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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
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Cairns City has an estimated 13,609 residents, up from 12,567 at the 2021 Census — a change of 1,042 people, or 8.3%. Growth has averaged 1.0% a year over five years. 296 new addresses have been validated here since Census night. Overseas migration accounts for 96.1% of that increase. That puts 2,192 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
Based on AreaSearch's analysis, the population of Cairns City stands at approximately 13,609 as of May 2026. This represents a growth of 1,042 people (8.3%) from the 2021 Census, which documented 12,567 residents. This population shift is calculated from the ABS estimated resident population of 13,599 in June 2025 combined with 296 validated new addresses registered after the Census. This count translates to a density of 2,191 persons per square kilometer, which exceeds the typical average of locations evaluated nationally by AreaSearch. The 8.3% expansion in Cairns City since the 2021 census outpaced both the SA3 area (6.9%) and the SA4 region, establishing the locality as a regional leader in growth.
This population upward trend was mostly driven by overseas migration, which represented about 96.1% of the total population gains in recent times. AreaSearch utilises projections from ABS/Geoscience Australia for each SA2 area, which were published in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For SA2 areas excluded from this dataset, as well as all years after 2032, projections from the Queensland State Government released in 2023 and based on 2021 data are used instead. Because these state-level projections omit age breakdowns, AreaSearch scales cohort growth proportionally using the ABS Greater Capital Region projections from 2023 (based on 2022 data) for every age group. Future population trends point to substantial growth that places the locality in the top tier of non-metropolitan areas in the country, with expectations to add 3,615 persons by 2041 relative to the most recent annual ERP data, representing a total increase of 26.5% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
49 new dwellings have been approved in Cairns City over the past five years, an average of 9 a year. That is 0.8 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 57, running ahead of that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this SA2 boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Cairns City averages approximately 9 dwellings receiving development approval annually, with a total of 49 homes approved over the last 5 financial years. In the current FY-26 period, 53 approvals have been documented so far. With an average of 13.3 new residents added per year for each home constructed during the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), demand outstrips new supply, which commonly drives price increases and heightens buyer competition. Newly constructed homes average an estimated value of $319,000, which sits below regional averages and provides more budget-friendly choices for buyers.
Furthermore, commercial approvals have reached $308.0 million this financial year, reflecting a robust pace in commercial building activity. In comparison to the Rest of Qld, development activity in Cairns City is much lower, sitting at 78.0% below regional average per person. This low volume of new construction typically boosts demand and supports price levels for established properties. This rate is also below the national average, indicating a mature market and highlighting potential planning restrictions. The composition of new developments is 17.0% detached dwellings and 83.0% townhouses or apartments. This high proportion of medium and high-density housing provides affordable entry points and appeals to downsizers, property investors, and first-home buyers. Long-term forecasts indicate Cairns City will add 3,605 residents by 2041, according to the latest quarterly estimates from AreaSearch. If building activity remains at its current pace, the supply of housing may fail to keep up with population expansion, likely intensifying competition among buyers and supporting upward price movements.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Cairns City
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 50 current infrastructure and development projects inside Cairns City, worth an estimated $7.59 billion. A further 51 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $12.1 billion. 21 are already under construction and 44 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, transport & logistics and communities, precincts & urban renewal. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local performance is highly influenced by updates to regional infrastructure, key projects, and planning changes. In total, 64 developments have been identified by AreaSearch as having a potential impact on the local area. Principal projects include the Cairns Smart Green Economy Initiative, Far North Private Hospital, Cairns Hospital Expansion Project, and the Cairns Hospital Master Plan - Stage 1 Expansion, with details on the most relevant developments provided below.
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Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Cairns Smart Green Economy Initiative
A multi-stage strategic initiative by Cairns Regional Council to position Cairns and Far North Queensland as a leader in the Smart Green Economy. The flagship sub-project, the $472 million Cairns Water Security Stage 1 (CWSS1), reached construction milestones and is advancing toward delivery[cite: 1]. Jointly funded by the Australian Government ($195 million), Queensland Government ($195 million) and Council, CWSS1 is being constructed by John Holland Queensland to deliver 60 megalitres of treated water per day[cite: 1].Other active initiatives include renewable energy transitions, EV charging infrastructure, circular economy activations, and carbon and biodiversity market development[cite: 1].
