Cape York
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Cape York reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Cape York's population was around 8,389 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This reflected an increase of 586 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,803 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,391 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 63 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 0.10 persons per square kilometer. Cape York's growth of 7.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 4.5%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 63.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections were used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections did not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applied proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, Cape York is expected to grow by 793 persons to 2041, with an increase of 9.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Cape York among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Cape York has averaged approximately 50 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 251 homes. As of FY-26 so far, 5 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of 1.8 people per year moved to the area for each dwelling built. This indicates a balanced supply and demand, creating stable market conditions.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $345,000, consistent with regional patterns. In FY-26, $30.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Cape York shows 98.0% higher development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. New development consists of 81.0% detached dwellings and 19.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes.

As of FY-25, Cape York reflects approximately 268 people per approval, indicating a transitioning market. By 2041, Cape York is projected to grow by 795 residents. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Cape York has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 37thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects likely affecting the region. Major initiatives include Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service Redevelopment, Gigers Residential Subdivision, Daintree Ferry Landside Infrastructure and Ferry Replacement Project, and Cow Bay Primary Health Centre. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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.

Employment conditions in Cape York face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Cape York's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 10.5% as of June 2025.

In that month, 3,264 residents were employed while the unemployment rate stood at 6.6%, which is 2.7 percentage points higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Cape York was 46.4%, significantly lower than Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries of employment among residents were public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and agriculture, forestry & fishing. The area had a particular specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share of 320% compared to the regional level.

In contrast, manufacturing employed just 0.7% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 56%. Many residents appeared to commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending in June 2025, Cape York's labour force increased by 0.3%, while employment declined by 1.2%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 1.3 percentage points. This contrasted with Rest of Qld where employment rose by 1.8% and unemployment rose by 0.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates varied significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Cape York's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 5.8% over five years and 12.5% over ten years.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, Cape York had a median income among taxpayers of $50,782. The average income stood at $58,159. This was below the national average and compared to levels of $50,780 in Rest of Qld for median income and $64,844 for average income respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% from financial year ended June 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $57,886 (median) and $66,295 (average). Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Cape York all fell between the 5th and 6th percentiles nationally. Distribution data showed the predominant cohort spanned 26.4% of locals (2,214 people) in the $400 - $799 income category, unlike trends in the broader area where 31.7% fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. While housing costs were modest with 88.9% of income retained, total disposable income ranked at just the 10th percentile nationally.

Cape York is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Cape York's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.5% houses and 13.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 82.5% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cape York was higher at 27.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 14.1% and rented ones at 58.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,286, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent in Cape York was $130, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $140. Nationally, Cape York's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,286 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Cape York features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 66.4% of all households, including 24.9% couples with children, 21.9% couples without children, and 16.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.6%, with lone person households at 30.9% and group households making up 2.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.9.

Cape York faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 14.0%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 44.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 8.6% and certificates for 35.6%.

Educational participation is high at 33.7%, including 17.6% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education. There are 13 schools serving 1,062 students across the area, with varied educational conditions noted across Cape York. The educational mix includes 9 primary, 1 secondary, and 3 K-12 schools. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Cape York's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Cape York shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover stands at approximately 49%, or about 4,102 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Diabetes and arthritis are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 6.4% and 5.0% respectively. 76.7% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of Qld's 79.2%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.4%, or 1,206 people, compared to Rest of Qld's 11.5%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Cape York are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Cape York was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cape York's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 10.8% of its population born overseas and 28.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in Cape York, making up 57.6% of people there, compared to 64.7% across the rest of Queensland. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were Australian Aboriginal (38.3%), Australian (16.0%), and English (15.8%).

Notably, Samoan was overrepresented at 0.3%, Other at 12.7%, and Maori at 0.5%.

Cape York's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Cape York is 35 years, considerably lower than Queensland's average of 41 years, which is also under the national average of 38 years. The 5-14 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.1% locally compared to the rest of Queensland, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 4.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 3.5% to 4.6%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.9% to 11.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Cape York. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 22%, reaching 1,539 people from 1,256. However, both the 55 to 64 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.