Manoora vs Whitfield

Manoora is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 45 in Whitfield. In Manoora, most households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In Whitfield, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Whitfield: a median of $862,000, against $565,000 in Manoora, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Manoora tends to suit renters and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Whitfield

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (79% vs 39%)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 42%)

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

First-home buyers

Manoora

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($565,000 vs $861,500)
  • has cheaper units ($380,000 vs $520,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Manoora

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (61% vs 31%)
  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $340/wk)
  • But Whitfield leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 26%)

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

Commuting to the city

Manoora

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 38/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (1170 min vs 1177 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1698.3 km vs 1701.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Manoora

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (61% vs 21%)
  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 38/100)
  • But Whitfield has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Manoora

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.5% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Manoora Whitfield
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.

Manoora Whitfield
Walkability 82 / 38
Manoora — Walkability: 82/100 Whitfield — Walkability: 38/100
Safety 7 / 22
Manoora — Safety: 7/100 Whitfield — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 100 / 46
Manoora — Low fire risk: 100/100 Whitfield — Low fire risk: 46/100

Demographics

Whitfield has higher household incomes ($87,412 vs $54,808); Manoora has more residents (6,175 vs 4,262).

Manoora Whitfield
Population 6,175
+31% vs other
 4,262
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.5% -0.3%
Median age 36 45
Median household income $54,808/yr $87,412/yr
+59% vs other
Median weekly rent $270/wk $340/wk
+26% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Manoora Whitfield
0-4 6.9% / 3.6%
Manoora — 0-4: 6.9% Whitfield — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 13.5% / 13.0%
Manoora — 5-14: 13.5% Whitfield — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 5.6% / 5.7%
Manoora — 15-19: 5.6% Whitfield — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 7.4% / 3.3%
Manoora — 20-24: 7.4% Whitfield — 20-24: 3.3%
25-34 14.8% / 11.6%
Manoora — 25-34: 14.8% Whitfield — 25-34: 11.6%
35-44 13.0% / 12.1%
Manoora — 35-44: 13.0% Whitfield — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 12.2% / 16.3%
Manoora — 45-54: 12.2% Whitfield — 45-54: 16.3%
55-64 11.9% / 13.0%
Manoora — 55-64: 11.9% Whitfield — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 8.8% / 10.4%
Manoora — 65-74: 8.8% Whitfield — 65-74: 10.4%
75-84 4.6% / 6.7%
Manoora — 75-84: 4.6% Whitfield — 75-84: 6.7%
85+ 1.4% / 4.1%
Manoora — 85+: 1.4% Whitfield — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Manoora 49.0% lone person
Manoora — Lone Person: 49.0% Manoora — Couple Families: 19.0% Manoora — One Parent Families: 23.5% Manoora — Group Household: 6.3% Manoora — Other Families: 2.2%
Whitfield 42.0% lone person
Whitfield — Lone Person: 42.0% Whitfield — Couple Families: 34.2% Whitfield — One Parent Families: 16.9% Whitfield — Group Household: 6.1% Whitfield — Other Families: 0.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Manoora 61.3% renting
Manoora — Owned Outright: 17.1% Manoora — Mortgage: 21.6% Manoora — Renting: 61.3%
Whitfield 31.0% renting
Whitfield — Owned Outright: 33.9% Whitfield — Mortgage: 35.2% Whitfield — Renting: 31.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Manoora Whitfield
England 2.3% / 4.5%
Manoora — England: 2.3% Whitfield — England: 4.5%
New Zealand 2.8% / 2.6%
Manoora — New Zealand: 2.8% Whitfield — New Zealand: 2.6%
Japan 1.5% / 1.3%
Manoora — Japan: 1.5% Whitfield — Japan: 1.3%
Philippines 1.6% / 1.1%
Manoora — Philippines: 1.6% Whitfield — Philippines: 1.1%
India 1.3% / 1.0%
Manoora — India: 1.3% Whitfield — India: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

