Not sure where to invest? Take the 2-min quiz and we'll rank your top 10 suburbs.
Take the 2-min quiz12,000+ suburbs | 110k+ live listings | refreshed daily
Sign up free to save this suburb, build a shortlist, and compare against 12,000+ Australian suburbs.
See a sample suburb report before signing up or paying. | Take the 30-second product tour
Cairns City, QLD 4870
Suburb profile: median house and unit prices, rental yield, capital growth, vacancy and demographics
Data updated
Median House
$590,000
market range $425K-$1.3M
Median Unit
$495,000
list-price estimate
Gross Yield (houses)
4.8%
1yr Growth (houses)
+12.9%
market range -7.5% to +50.0%
Investment snapshot for Cairns City
Cairns City has enough public data for first-pass screening across yield, vacancy, price and supply signals.
Read the full Cairns City verdict
Pros, risks, supporting metrics, investment score and cashflow. Included with Pro access.
Short-term access. No subscription. See all plans
See sample analysis before paying.
Investment score breakdown
See exactly which signals drive Cairns City - yield, growth, affordability, vacancy, livability, safety, and demographics.
Access from $20. Cancel anytime. See all plans
Secure checkout by Stripe. Cancel anytime.
Cairns City market and investor summary
In Cairns City, QLD 4870, the median house sells for around $590K, on a gross rental yield of 4.8% for houses. House prices have moved +12.9% over the past year. At 0.6% vacancy, it is a tight rental market that favours landlords.
For an investor, the rent-to-price profile sits mid-range: a gross house yield near 4.8% is neither a standout cashflow play nor a pure growth bet. Rental demand looks steady, with vacancy at 0.6% and a resident base that is not shrinking.
Living in Cairns City: people, income and schools
Cairns City has a resident population of roughly 3,616, a number that has held fairly steady over five years. At a median age of 44, it reads as skewed a little older, and families account for 53% of households.
The typical household income runs to around $85,000 a year (about $1,630 a week). On socio-economic measures it ranks around the national middle on the ABS advantage index (5 out of 10). At current prices a median house runs to about 7.0 times local household income, in line with much of metropolitan Australia. Incomes have risen about 20% over five years, which tends to underpin what local buyers can pay.
Families have 21 schools within roughly 5km to choose from, testing a little above the national school average on ICSEA. Some errands can be done on foot, though a car still helps; the suburb scores 64 for walkability and 57 for transit out of 100. Fixed broadband is delivered over the NBN's Fibre to the Premises.
- Population
- 3,616
- +4% over 5yr
- Median age
- 44 years
- Median household income
- $85,000/yr
- Households renting
- 49%
- Family households
- 53%
- Socio-economic rank
- 5/10
- ABS advantage index
- Schools within 5km
- 21
- avg ICSEA 1058
- Unemployment
- 4.9%
- Walk score
- 64/100
Demographic, school and socio-economic figures are sourced from the ABS Census, SEIFA and ACARA. Property metrics reflect PropRadar's latest data.
Properties in Cairns City
View all →Frequently asked questions about Cairns City
What should I check before investing in Cairns City?
Cairns City has enough public data for first-pass screening across yield, vacancy, price and supply signals. Solid unit gross rental yield of 5.1%, giving a stronger rent-to-price starting point than many suburbs. Capital growth of +12.9% in the past year shows strong recent price momentum. Compare those signals with nearby suburbs and individual listings before relying on the suburb-level view.
What are typical property prices in Cairns City?
The median property price in Cairns City, QLD 4870 is $590K for houses.
What rental yield does Cairns City show?
The gross rental yield in Cairns City is 4.8% for houses and 5.1% for units. Gross yield is calculated as annual rent divided by property price, and it doesn't account for expenses or tax.
What does recent house price growth show for Cairns City?
House prices in Cairns City are up 12.9% over the past year. Capital growth is a key driver of total investment return, so pair it with rental yield to get a full picture.
How tight is the rental market in Cairns City?
The current vacancy rate in Cairns City is 0.6%. A rate under 2% generally signals a tight rental market. This suburb's rental market is very tight, with landlords typically holding strong bargaining power and low rental downtime.
How many people live in Cairns City?
Cairns City has a population of approximately 3,616 residents, with a median age of 44.
What schools are near Cairns City?
There are 21 schools within roughly 5km of Cairns City. Their average ICSEA is a little above the national mean of 1000. ICSEA is the ABS measure of a school community's socio-educational advantage.
Is Cairns City affordable to buy in?
A median house in Cairns City costs about 7.0 times the median local household income (broadly in line with metropolitan Australia). The ratio compares the median house price with annual household income; it is a rough affordability gauge, not a substitute for your own borrowing assessment.
Is Cairns City's population growing?
The population of Cairns City has grown modestly, about 4% over five years. Population growth feeds underlying housing demand, so it is worth weighing alongside price and yield.
Keep researching with PropRadar
Free tools for the rest of your investment decision, no card required.
Beyond each listing
PropRadar works across your whole search: shortlists and portfolios start free, while heavier discovery, export and advisory workflows are available on paid tiers.
Portfolio tracking
Track owned properties with portfolio value, LVR, yield, cashflow and allocation rolled up in one place.
Open portfolioWatchlists and saved searches
Shortlist up to 5 properties and suburbs for free. Essentials raises the limits and adds saved search alerts.
Open watchlistDeal Finder
A live Pro browser for undervalued listings with solid yield, ranked so thin price gaps stay out of the list.
Open Deal FinderMarket Finder
Shortlist suburbs by yield, growth, vacancy, active inventory and sales depth before you inspect individual listings.
Open Market FinderStrategy tools
Hold vs Sell, Stress Tester, Strategy Recommender and Portfolio Rebalancer for decisions across several properties.
Open toolsBuilding a product on property data? Explore the PropRadar API