Yarrabah
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Yarrabah's population was around 2,659 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 154 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,505 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,659 from the ABS as of June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 16.7 persons per square kilometer. Yarrabah's growth rate of 6.1% since the 2021 census exceeded that of the SA3 area at 5.2%, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 97.5% 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 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 proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections were applied for each age cohort. Future population dynamics forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of Australia's regional areas, with the area expected to grow by 746 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, indicating a total increase of 28.1% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Yarrabah according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Yarrabah has seen approximately four new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis. Between FY20 and FY25, around 24 dwellings were approved, with no approvals recorded in FY26 so far.

On average, about 0.7 new residents arrive per new home each year over the past five financial years. This indicates that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing buyers more options and potentially boosting population growth beyond current projections. The average construction cost of new homes is approximately $479,000, aligning with broader regional development trends.

Compared to the Rest of Queensland, Yarrabah maintains similar construction rates per capita, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. However, construction activity has recently intensified. Recent construction comprises 90% standalone homes and 10% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. This contrasts with current patterns suggesting 71% detached housing, indicating robust demand for family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 692 people, reflecting a quiet development environment. Looking ahead, Yarrabah is projected to grow by approximately 746 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Yarrabah has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 4thth percentile nationally

Ten projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. These include initiatives such as the Cairns Smart Green Economy Initiative, the Smart water meter program from 2023 to 2026, the Leak Detection Program running from 2022 to 2025, and CairnsPlan launched in 2016.

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

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

Yarrabah has a balanced workforce consisting of both white and blue collar jobs. Key sectors include essential services, with an unemployment rate of 53.4%.

As of June 2025332 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 49.5% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation in Yarrabah is significantly lower at 36.1%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. Notably, public administration & safety employs 4.9 times the regional average.

In contrast, retail trade employs only 1.8% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 10.0%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as shown by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between Jun-24 and Jun-25, labour force decreased by 1.5%, and employment declined by 20.6%, leading to an unemployment rate increase of 11.2 percentage points. Meanwhile, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%, with a slight unemployment rate rise of 0.2 percentage points. State-level data as of Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Yarrabah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.9% over five years and 16.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Yarrabah's median income among taxpayers was $41,380 and average income was $51,961 in the financial year 2022. This is below Rest of Qld's figures of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. By March 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $46,226 and average income $58,046 based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022. Census data shows household income ranks at the 17th percentile ($1,254 weekly) and personal income at the 1st percentile. Income analysis reveals that the $800 - 1,499 bracket dominates with 31.1% of residents (826 people), differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 category is predominant at 31.7%. While housing costs are modest with 89.3% of income retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 23rd percentile nationally.

Yarrabah is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Yarrabah's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.4% houses and 28.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 87.1% houses and 12.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Yarrabah was 11.3%, with the rest being mortgaged (0.7%) or rented (88.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,392, exceeding Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,300. The median weekly rent was $150, lower than Non-Metro Qld's figure of $250. Nationally, Yarrabah's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Yarrabah features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households compose 85.8% of all households, including 35.8% couples with children, 9.9% couples without children, and 36.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 14.2%, consisting of lone person households at 11.1% and group households at 1.9%. The median household size is 4.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 3.4%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 2.8%, followed by graduate diplomas at 0.6% and postgraduate qualifications at 0%. Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 38.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 5.2% and certificates at 32.9%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.1% in primary education, 10.6% in secondary education, and 0.5% pursuing tertiary education. As of the latest data from 2021, Yarrabah's four schools have a combined enrollment reaching 456 students. The educational mix in Yarrabah includes two primary schools, one secondary school, and one K-12 school.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Yarrabah's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Yarrabah's health outcomes show notable results, with younger age groups having a low prevalence of common health conditions. Only approximately 46% (~1,228 people) have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Diabetes and heart disease are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 8.6 and 5.1% of residents respectively. A total of 77.5% claim to be free from medical ailments, higher than the Rest of Qld's 68.1%. The population aged 65 and over is 7.8% (206 people), lower than the Rest of Qld's 23.6%.

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

Yarrabah showed high cultural diversity with 0.2% of its population born overseas and 81.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Yarrabah, accounting for 88.8%, compared to the regional average of 59.2%. The top three ancestry groups were Australian Aboriginal (89.7%), Other (7.0%), and Australian (1.2%).

The Australian Aboriginal figure was significantly higher than the regional average of 11.3%, while the Australian figure was notably lower at 23.0%.

Yarrabah hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Yarrabah has a median age of 25, which is significantly younger than the Rest of Qld figure of 41 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of Qld, Yarrabah has a higher concentration of residents aged 15-24 (18.9%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (4.1%). This 15-24 concentration is well above the national figure of 12.5%. Between 2021 and present, the age group of 75 to 84 has grown from 1.2% to 2.9% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 11.1% to 12.4%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 10.2% to 7.9%, and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 20.7% to 18.5%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Yarrabah's age structure. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to rise substantially, increasing by 232 people (56%) from 414 to 647. Meanwhile, numbers in the 5 to 14 age range are expected to fall by 12.