Queensland · Suburb Profile

Cairns North QLD — Suburb Profile

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

The population of Cairns North QLD is 5,334 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Cairns North is $873 per week ($45,396 per year). Median rent in Cairns North is $340 per week ($1,473 per month). Cairns North has a median age of 37 years, younger than the national median of 38. Cairns North has a population density of 1929.4 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Cairns North is India. The most common religion is No Religion (44% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cairns North is $1,300.

Cairns North Map

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Cairns North Population

residents (Census 2021)

Cairns North Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$873/wk

$45,396 per year

#2461 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$340/wk

$1,473 per month

#3592 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

37years

1 years younger than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,300/mo

Avg household size: 1.9 · 0.9 per bedroom

Cairns North Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.9% (2,717) Female 49.1% (2,617)

Population Density

1929.4

people per km²

5,334 people · 2.8 km²

Households

1.9

Avg household size

0.9

Persons per bedroom

$1,838

Family income/wk

Cairns North 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 North Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

47.4% 330 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

52.6% 366 dwellings

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

Cairns North Country of Birth

Australia

82.3%

India

6.2%

England

6.0%

China

1.5%

Germany

1.2%

Brazil

0.6%

Canada

0.6%

France

0.6%

Indonesia

0.6%

Chile

0.4%

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

Cairns North Religion

No Religion

43.8%

Not stated

21.4%

Catholic

16.8%

Anglican

7.6%

Buddhism

2.9%

Christian (other)

2.9%

Other Religions Tot

2.4%

Uniting Church

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Cairns North Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

73.8%

Year 10 or equivalent

14.9%

Year 11 or equivalent

8.2%

Year 9 or equivalent

3.0%

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

Cairns North Languages Spoken at Home

Other

29.3%

IAL Punjabi

15.1%

Mandarin

12.4%

SAL Tot

10.2%

Australian Indigenous

9.7%

Malayalam

8.9%

Spanish

8.2%

Japan

6.2%

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

Cairns North Employment

💼

Employed full-time

40.2% 1,500 people

⏰

Employed part-time

25.4% 948 people

🔍

Unemployed

5.6% 209 people

🏠

Not in labour force

28.7% 1,071 people

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

Cairns North Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

35.1%

Certificate III/IV

25.8%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

19.7%

Postgraduate Degree

11.8%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

5.2%

Certificate I/II

2.4%

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

Cairns North Occupation

Professionals

34.2%

Community & Personal Service

18.4%

Managers

12.2%

Technicians & Trade Workers

11.7%

Clerical & Administrative

8.0%

Sales Workers

5.7%

Labourers

5.7%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

4.2%

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

Cairns North Field of Study

Management & Commerce

21.4%

Health

20.9%

Society & Culture

16.0%

Engineering

11.6%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

8.5%

Education

5.9%

Architecture & Building

3.9%

Creative Arts

3.9%

Natural & Physical Sciences

3.5%

Agriculture & Environment

2.4%

Information Technology

2.2%

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

Cairns North Dwelling Types

Separate house

76.6%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

19.9%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Cairns North Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.3%

$1-$149/wk

1.2%

$150-$299/wk

2.3%

$300-$399/wk

3.6%

$400-$499/wk

6.1%

$500-$649/wk

5.4%

$650-$799/wk

6.2%

$800-$999/wk

8.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

7.9%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

11.1%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

8.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.6%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

12.8%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

5.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

5.6%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.0%

$4,000+/wk

5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Cairns North Marital Status

💍

Married

24.9% 1,175

↔️

Separated

4.9% 232

📋

Divorced

12.3% 580

🕊️

Widowed

3.3% 155

👤

Never married

54.5% 2,570

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Cairns North Ancestry

English

23.8%

Other

21.5%

Australian

16.3%

Irish

9.6%

Scottish

7.1%

Aboriginal Australianralian

4.9%

German

4.3%

Italian

3.5%

Chinese

3.1%

Indian

2.5%

Filipino

2.1%

Dutch

1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Cairns North School & University Attendance

Secondary — Government

31.0%

Vocational Education

25.0%

Primary — Government

21.4%

Primary — Catholic

10.5%

Pre-school

6.8%

Secondary — Catholic

4.3%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

0.5%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

0.5%

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

Cairns North Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

5.0% 443

✅

No need for assistance

95.0% 8,390

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

Cairns North Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

15.5% 596

—

Not a volunteer

84.5% 3,255

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Cairns North Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

4.0%

$300-$449/mo

3.4%

$450-$599/mo

2.5%

$600-$799/mo

7.4%

$800-$999/mo

11.7%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

26.2%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

22.8%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

15.4%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

5.2%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Cairns North How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

51.7%

Did not go to work

19.4%

Walked only

11.6%

Car (passenger)

6.8%

Bicycle

3.6%

Bus

2.4%

Other

1.7%

Taxi/Rideshare

1.3%

Motorbike/Scooter

1.2%

Truck

0.3%

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

Cairns North Car Ownership

0 vehicles

15.2%

1 vehicle

56.4%

2 vehicles

21.1%

3 vehicles

4.4%

4+ vehicles

2.9%

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

Cairns North Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

18.1%

2 bedrooms

55.6%

3 bedrooms

20.9%

4 bedrooms

2.6%

5 bedrooms

1.1%

6+ bedrooms

1.6%

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

Cairns North Population Mobility

35.4%

moved in the last year

71.2%

moved in the last 5 years

7.4%

unemployment rate (Census)

