Cairns City vs Oonoonba
Property investment comparison - Cairns City, QLD 4870 vs Oonoonba, QLD 4811
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Cairns City wins 1, Oonoonba wins 1. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Cairns City | Oonoonba |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $590K | $590K |
| Median unit price | - | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 4.80% | - |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 5.11% | - |
| 1-year house growth | +12.9%estimate | +17.1% |
| 3-year house growth | - | +51.3% |
| Vacancy rate | 0.6% | 1.6% |
| Population | 3,616 | 2,050 |
Cairns City vs Oonoonba: what the numbers say
Houses cost about the same in both suburbs: the median house price is $590K in Cairns City and $590K in Oonoonba.
Over the past year house prices moved +12.9% in Cairns City (an estimate) and +17.1% in Oonoonba, so recent momentum favours Oonoonba, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Rental vacancy is 0.6% in Cairns City and 1.6% in Oonoonba, so landlords in Cairns City face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Cairns City is the bigger suburb, with a population of 3,616 against 2,050, larger than Oonoonba; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Oonoonba for recent price momentum, Cairns City for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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