Cairns Hospital Expansion Project
The Cairns Hospital Expansion Project, guided by a $1 billion Campus Master Plan, delivers a long-term modernization of Far North Queensland health services. Current works include a $181 million refurbishment and expansion program to deliver additional beds, an expanded emergency department, and an integrated Health Innovation and Surgical Centre.
Far North Private Hospital
A new private hospital to be developed by locally owned Integrated Medical Services (IMS) Group within the Dugurrdja Precinct in Cairns CBD, adjacent to Cairns Hospital. IMS won a competitive tender process run by James Cook University (JCU) in October 2024 to finance, design and construct the facility, expanding its existing Far North Day Hospital into a full private hospital with overnight and short-stay capabilities. The hospital will co-locate with JCU's Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre and Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service to create the first integrated health, education and research precinct in Northern Australia.Services will include oncology, surgical, and specialist care. The building was expected to be finalised by end of 2026, with the broader Dugurrdja precinct to be completed over three to four years.
Cairns Hospital Master Plan - Stage 1 Expansion
More than $1 billion staged expansion and modernisation of Cairns Hospital under a 30-year campus master plan. Stage 1 includes a new Health Innovation and Surgical Centre with operating theatres, day surgery spaces, 40 overnight inpatient beds, specialist outpatient, clinical trials, simulation and collaboration spaces, plus a Health Management Hub, staff multi-storey car park of about 950 spaces, new helipad and support works. Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service lists Stage 1B as in planning, with Stage 1 building works expected to start in late 2026 and facilities operational in 2031.
Cairns Hospital Campus Master Plan - Stage 1
A $1 billion investment to modernize Cairns Hospital, featuring a new Health Innovation and Surgical Centre, a Health Management Hub, and a 950-space staff car park. The project aims to transition the campus into a tertiary-level health and innovation precinct to meet growing demand in Far North Queensland.
Cairns Health and Innovation Centre (CHIC)
The Cairns Health and Innovation Centre (CHIC) is a centerpiece of the Cairns Hospital Campus Master Plan Stage 1, representing a 250 million AUD investment in health, education, and research infrastructure. The project includes the Health Innovation and Surgical Centre (HISC), featuring 4 new operating theatres, 16 day-surgery spaces, and 40 overnight beds, alongside clinical trials and simulation labs. It also encompasses the Health Management Hub, co-located with James Cook University's Dugurrdja development, to consolidate administrative functions and foster a knowledge economy in Far North Queensland.Construction is scheduled to commence in late 2026, with facilities expected to be commissioned by 2031.
Barlow Park Upgrade
A $91 million transformation of Cairns' premier multi-sports facility into a world-class stadium for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy. In March 2026, official designs by Architectus and HKS were unveiled, featuring a new shaded grandstand that increases permanent seating from 1,700 to 5,000. The project includes upgraded broadcast facilities, improved accessibility, and modernized athlete amenities. Early works are scheduled to begin after the 2026 football season, with the venue intended to serve as a high-performance training hub and host Olympic football preliminaries.
The Yeinie Building
The Yeinie Building, formerly the Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre, is JCU's completed four-storey, 3500 sqm mass-timber health, teaching and research facility in the Dugurrdja Precinct beside Cairns Hospital. It brings together clinical teaching, service delivery, nursing and medicine training, clinic consulting rooms, a demonstration ward, a 10-bed hospital ward, and research spaces supporting tropical health, health innovation, digital technology and data science for Far North Queensland.
7,965 residents of Cairns City are employed, from a labour force of 8,485. Unemployment sits at 6.1%, with participation at 68.9%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.9% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 21,977, about 161% of the resident population, so the area draws in more workers than it sends out. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Cairns City has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in essential service industries, alongside an unemployment rate of 6.1%. As of March 2026, there are 7,965 residents employed, with the unemployment rate sitting 2.2% higher than the Regional Qld rate of 3.9%. Participation in the labor force is relatively typical, standing at 68.9% compared to 64.3% in Regional Qld. Census data indicates that a small portion of residents, 12.8%, worked from home, though this figure may have been influenced by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Resident employment is heavily concentrated in accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.
