Cooktown QLD 4895
Cooktown is a town in Queensland, 2,034 km from Brisbane CBD, around 23 hours 30 minutes by car. Population is 2,746; the median age is 44 and the median household income is $63,180 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The town grew 4.4% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $230 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Cooktown is characterised by high crime risk and high bushfire risk. 3 schools sit within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Cooktown a good town?
Cooktown scores a D (14/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on schools, transit, safety, and community.
Below the state average
3 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 2033.9 km · 1411 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $444K
High bushfire risk
Fire 86/100 · Crime 87/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 44 · 2,746 residents
Liveability Rating
14 / 100 · Ranked #1066 in QLDEach bar is Cooktown's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
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 Cooktown?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
14 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataCooktown's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $444,000, roughly 18% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$444,500
Based on 18 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $321K
- 3 bed 7 sales $465K
Land
$180,000
Based on only 8 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Cooktown are currently listed at around $594,000 on average, with the typical listing on the market for 5 days. Based on 22 houses listed in the past six months.
$594K
22 houses listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 5 days.
23 of the suburb's 986 dwellings (2.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- All rentals
- $250/wk
- 12 bonds
- +33% 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.
Is Cooktown safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Cooktown sits in the high band, with 141 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 38% on the prior year.
141 offences
38.2% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202423 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 2 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town 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
- 27.7 km
- Rate
- -0.40 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -12.4 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Cooktown, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 664 students across 3 schools (avg 221)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 811-991, median 838 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Cooktown State School (376 students)
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Cooktown is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 1 supermarket, 24 parks and 7 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Cooktown.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 29%
- Premises covered
- 1,318
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
Cook: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 7 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the town closely.
Cooktown is home to about 2,700 residents, with a median age of 44, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $63,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,746
Median Age
44
Median Household Income
$63,180/yr
Census Median Rent
$230/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$35,256/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
19.7%
Total Dwellings
986
Owner-Occupier Rate
60.8%
Houses
85.4%
Rental Stress
18.9%
Mortgage Stress
24.7%
Work From Home
9.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
67 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 24 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 352 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 70.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 74.7%
- Employment Rate
- 47.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 30.5%
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.
37 residents (1.3%) 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.
3.9% of residents (100) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (58).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,594 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
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,277 a year through Cook based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Cook
In the year to August 2026, 25 new dwellings were approved across Cook. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 50.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Guugu Yimidhirr.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. Native title over this area has been determined.
Setting
- Elevation
- 250 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 27.7 km
Elevation is the ground at the town 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 4895, 0 of 3,673 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.5% (18 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4895, 643 rooftop-solar systems totalling 5.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,878 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 57 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
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 $444,500 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 town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by David Kempton Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | David Kempton LNP | 55.0% |
| 2020 | Cynthia Lui ALP | 56.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Cooktown?
Every figure above is a town 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 2,746 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.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Cooktown to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Cooktown
Is Cooktown a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Cooktown is high (87/100, 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 Cooktown?
Cooktown has a high recorded bushfire history (86/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Cooktown a good place to live?
Cooktown has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (14/100), 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 Cooktown?
Cooktown, QLD had a population of 2,746 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Cooktown, QLD?
The postcode for Cooktown, QLD is 4895.
How far is Cooktown from Brisbane?
Cooktown is 2,034 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 1411 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Cooktown?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Cooktown was $63,180 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 Cooktown?
There are too few current rental listings in Cooktown for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $230, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Cooktown?
The median age of residents in Cooktown was 44 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Cooktown at risk of bushfire?
Cooktown has a high recorded bushfire history (86/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Cooktown?
There are 3 schools inside the Cooktown boundary: 2 at and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Cooktown?
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 Cooktown belong to?
Cooktown sits within the Cook local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Cooktown?
The average residential rates bill through Cook is $1,277 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Cooktown?
Across Cook, 25 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 50.0% 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 Cooktown in?
Cooktown 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
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- 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.