Woree vs Portsmith

Portsmith is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 38 in Woree. In Woree, about half of households rent. In Portsmith, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. Units cost more in Portsmith: a median of $690,000, against $331,000 in Woree. On these figures, Woree tends to suit renters, families with children, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Portsmith suits young adults, people living alone, and share households.

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

Woree

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Woree

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 54%)
  • has cheaper units ($331,000 vs $690,000)

Weighs unit prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Woree

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 37%)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (53% vs 40%)

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

Commuting to the city

Woree

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (64/100 vs 6/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (1164 min vs 1169 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1693 km vs 1697.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Woree

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (64/100 vs 6/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Portsmith

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.8% vs 6.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Woree Portsmith
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.

Woree Portsmith
Walkability 64 / 6
Woree — Walkability: 64/100 Portsmith — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 9 / 1
Woree — Safety: 9/100 Portsmith — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Woree — Low fire risk: 100/100 Portsmith — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Woree has more residents (5,127 vs 314); Woree has higher household incomes ($59,904 vs $38,948).

Woree Portsmith
Population 5,127
+94% vs other
 314
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.3% +20.8%
Median age 38 35
Median household income $59,904/yr
+35% vs other
 $38,948/yr
Median weekly rent $280/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Woree Portsmith
0-4 5.9% / 2.9%
Woree — 0-4: 5.9% Portsmith — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 12.5% / 9.6%
Woree — 5-14: 12.5% Portsmith — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 5.8% / 8.9%
Woree — 15-19: 5.8% Portsmith — 15-19: 8.9%
20-24 7.0% / 16.6%
Woree — 20-24: 7.0% Portsmith — 20-24: 16.6%
25-34 13.7% / 14.3%
Woree — 25-34: 13.7% Portsmith — 25-34: 14.3%
35-44 12.9% / 9.9%
Woree — 35-44: 12.9% Portsmith — 35-44: 9.9%
45-54 13.0% / 15.6%
Woree — 45-54: 13.0% Portsmith — 45-54: 15.6%
55-64 12.6% / 12.7%
Woree — 55-64: 12.6% Portsmith — 55-64: 12.7%
65-74 11.0% / 8.6%
Woree — 65-74: 11.0% Portsmith — 65-74: 8.6%
75-84 4.5% / 4.1%
Woree — 75-84: 4.5% Portsmith — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 1.1% / 1.6%
Woree — 85+: 1.1% Portsmith — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Woree 41.8% lone person
Woree — Lone Person: 41.8% Woree — Couple Families: 25.4% Woree — One Parent Families: 25.5% Woree — Group Household: 5.9% Woree — Other Families: 1.4%
Portsmith 69.2% lone person
Portsmith — Lone Person: 69.2% Portsmith — Couple Families: 11.5% Portsmith — One Parent Families: 0.0% Portsmith — Group Household: 19.2% Portsmith — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Woree 53.4% renting
Woree — Owned Outright: 22.8% Woree — Mortgage: 23.7% Woree — Renting: 53.4%
Portsmith 40.0% renting
Portsmith — Owned Outright: 51.4% Portsmith — Mortgage: 8.6% Portsmith — Renting: 40.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Woree Portsmith
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 8.9%
Woree — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Portsmith — Certificate III & IV: 8.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.3% / 4.1%
Woree — Bachelor Degree: 6.3% Portsmith — Bachelor Degree: 4.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 4.1%
Woree — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Portsmith — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 1.6%
Woree — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Portsmith — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / —
Woree — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Portsmith — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

Woree Portsmith
Philippines 2.6% / 1.9%
Woree — Philippines: 2.6% Portsmith — Philippines: 1.9%
England 2.1% / 2.2%
Woree — England: 2.1% Portsmith — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 2.4% / 1.0%
Woree — New Zealand: 2.4% Portsmith — New Zealand: 1.0%
China 0.5% / 1.9%
Woree — China: 0.5% Portsmith — China: 1.9%
India 1.5% / —
Woree — India: 1.5% Portsmith — India: not among its largest
Scotland — / 1.0%
Woree — Scotland: not among its largest Portsmith — Scotland: 1.0%
Thailand 0.7% / —
Woree — Thailand: 0.7% Portsmith — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Woree 48.3% houses
Woree — Houses: 48.3% Woree — Flats / Apartments: 27.3% Woree — Townhouses: 24.4%
Portsmith 57.1% houses
Portsmith — Houses: 57.1% Portsmith — Flats / Apartments: 42.9% Portsmith — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Woree Portsmith
Median house price $683,000 —
Median unit price $331,000 $690,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 28 sales
 —

Development activity

Woree Portsmith
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.

Woree Portsmith
Houses 4.7%
$600/wk on $670K
 —
Units 7.3%
$450/wk on $322K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Woree Portsmith
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 24% of QLD Higher than 4% of QLD
Schools Higher than 99% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 90% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 63% of QLD Higher than 75% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 81% of QLD —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 96% of QLD —

Liveability

Woree is more walkable (64 vs 6).

Woree Portsmith
Grade C —
Score 44/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Woree Portsmith
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
91/100
 High
99/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
48/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Woree Portsmith
Inside the suburb 5 0
Rated above peers 4 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Woree

  • St Gerard Majella Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Mary's Catholic College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Woree State High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Woree State School Government · Primary above peers
  • Cairns State Special School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Portsmith

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

Amenities in the suburb

Woree Portsmith
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 6 0
Childcare 6 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 3
same for both
Waterways 8 2

Mobility

Portsmith sits further from the CBD (1697.2 km vs 1693 km).

Woree Portsmith
Walkability score 64/100 6/100
Distance to Brisbane 1693 km 1697.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1164 min 1169 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 31/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 65.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 28 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 4868
 0.7%
postcode 4870
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4868
 45
postcode 4870

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.

Woree Portsmith
Car (driver) 74.6% / 42.4%
Woree — Car (driver): 74.6% Portsmith — Car (driver): 42.4%
Walked Only 1.8% / 33.3%
Woree — Walked Only: 1.8% Portsmith — Walked Only: 33.3%
Worked from Home 12.1% / 12.1%
Woree — Worked from Home: 12.1% Portsmith — Worked from Home: 12.1%
Car (passenger) 8.2% / 12.1%
Woree — Car (passenger): 8.2% Portsmith — Car (passenger): 12.1%
Bus 2.3% / —
Woree — Bus: 2.3% Portsmith — Bus: not among its largest

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

Setting

Woree Portsmith
Elevation 21 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 -5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.8 km 1.2 km

NBN connectivity

Woree Portsmith
Connectivity score 62/100 97/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 32%
2,543 premises
 93%
956 premises

Climate

Woree Portsmith
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)

Woree Portsmith
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Woree Portsmith
Average residential rate $1,354/yr
same for both
Council Cairns
same for both

Federal electorate

Woree Portsmith
Division Leichhardt Kennedy
Member Matt Smith Bob Katter
Party Australian Labor Party Katter's Australian Party (KAP)

First Home Owner Grant

Woree Portsmith
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Woree

Townhouses

Portsmith

Coastal Multicultural Rural Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Woree

Woree vs Mount Sheridan Woree vs White Rock Woree vs Earlville Woree vs Bayview Heights Woree vs Bungalow

Other comparisons with Portsmith

Portsmith vs Edmonton Portsmith vs White Rock Portsmith vs Parramatta Park Portsmith vs Cairns City Portsmith vs Bungalow Portsmith vs East Trinity
Full data on Woree Full data on Portsmith
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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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