
Bicycle 0.9% / —
Kuranda — Bicycle: 0.9% Speewah — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.6%).

Setting

Kuranda Speewah
Elevation 378 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 433 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.0 km 13.4 km

NBN connectivity

Kuranda Speewah
Connectivity score 53/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
1,647 premises
 0%
402 premises

Climate

Kuranda Speewah
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)

Kuranda Speewah
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Kuranda Speewah
Average residential rate $1,628/yr
same for both
Council Mareeba
same for both

Federal electorate

Kuranda Speewah
Division Leichhardt
same for both
Member Matt Smith
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kuranda Speewah
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kuranda

Acreage

Speewah

Acreage

More comparisons

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Kuranda vs Koah

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Speewah vs Koah
Full data on Kuranda Full data on Speewah
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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.

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