The accommodation & food sector displays a particularly high concentration, employing workers at 2.6 times the regional average rate. In contrast, the construction sector is underrepresented, accounting for 5.2% of employment compared to 10.1% across the region. With a ratio of 1.9 workers for each local resident at the time of the Census, the locality serves as a major job center, offering more employment positions than it has residents and drawing commuting workers from nearby districts. According to AreaSearch's evaluation of SALM and ABS statistics, the labor force shrank by 2.0% over the 12-month period, while overall employment dropped by 4.1%, resulting in a 2.1 percentage point rise in unemployment. This trend diverged from Regional Qld, which recorded a 0.1% increase in employment, a 0.3% expansion of the labor force, and a minor 0.1 percentage point rise in unemployment. Employment projections for May-25 from Jobs and Skills Australia provide further context regarding future demand trends within Cairns City. These five and ten-year projections have been applied to the local workforce structure to model potential growth. Although national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, trends vary widely by sector. Applying these industry projections to the employment profile of Cairns City suggests local job numbers will grow by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a basic weighted projection for illustration and does not incorporate local population forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Cairns City is $1,375 a week (about $72,000 a year), with median personal income at $838 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $54,489 a year against an average of $67,723. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
Income levels in the Cairns City SA2 align closely with national benchmarks based on the 2023 financial year ATO data compiled by AreaSearch. The median taxpayer income in the Cairns City SA2 is $54,489, with an average income of $67,723, compared to Regional Qld medians and averages of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since the 2023 financial year, current estimates stand at approximately $60,679 for the median and $75,416 for the average as of March 2026. According to Census data, individual weekly income sits at the 57th percentile ($838 weekly), whereas household weekly income is at the 26th percentile.
The dominant income bracket consists of 30.7% of taxpayers earning between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (representing 4,177 residents), which aligns with the broader region where 31.7% fall into this bracket. Housing cost pressures are significant, leaving residents with 80.9% of their income, which ranks in the 22nd percentile, and the local SEIFA income score falls into the 4th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Cairns City had 4,288 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 19% detached houses and 57% apartments. 19% are owned with a mortgage, 62% rented and 19% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $330 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,300 a month. Rent absorbs 24.0% of household income here and mortgage repayments 21.8%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
Based on the latest Census data, the composition of housing in Cairns City consisted of 19.2% traditional houses and 80.8% other options such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and alternative dwellings, compared to Regional Qld which recorded 76.4% houses and 23.6% other options. The rate of home ownership in Cairns City lagged behind Regional Qld at 18.8%, with the remaining dwellings occupied by individuals with a mortgage (19.1%) or tenants (62.1%). The median monthly payment for mortgages in the area was lower than the regional average at $1,300, while the median weekly rent stood at $330, compared to Regional Qld values of $1,655 and $345.
Locally, mortgage repayments in Cairns City are much lower than the national average of $1,863, and median rents sit well below the Australian figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Cairns City counted 4,288 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 4,644 today, averaging 2.0 people each. 12% are couples with children, fewer than in 96% of areas nationally, against 24% couples without children. 43% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.0 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families represent 47.2% of all households, consisting of 11.7% couples with children, 24.2% couples without children, and 10.1% single-parent households. Non-family households account for the remaining 52.8% of properties, with single-person households at 43.4% and group share houses making up 9.4% of the total. The median size of households is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the regional average of 2.5 in Regional Qld.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
36.0% of adults in Cairns City hold a university qualification, including 25.2% with a bachelor degree and 7.6% with postgraduate qualifications, higher than 75% of areas nationally. A further 23.4% hold a vocational qualification. 7 schools serve the area, with 4,285 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,028 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
The level of education in Cairns City is higher than regional standards, with 36.0% of residents aged 15+ holding a university degree, compared to 20.6% in the Rest of Qld and 21.1% in the SA4 region. This high concentration of tertiary education positions the local area well for knowledge-based industry opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification at 25.2%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 7.6% and graduate diplomas at 3.2%. Technical and trade qualifications are also common, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (14.5%) and certificates (23.4%).
