Queensland · Suburb Profile

Cairns City QLD — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Cairns City, Queensland. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Cairns City QLD is 3,616 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Cairns City is $907 per week ($47,164 per year). Median rent in Cairns City is $413 per week ($1,790 per month). Cairns City has a median age of 44 years, older than the national median of 38. Cairns City has a population density of 1992.6 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Cairns City is England. The most common religion is Not stated (42% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cairns City is $1,733.

Cairns City Map

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Cairns City Population

residents (Census 2021)

Cairns City Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$907/wk

$47,164 per year

#2048 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$413/wk

$1,790 per month

#1698 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

44years

6 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,733/mo

Avg household size: 1.9 · 0.9 per bedroom

Cairns City Demographics

Gender Split

Male 56.2% (2,031) Female 43.8% (1,581)

Population Density

1992.6

people per km²

3,616 people · 1.8 km²

Households

1.9

Avg household size

0.9

Persons per bedroom

$2,162

Family income/wk

Cairns City Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Cairns City Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

64.1% 262 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

35.9% 147 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Cairns City Country of Birth

Australia

78.0%

England

9.8%

India

3.6%

France

2.1%

Germany

1.5%

China

1.2%

Hong Kong

1.2%

Canada

0.9%

Chile

0.9%

Egypt

0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Cairns City Religion

Not stated

41.7%

No Religion

30.8%

Catholic

14.9%

Anglican

7.0%

Uniting Church

1.8%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

1.5%

Christian (other)

1.3%

Buddhism

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Cairns City Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

70.5%

Year 10 or equivalent

18.7%

Year 11 or equivalent

7.3%

Year 9 or equivalent

3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Cairns City Languages Spoken at Home

Other

24.5%

French

13.8%

Spanish

13.3%

Italian

11.7%

Mandarin

11.2%

Korean

10.6%

SAL Tot

8.0%

IAL Punjabi

6.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Cairns City Employment

💼

Employed full-time

38.8% 788 people

⏰

Employed part-time

21.0% 427 people

🔍

Unemployed

5.6% 114 people

🏠

Not in labour force

34.5% 700 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Cairns City Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

35.2%

Certificate III/IV

25.7%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

20.4%

Postgraduate Degree

12.3%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

4.4%

Certificate I/II

2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Cairns City Occupation

Professionals

32.0%

Managers

16.0%

Technicians & Trade Workers

13.6%

Community & Personal Service

12.8%

Clerical & Administrative

8.5%

Labourers

7.6%

Sales Workers

6.5%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Cairns City Field of Study

Management & Commerce

23.1%

Health

20.5%

Society & Culture

13.6%

Engineering

11.9%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

9.8%

Education

6.3%

Architecture & Building

4.2%

Creative Arts

3.7%

Natural & Physical Sciences

3.0%

Information Technology

2.3%

Agriculture & Environment

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Cairns City Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

70.4%

Separate house

29.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Cairns City Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.0%

$1-$149/wk

0.5%

$150-$299/wk

2.0%

$300-$399/wk

2.2%

$400-$499/wk

4.7%

$500-$649/wk

5.2%

$650-$799/wk

5.2%

$800-$999/wk

7.9%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

8.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.2%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.5%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

11.9%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

6.1%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

5.4%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

4.5%

$4,000+/wk

13.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Cairns City Marital Status

💍

Married

30.1% 1,034

↔️

Separated

3.8% 130

📋

Divorced

12.5% 430

🕊️

Widowed

3.6% 123

👤

Never married

50.0% 1,715

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Cairns City Ancestry

English

29.1%

Australian

15.5%

Other

14.4%

Irish

10.7%

Scottish

7.5%

Italian

5.4%

German

4.8%

Chinese

3.9%

Aboriginal Australianralian

2.8%

Indian

2.4%

French

2.0%

Filipino

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Cairns City School & University Attendance

Vocational Education

31.0%

Secondary — Government

21.9%

Primary — Government

17.1%

Primary — Catholic

8.6%

Secondary — Catholic

8.1%

Pre-school

7.1%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

3.3%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Cairns City Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

4.8% 216

✅

No need for assistance

95.2% 4,276

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Cairns City Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

16.0% 334

—

Not a volunteer

84.0% 1,752

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Cairns City Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

12.2%

$300-$449/mo

2.6%

$450-$599/mo

3.5%

$600-$799/mo

2.6%

$800-$999/mo

10.4%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

14.8%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

11.3%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

24.3%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

11.3%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Cairns City How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

37.6%

Walked only

26.5%

Did not go to work

22.0%

Car (passenger)

5.4%

Bicycle

3.6%

Other

1.9%

Bus

1.5%

Ferry

0.6%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.6%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Cairns City Car Ownership

0 vehicles

16.6%

1 vehicle

56.1%

2 vehicles

20.7%

3 vehicles

4.7%

4+ vehicles

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Cairns City Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

16.7%

2 bedrooms

43.9%

3 bedrooms

36.8%

4 bedrooms

2.2%

6+ bedrooms

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Cairns City Population Mobility

39.7%

moved in the last year

65.8%

moved in the last 5 years

8.0%

unemployment rate (Census)

40.7%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Cairns City Indigenous Population

4.9%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

222

Indigenous residents

4,276

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Cairns City Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

155

Arthritis

Asthma

Heart disease

Diabetes

Cancer

Lung condition

Kidney disease

Stroke

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Cairns City Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