59.6%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Cairns North Indigenous Population

10.1%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

899

Indigenous residents

8,001

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Cairns North Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

424

Arthritis

140

Asthma

112

Heart disease

100

Diabetes

Lung condition

Cancer

Kidney disease

Stroke

Dementia

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

Cairns North Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

7.4%

$1-$149/wk

3.2%

$150-$299/wk

5.5%

$300-$399/wk

3.8%

$400-$499/wk

4.0%

$500-$649/wk

4.5%

$650-$799/wk

10.3%

$800-$999/wk

12.8%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

12.7%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.7%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

8.4%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.7%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

8.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.5%

$3,500+/wk

2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Cairns North Family Structure

Couple — no children

37.5%

Couple — children under 15

33.9%

One parent — children under 15

14.3%

One parent — no children under 15

7.7%

Couple — no children under 15

6.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Cairns North Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

1.9% 74

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.4% 15

🏅

Previously served

3.0% 118

👤

Never served

94.6% 3,662

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Cairns North Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

8.6% 329

—

Did not provide

91.4% 3,503

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Cairns North Children Ever Born

No children

54.3%

1 child

15.0%

2 children

18.4%

3 children

7.1%

4 children

4.1%

5+ children

1.1%

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

Cairns North When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

141

1991–2000

154

2001–2010

356

2011–2015

313

2016

2017

2018

2019

162

2020

105

2021

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

Cairns North Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

24.9%

5–14 hours

27.9%

15–29 hours

8.6%

30+ hours

4.7%

Did not do domestic work

33.9%

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

Cairns North Household Size

1 person

45.8%

2 persons

33.5%

3 persons

11.8%

4 persons

6.1%

5 persons

1.6%

6+ persons

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Cairns North Where Residents Moved From

Same address

2,833

Moved from QLD

827

Moved — same area (SA2)

308

Moved from NSW

Moved from VIC

Moved from overseas

Moved from NT

Moved from SA

Moved from WA

Moved from ACT

Moved from TAS

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

Cairns North Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

79.4%

Step family — no other children

15.2%

Blended family — no other children

3.9%

Intact family — other children present

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Cairns North Schools

schools nearby

government

984

avg ICSEA score

13,277

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

Edge Hill State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 864 students

1016

ICSEA

The BUSY School Independent

Secondary · 11-12 · 1,780 students

975

ICSEA

St Francis Xavier's School Catholic

Primary · Prep-6 · 382 students

953

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

Cairns West State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 481 students

784

ICSEA

Mungalla Silver Lining School - Carins Temporary Facility Independent

Secondary

Indie School, Logan - Parramatta Park Campus Independent

Secondary

FNQ Vocational Academy Government

Secondary

Showing 15 of 17 schools

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

View all schools in Cairns North with map →

Cairns North Rent Prices & Affordability

24%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $1,402/wk

Median Rent $340/wk

Rent-to-Income 24.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Cairns North

Your weekly income

≈ $6,075/month

Median rent $340/wk

Left after rent $1,062/wk

Rent share 24.3%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Allenstown

Income: $701/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $90/wk

Hyde Park (Qld)

Income: $848/wk Rent: $253/wk Save: $87/wk

Kin Kora

Income: $855/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $60/wk

North Toowoomba

Income: $718/wk Rent: $285/wk Save: $55/wk

East Toowoomba

Income: $838/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $40/wk

Frenchville

Income: $880/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $40/wk

Norman Gardens

Income: $836/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $40/wk

Woodend (Qld)

Income: $744/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $40/wk

Cairns North vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in QLD

Gilston

Pop: 2,669 Income: $943/wk Rent: $540/wk

Pacific Paradise

Pop: 2,675 Income: $654/wk Rent: $400/wk

Alice River

Pop: 2,685 Income: $996/wk Rent: $415/wk

Moffat Beach

Pop: 2,691 Income: $782/wk Rent: $400/wk

Seventeen Mile Rocks

Pop: 2,699 Income: $1,137/wk Rent: $425/wk

Kuluin

Pop: 2,700 Income: $697/wk Rent: $450/wk

Compare Cairns North

Cairns North vs Gilston →Cairns North vs Pacific Paradise →Cairns North vs Alice River →Cairns North vs Moffat Beach →

Frequently Asked Questions About Cairns North

What is the population of Cairns North QLD?

The population of Cairns North QLD is 5,334 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 1929.4 people per km².Cairns North is ranked #1,475 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Cairns North?

The median personal income in Cairns North QLD is $873 per week, or $45,396 per year.The median household income is $1,402 per week.Family income is $1,838 per week.Cairns North is ranked #2,461 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Cairns North?

Median rent in Cairns North QLD is $340 per week ($1,473 per month).Rent represents 24.3% of household income, which is considered affordable.Cairns North ranks #3,592 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Cairns North?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cairns North QLD is $1,300. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Cairns North?

The median age in Cairns North QLD is 37 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Cairns North a good suburb to live in?

Cairns North is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 5,334.The median income is $873/wk, which is above the QLD average of $759/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (24.3% 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: 30479. All dollar figures in AUD.