Qualifications

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

Manoora Whitfield
Certificate III & IV 14.8% / 14.6%
Manoora — Certificate III & IV: 14.8% Whitfield — Certificate III & IV: 14.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.2% / 16.3%
Manoora — Bachelor Degree: 7.2% Whitfield — Bachelor Degree: 16.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 8.5%
Manoora — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Whitfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 5.5%
Manoora — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Whitfield — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 3.1%
Manoora — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Whitfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Manoora 38.6% houses
Manoora — Houses: 38.6% Manoora — Flats / Apartments: 47.8% Manoora — Townhouses: 13.6%
Whitfield 78.9% houses
Whitfield — Houses: 78.9% Whitfield — Flats / Apartments: 1.9% Whitfield — Townhouses: 19.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Manoora Whitfield
Median house price $565,000 $861,500
Median unit price $380,000 $520,000
Median land price — $517,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 32 sales
 23 days
from 29 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.

Manoora Whitfield
2 bed $432K / $562K
Manoora — 2 bed: $432K (8 sales) Whitfield — 2 bed: $562K (8 sales)

8 vs 8 sales

3 bed $585K / $800K
Manoora — 3 bed: $585K (43 sales) Whitfield — 3 bed: $800K (19 sales)

43 vs 19 sales

4 bed $610K / $940K
Manoora — 4 bed: $610K (9 sales) Whitfield — 4 bed: $940K (28 sales)

9 vs 28 sales

Development activity

Manoora Whitfield
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.

Manoora Whitfield
Houses 5.5%
$610/wk on $580K
 3.9%
$660/wk on $880K
Units 6.2%
$472/wk on $399K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Manoora Whitfield
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 17% of QLD Higher than 61% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 96% of QLD Higher than 84% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 75% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 96% of QLD Higher than 48% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 91% of QLD —

Liveability

Manoora is more walkable (82 vs 38); Whitfield scores higher overall (35 vs 27).

Manoora Whitfield
Grade D C
Score 27/100 35/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Whitfield carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 0); Manoora carries more crime risk (93 vs 78).

Manoora Whitfield
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
54/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
78/100
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 11
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Manoora Whitfield
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
James Cook University - Cairns, 9.1 km

Schools in Manoora

  • Holy Spirit College - Manoora Campus Catholic · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Whitfield

  • Whitfield State School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Manoora Whitfield
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 7 9
Childcare 2
same for both
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 2
same for both

Mobility

Whitfield sits further from the CBD (1701.7 km vs 1698.3 km).

Manoora Whitfield
Walkability score 82/100 38/100
Distance to Brisbane 1698.3 km 1701.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1170 min 1177 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 57/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 29.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 12.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

Manoora Whitfield
Car (driver) 74.6% / 70.6%
Manoora — Car (driver): 74.6% Whitfield — Car (driver): 70.6%
Worked from Home 10.5% / 18.7%
Manoora — Worked from Home: 10.5% Whitfield — Worked from Home: 18.7%
Car (passenger) 7.4% / 5.8%
Manoora — Car (passenger): 7.4% Whitfield — Car (passenger): 5.8%
Bicycle 2.0% / 2.7%
Manoora — Bicycle: 2.0% Whitfield — Bicycle: 2.7%
Walked Only 2.9% / 1.2%
Manoora — Walked Only: 2.9% Whitfield — Walked Only: 1.2%
Bus 2.6% / 0.9%
Manoora — Bus: 2.6% Whitfield — Bus: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.6%).

Setting

Manoora Whitfield
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 42 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.2 km 3.1 km

NBN connectivity

Manoora Whitfield
Connectivity score 79/100 91/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
3,123 premises
 82%
2,116 premises

Climate

Manoora Whitfield
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)

Manoora Whitfield
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Manoora Whitfield
Average residential rate $1,354/yr
same for both
Council Cairns
same for both

Federal electorate

Manoora Whitfield
Division Leichhardt
same for both
Member Matt Smith
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Manoora Whitfield
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Manoora

Affordable Apartments Parks River

Whitfield

Parks Professionals Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Manoora

Manoora vs Mooroobool Manoora vs Manunda Manoora vs Edge Hill Manoora vs Kanimbla

Other comparisons with Whitfield

Whitfield vs Brinsmead Whitfield vs Cairns North Whitfield vs Edge Hill Whitfield vs Kanimbla Whitfield vs Stratford Whitfield vs Aeroglen
Full data on Manoora Full data on Whitfield
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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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