Enrolment in education is quite high, with 38.4% of the population participating in formal study. This student population includes 9.3% attending secondary schools, 9.3% in tertiary programs, and 7.7% in primary schools.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Cairns City reaches 32 stops on 20 routes, timetabled for about 1,900 services a week. The typical home sits about 250 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 0.7 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
An analysis of public transport reveals 32 active transport stops operating within Cairns City, which are comprised of bus stops. These stops are serviced by 20 distinct routes, providing a combined 1,856 passenger trips weekly. Transport access is classified as good, with residents living an average of 254 meters from the nearest stop. The area is primarily residential, and the majority of working residents commute to other districts. The private car is the primary mode of travel at 68%, with 18% of residents walking to work and 5% cycling. Vehicle ownership averages 0.7 cars per household, which is below the regional average.
A relatively low proportion of residents, 12.8%, work from home, based on 2021 Census data which may reflect pandemic-era conditions. The average frequency of public transport services is 265 daily trips across all routes, which corresponds to approximately 58 weekly trips for each individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
74.7% of residents in Cairns City report no long-term health condition, a healthier profile than 75% of areas nationally. 3.8% need daily assistance with core activities, and 52.6% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 4.6 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators show positive outcomes across Cairns City according to AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality data and the occurrence of chronic illness, noting a low prevalence of standard health issues across all demographics. The rate of private health insurance coverage is slightly ahead of the average SA2 area at approximately 53% of the total population, representing about 7,158 people. The most prevalent medical diagnoses in the locality were mental health conditions and arthritis, affecting 7.9 and 5.8% of the population, respectively, while 74.7% of residents reported having no chronic medical conditions compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld.
Residents under the age of 65 experience better health metrics than the average. Residents aged 65 and older represent 14.7% of the population (1,993 people), which is lower than the Regional Qld average of 20.4%. Health measures for these older residents are particularly favorable, ranking higher nationally than the general local population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
41.4% of Cairns City residents were born overseas and 29.5% speak a language other than English at home, more culturally diverse than 80% of areas nationally. The largest reported ancestries are English (22.3%) and Australian (15.1%). 4.4% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cairns City exhibits high cultural diversity, with 29.5% of residents using a non-English language at home and 41.4% born outside of Australia. Christianity is the primary religion, representing 41.5% of the local population. The most prominent statistical divergence is in the Other religious category, which represents 2.4% of residents locally compared to 0.8% across Regional Qld. In terms of family ancestry, the top three groups represented in Cairns City are English at 22.3% of the population (below the regional average of 29.6%), Other at 19.2% (above the regional average of 6.9%), and Australian at 15.1% (below the regional average of 26.5%).
There are also notable concentrations of specific ethnicities: Spanish ancestry is recorded at 1.0% in Cairns City (compared to 0.3% regionally), French at 1.0% (compared to 0.5% regionally), and Korean at 1.4% (compared to 0.2% regionally).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Cairns City is 35. That is 2 years younger than at the 2021 Census. 41.1% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The median age of 35 in Cairns City is lower than the Regional Qld average of 41, and sits slightly below the national average of 38. The 25 - 34 age bracket is highly represented at 28.5% of the local population compared to regional averages, while children aged 5 - 14 are underrepresented at 5.7%. The local concentration of residents aged 25 - 34 is also higher than the national average of 14.6%. Data post-2021 Census reveals the local area has become younger on average, with the median age falling from 37 to 35, a shift of 1.6 years.
Noteworthy changes include the 25 to 34 age bracket growing from 23.8% to 28.5% of the population, and the 75 to 84 bracket rising from 3.7% to 4.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 bracket decreased from 13.1% to 10.7%, and the 55 to 64 group fell from 12.5% to 10.8%. By 2041, Cairns City is projected to undergo demographic changes. The 25 to 34 cohort is expected to lead these changes, growing by 35% (1,372 people) to reach 5,246 from 3,873, while the 15 to 24 cohort is forecast to experience minor growth of 5% (92 people).
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Cairns City
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the SA2 boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 this month all 50 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 296 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (12,567 at the 2021 Census → 13,609 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to May 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (306021145). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.