Cairns North QLD 4870
Cairns North is a suburb in Queensland, 1,701 km from Brisbane CBD, around 19 hours 35 minutes by car. Population is 5,334; the median age is 37 and the median household income is $72,904 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 2.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $340 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Cairns North is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. All 2 schools within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Cairns North a good suburb?
Cairns North scores a C (39/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
2 schools · 2 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 82/100 · 1700.9 km · 1174 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $750K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 97/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 37 · 5,334 residents
Liveability Rating
39 / 100 · Ranked #771 in QLDEach bar is Cairns North's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
Flood data for Queensland covers only the areas mapped there — a blank here is not an all-clear.
How do you rate the liveability in Cairns North?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
39 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataCairns North's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $432,000, roughly 17% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$432,500
3% below its 5 neighbours (median $446,000)
Based on 218 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 84 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 58 sales $344K
- 2 bed 130 sales $452K
- 3 bed 30 sales $618K
Houses
$750,000
13% below its 5 neighbours (median $861,500)
Based on 32 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 26 days — median across 17 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 12 sales $720K
- 3 bed 10 sales $735K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Cairns North are currently listed at around $949,000 on average, with the typical listing on the market for 1 days. Based on 7 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$949K
7 houses listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 1 days.
Units
$470K
63 units listed in the last 6 months.
70 of the suburb's 2,058 dwellings (3.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Cairns North rent for around $650 a week on average, based on 9 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$650/wk
9 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$575/wk
15% above its 3 neighbours (median $500/wk)
45 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
54 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,344 rented homes (4.0%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 2-bed units
- $550/wk
- 69 bonds
- +50% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025118 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 25% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4870.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$650/week ($34,000 a year) on a $949,000 median
Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.
$575/week ($30,000 a year) on a $470,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Cairns North safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Cairns North sits in the high band, with 887 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 28% on the prior year. The longer-run trend has eased steadily across the available years.
887 offences
27.6% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202465 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.1 km
- Rate
- -0.26 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -19.7 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Two schools serve Cairns North, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Cairns State High School and Mother of Good Counsel School lead the pack.
- • 1,990 students across 2 schools (avg 995)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1019-1091, median 1055 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Cairns State High School (1,636 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Cairns North is very walkable on foot — at 82/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 8 parks and 14 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Cairns North.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 132.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 109.6 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 82.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 17.8 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Cairns North.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 62%
- Premises covered
- 3,866
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Cairns: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 12 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Cairns North is home to about 5,300 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $73,000 a year, with unemployment at 7.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
5,334
Median Age
37
Median Household Income
$72,904/yr
Census Median Rent
$340/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
1.9
Median Personal Income
$45,396/yr
Unemployment Rate
7.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
28.4%
Total Dwellings
2,058
Owner-Occupier Rate
34.7%
Houses
14.2%
Rental Stress
24.3%
Mortgage Stress
21.4%
Work From Home
13.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
88 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 9 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,309 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 50.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 59.3%
- Employment Rate
- 55.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 50.5%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
546 residents (10.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
10.6% of residents (544) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (176).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 5,125 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (26 of 2,604).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 6,885 people work here; 2,604 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 2.6 jobs for every working resident. At least 62% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,354 a year through Cairns based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Cairns
In the year to August 2026, 767 new dwellings were approved across Cairns. That mix is 681 houses and 86 units. Approvals are down 81.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Gimuy Walubara Yidinji People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. A native title claim over this area is registered with the Federal Court.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 2 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 18.6 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 4.
From the Woree (Cairns, Far North Queensland) monitoring station, 6.7 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Cairns Aero, 3.9 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 6 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 203 m
- Annual rainfall
- 2,121 mm
- 120 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 31.9°C
- 4 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 18.1°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
10 facilities within 5 km- 1.2 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Ethylbenzene
- 2.3 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 3.2 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Cyclohexane
- 3.3 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Cyclohexane
- 3.4 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
EV adoption
In postcode 4870, 450 of 60,353 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.3% (2,614 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4870, 13,795 rooftop-solar systems totalling 116.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 30,421 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 1,132 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this suburb, 51 across postcode 4870.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $432,500 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Matt Smith Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Matt Smith | 56.1% | 43.9% | +9.5 |
| 2022 | Warren Entsch | 46.6% | 53.4% | -0.7 |
| 2019 | Warren Entsch | 45.8% | 54.2% | +0.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Michael Healy Australian Labor Party (State of Queensland)
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Michael Healy ALP | 52.5% |
| 2020 | Michael Healy ALP | 55.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Cairns North?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 5,334 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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- #5 in Sportiest Cairns suburbs
- #6 in Cairns suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #6 in Cairns suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #6 in Cairns suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #7 in Best Cairns suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #7 in Cairns's most educated suburbs
- #7 in Cairns suburbs with the best public transport
- #15 in Where the British community lives in Cairns
Nearby suburbs
Manunda QLD 4870
Whitfield QLD 4870
Edge Hill QLD 4870
Parramatta Park QLD 4870
Cairns City QLD 4870
Aeroglen QLD 4870
Compare Cairns North to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Cairns North
Is Cairns North a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Cairns North is high (97/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Cairns North?
Cairns North has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Cairns North a good place to live?
Cairns North has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (39/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Cairns North?
Cairns North, QLD had a population of 5,334 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Cairns North, QLD?
The postcode for Cairns North, QLD is 4870.
How far is Cairns North from Brisbane?
Cairns North is 1,701 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 1174 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Cairns North?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Cairns North was $72,904 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Cairns North?
The median advertised rent in Cairns North is $650 a week for houses (9 listings) and $575 a week for units (45 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Cairns North?
The median age of residents in Cairns North was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Cairns North?
There are 2 schools inside the Cairns North boundary: 2 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Cairns North walkable?
Cairns North scores 82/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Cairns North?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Cairns North (Woree (Cairns, Far North Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 18.6 µg/m³. That puts Cairns North below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Cairns North?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Cairns North, Cairns Aero (3.9 km away), summer days average 31.9°C, winter nights 18.1°C, 2,121 mm of rain a year over 120 rainy days, and 4 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Cairns North?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Cairns North belong to?
Cairns North sits within the Cairns local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Cairns North?
The average residential rates bill through Cairns is $1,354 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Cairns North?
Across Cairns, 767 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 81.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Cairns North in?
Cairns North sits within the federal Division of Leichhardt, currently held by Matt Smith (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.