Cooktown

Cooktown has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Cooktown's population is estimated at around 3,193 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 447 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,746 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population being 3,160 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025, along with an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1.5 persons per square kilometer. Cooktown's growth rate of 16.3% since the 2021 census exceeded that of both its SA4 region (3.5%) and the Rest of Qld, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 64.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Demographic trends suggest a population increase just below the median of Australia's regional areas, with the suburb expected to expand by 311 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.7% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Cooktown among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Cooktown recorded approximately 19 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 99 homes. In FY26, 8 approvals have been recorded to date. On average, each dwelling accommodated around 2.6 new residents per year between FY21 and FY25.

The average construction cost value of new homes was $418,000 during this period. This financial year has seen $2.8 million in commercial development approvals, indicating limited focus on commercial development.

New building activity comprised 83.0% standalone homes and 17.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining the area's low density nature. With approximately 68 people per approval, Cooktown reflects a developing area. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 278 residents by 2041, based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Current development rates suggest new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Cooktown has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects expected to affect the region: Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service Redevelopment and Gigers Residential Subdivision. Other notable projects include Draft Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2025 and Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance.

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Employment performance in Cooktown has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Cooktown's workforce is skilled with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.8% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6%. As of December 2025, 1,501 residents were employed while the unemployment rate stood at 4.8%, which is 0.7% higher than Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation was 61.8%, below Regional Qld's 64.5%. According to Census responses, only 9.2% of residents worked from home. Dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction. Public administration & safety had a particularly high share at 2.3 times the regional level, while manufacturing was under-represented at 0.8%.

Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on resident population vs working population count. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 1.6% while labour force rose by 0.8%, leading to a unemployment fall of 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Regional Qld saw employment grow by 0.7%, labour force expand by 1.0%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Cooktown's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Cooktown had a median taxpayer income of $66,211 and an average income of $75,830. Nationally, these figures are high compared to the national averages of $53,146 and $66,593 in Regional Qld respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, estimated median income for March 2026 is approximately $73,733, while the average is projected to be around $84,444. Census 2021 data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Cooktown fall between the 14th and 24th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.9% of residents (890 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 annually, mirroring the broader area where 31.7% occupy this bracket. Housing costs are modest with 86.8% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 17th percentile nationally.

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

In Cooktown, as per the latest Census evaluation, 86.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 13.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Regional Queensland's figures of 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cooktown stood at 37.6%, compared to mortgaged properties (24.0%) and rented ones (38.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Regional Queensland's average of $1,655. Weekly rent in Cooktown was recorded at $230, significantly below Regional Queensland's $345. Nationally, Cooktown's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 62.8% of all households, including 22.0% couples with children, 27.5% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 37.2%, with lone person households making up 33.8% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Regional Queensland average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Cooktown fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 20.2%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 45.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.1%) and certificates (35.6%). Educational participation is high, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 14.9% in primary, 10.0% in secondary, and 3.0% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.9% in primary education, 10.0% in secondary education, and 3.0% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Cooktown's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Cooktown's health data shows positive outcomes, matching national mortality rates and health condition benchmarks. Common health conditions affect both young and elderly residents equally.

Private health cover is high at 57%, or approximately 1,827 people, compared to Regional Queensland's 52.5%. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (8.1%) and mental health issues (6.3%), while 73.2% report no medical ailments, higher than Regional Qld's 67.6%. Under-65 residents have better-than-average health outcomes. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 22%, or 702 people, more than Regional Queensland's 20.4%. Senior health outcomes rank high nationally, even surpassing general population rankings.

Cooktown ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cooktown's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 81.2% of its population being citizens, 84.9% born in Australia, and 89.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, making up 48.5% of people in Cooktown, compared to 52.2% across Regional Qld. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (27.7%), English (25.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (12.5%), which was substantially higher than the regional average of 3.9%.

Notably, New Zealand was overrepresented at 0.9%, Maori at 0.8%, and German at 4.4% in Cooktown compared to regional averages.

Cooktown hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Cooktown's median age is 44 years, which is slightly higher than Regional Queensland's average of 41 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile indicates that those aged 65-74 are particularly prominent, comprising 14.2% of the population, while the 15-24 group is relatively smaller at 8.4%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has increased from 12.0% to 13.3%, whereas the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 13.7% to 12.1%, and the 15 to 24 group has dropped from 9.5% to 8.4%. By 2041, population forecasts suggest significant demographic changes in Cooktown. The 35 to 44 age group is projected to grow by 16%, adding 68 residents and reaching a total of 493. Conversely, population declines are expected for the 55 to 64 and 5 to 14 age groups.