| Id | Name | Type | Places | Approval | Distance (Km) | Day Rate | Availability |
|---|
* Click centres on the map for more detail and custom analysis options.
Key Metrics
Cairns City / Rest of Qld
LDC Providers
1
926
Total LDC Places
36
76,912
Total Population
3,928
2,852,242
Persons Per Place
109.1
-
Avg Centre Age
7.8 yrs
12 yrs
Population 0-4
89
156,634
0-4 Per LDC Place
2.47
2.1
Workforce Impact
Exceptional
Standard
School Attendance
706
-
School Per LDC Place
19.61
5.8
Avg LDC Fee ($/day)
$101
$152
Other Places (PSK/OOSH)
0
-
SOURCE: ACECQA, StartingBlocks, ABS data analysed by AreaSearch
Last updated:
Approvals Pipeline
Childcare development approvals near Cairns City
Development applications around Cairns City
Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch.
We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
CC Approvals
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In the local catchment
Proposed Places
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Where disclosed
Under Assessment
—
Awaiting determination
Determined
—
Approved or decided
Approvals pipeline
Status, location, timing and project scale
Loading childcare approvals…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Places | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Cairns City Child Care FAQ
What is the Child Care supply composition of Cairns City?
As of our last update on May 24, 2026, there are 3 child care centres in Cairns City. Of these, a single centre provides Long Day Care admissions with 36 places, and 2 centres provide other child care services. The area is also serviced by 2 schools, collectively accommodating 706 enrolments.
What population do these centres in Cairns City service?
AreaSearch's latest population estimate for Cairns City as at May 2026 stands at a total of 3,928 people, of this 89 are estimated to be children under five years of age.
Why do your population numbers differ from Census figures for Cairns City?
Some areas have changed considerably since the 2021 Census was undertaken. At the 2021 Census Cairns City was assessed as having 3,616 people with 71 of these (2%) being children under 5yo. Cairns City has seen 236 new addresses added since this time, which, combined with broader ABS population estimates for resident population, leads us to estimate that Cairns City has experienced population growth of approximately 312 people from the 2021 Census.
How does the ratio of children per LDC place in Cairns City compare to those in Rest of Qld?
In Cairns City, our latest analysis shows there are 2.5 resident children under 5yo per LDC place. This figure is somewhat higher than the 2.1 children per place across Rest of Qld.
How do childcare fees in Cairns City relate to those in Rest of Qld?
Childcare fees in Cairns City average $101, which is noticeably lower than the regional average of $152 in Rest of Qld.
How does the ratio of school population per LDC place compare in Cairns City and Rest of Qld?
In Cairns City, there are 19.6 students per LDC place. This figure is significantly higher than the 5.8 students per LDC place in Rest of Qld.
What is the average age of Long Daycare Centres in Cairns City?
The average LDC in Cairns City was approved 7.8 years ago, while across Rest of Qld the typical centre approval is 12 years old.
Is the local workforce a significant driver of additional child care demand for Cairns City?
Yes, workforce activity is exceptional in this area and is a major driver of child care demand.
Who would typically use analysis such as this?
Childcare operators, developers, investors and financiers would typically conduct a thorough child care supply and demand analysis (SDA) on Cairns City before allocating the significant amount of capital required. Boundary-based analysis such as this is often used as an initial guide however, and analysis would be undertaken on the specific site adopting a radial, travel time, or custom catchment to take into account nearby competition and demand drivers that would influence a centre's performance.
Find & Assess a Centre
Search by name, postcode, or address to explore supply & demand for any child care or school catchment in Australia.
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Nearby suburbs & deeper analysis
What will drive demand from here?
Centre supply and current places are an output, not a leading indicator. For the demand-side drivers of this area — population growth, 0–4 cohort trends, dwelling supply, workforce participation and competing development pipeline — open the relevant deep-dive page.