7.8%

$1-$149/wk

2.3%

$150-$299/wk

5.1%

$300-$399/wk

4.9%

$400-$499/wk

4.5%

$500-$649/wk

4.4%

$650-$799/wk

9.0%

$800-$999/wk

11.9%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

11.7%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.8%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.0%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

11.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

2.7%

$3,500+/wk

5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Cairns City Family Structure

Couple — no children

60.4%

Couple — children under 15

22.7%

Couple — no children under 15

7.4%

One parent — children under 15

5.6%

One parent — no children under 15

3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Cairns City Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

1.2% 25

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.2% 4

🏅

Previously served

3.9% 81

👤

Never served

94.7% 1,984

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Cairns City Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

8.8% 184

—

Did not provide

91.2% 1,897

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Cairns City Children Ever Born

No children

52.2%

1 child

11.9%

2 children

21.7%

3 children

9.3%

4 children

4.3%

5+ children

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Cairns City When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

155

2011–2015

127

2016

2017

2018

2019

110

2020

2021

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Cairns City Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

23.5%

5–14 hours

26.9%

15–29 hours

8.0%

30+ hours

5.1%

Did not do domestic work

36.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Cairns City Household Size

1 person

38.9%

2 persons

43.0%

3 persons

10.7%

4 persons

5.8%

5 persons

1.3%

6+ persons

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Cairns City Where Residents Moved From

Same address

1,340

Moved from QLD

439

Moved — same area (SA2)

136

Moved from NSW

Moved from overseas

Moved from VIC

Moved from WA

Moved from NT

Moved from TAS

Moved from SA

Moved from ACT

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Cairns City Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

75.0%

Step family — no other children

17.4%

Other couple — children only

7.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Cairns City Schools

schools nearby

government

985

avg ICSEA score

11,931

total students

Mother of Good Counsel School Catholic

Primary · Prep-6 · 354 students

1091

ICSEA

St Augustine's College Catholic

Secondary · 7-12 · 777 students

1060

ICSEA

St Monica's College Catholic

Secondary · 7-12 · 697 students

1058

ICSEA

St Joseph's School Catholic

Primary · Prep-6 · 348 students

1029

ICSEA

Cairns School of Distance Education Government

Combined · Prep-12 · 3,692 students

1024

ICSEA

Cairns State High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 1,636 students

1019

ICSEA

The BUSY School Independent

Secondary · 11-12 · 1,780 students

975

ICSEA

Trinity Bay State High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 1,784 students

908

ICSEA

Parramatta State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 482 students

887

ICSEA

Balaclava State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 381 students

797

ICSEA

Mungalla Silver Lining School - Carins Temporary Facility Independent

Secondary

FNQ Vocational Academy Government

Secondary

Mastery Schools Australia - Cairns Campus Independent

Combined

Indie School, Logan - Parramatta Park Campus Independent

Secondary

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Cairns City with map →

Cairns City Rent Prices & Affordability

25%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,627/wk

Median Rent $413/wk

Rent-to-Income 25.4%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Cairns City

Your weekly income

≈ $7,050/month

Median rent $413/wk

Left after rent $1,214/wk

Rent share 25.4%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Glenlee (Qld)

Income: $858/wk Rent: $350/wk Save: $63/wk

Port Douglas

Income: $824/wk Rent: $350/wk Save: $63/wk

Camp Mountain

Income: $913/wk Rent: $390/wk Save: $23/wk

Barcaldine

Income: $869/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $213/wk

Mundingburra

Income: $727/wk Rent: $270/wk Save: $143/wk

Whitfield (Qld)

Income: $887/wk Rent: $340/wk Save: $73/wk

Mount Lofty

Income: $965/wk Rent: $340/wk Save: $73/wk

Wamuran

Income: $771/wk Rent: $345/wk Save: $68/wk

Cairns City vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in QLD

Drayton

Pop: 1,813 Income: $707/wk Rent: $290/wk

Healy

Pop: 1,824 Income: $1,421/wk Rent: $380/wk

Gailes

Pop: 1,831 Income: $571/wk Rent: $290/wk

Mundoolun

Pop: 1,836 Income: $860/wk Rent: $560/wk

Churchill (Qld)

Pop: 1,842 Income: $615/wk Rent: $300/wk

Woorim

Pop: 1,843 Income: $577/wk Rent: $340/wk

Compare Cairns City

Cairns City vs Drayton →Cairns City vs Healy →Cairns City vs Gailes →Cairns City vs Mundoolun →

Frequently Asked Questions About Cairns City

What is the population of Cairns City QLD?

The population of Cairns City QLD is 3,616 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 1992.6 people per km².Cairns City is ranked #2,089 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Cairns City?

The median personal income in Cairns City QLD is $907 per week, or $47,164 per year.The median household income is $1,627 per week.Family income is $2,162 per week.Cairns City is ranked #2,048 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Cairns City?

Median rent in Cairns City QLD is $413 per week ($1,790 per month).Rent represents 25.4% of household income, which is considered moderate.Cairns City ranks #1,698 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Cairns City?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cairns City QLD is $1,733. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Cairns City?

The median age in Cairns City QLD is 44 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Cairns City a good suburb to live in?

Cairns City is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 3,616.The median income is $907/wk, which is above the QLD average of $759/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 30478. All dollar figures in AUD.