Median price · 7 years
Rolling 12-month median, all dwellings
$480,000+7.8% past 12 months
2020202120222023202420252026
Cairns
Steady outlook Growth score 67 Top 46% of sample
Risk score 46 Medium · lower is better
Stability score 74 Consistent over 10 years
What drives the growth score
Nine metrics, each benchmarked against every suburb nationally. Weighted sum equals the score.
Sales momentum18% Strong · 71
Listing scarcity15% Strong · 72
Rental demand14% Strong · 74
Days on market12% Strong · 70
Infrastructure investment11% Strong · 95
Jobs access10% Moderate · 66
Population growth8% Weak · 43
Income growth7% Weak · 34
New supply pressure5% · negative High · 65
Key metrics vs benchmarks
QLD column is the sample-state average; national is the whole sample.
| Metric | Cairns | QLD | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median price | $480,000 | $778,300 | $734,203 |
| 12-month growth | +7.8% | +11.0% | +8.4% |
| Gross rental yield | 4.8% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Vacancy rate | 1.0% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Days on market | 28 | 35 | 31 |
| Auction clearance | 55% | 59% | 62% |
| New supply pipeline | High | Moderate | Moderate |
Risk score components
Lower is safer. Components are read independently; the score is their weighted blend.
46Medium risk
New supply pipelineApproved dwellings vs existing stock High · 65
Employment concentrationShare of jobs in the top two industries Low · 34
Price volatility, 5 yearsLargest peak-to-trough drawdown Moderate · 39
Vacancy pressureCurrent vacancy vs 2% threshold Low · 18
Hazard exposureFlood, bushfire and storm surge overlays Moderate · 37
Who lives here
ABS Census, latest release, aggregated to suburb
155,000population 37median age 52%owner-occupied 48%renting
Owner-occupiedRenting
Cairns is the tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef with a strong tourism economy. The airport terminal expansion, Convention Centre upgrade, and James Cook University presence support a growing property market.
On the ground
Committed projects and catalysts feeding the infrastructure and jobs metrics
- Cairns Airport terminal expansion
- Great Barrier Reef tourism recovery
- Cairns Convention Centre upgrade
- James Cook University expansion
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