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 3,114 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 368 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 2,746. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population being 3,055 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 5 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1.4 persons per square kilometer. Cooktown's growth of 13.4% since the 2021 census exceeded that of the SA4 region (4.3%) and the Rest of Qld, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 64.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median for locations outside capital cities is expected with the suburb of Cooktown expected to grow by 314 persons to reach 3,428 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 5.9% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Cooktown when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Cooktown has received around 19 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 96 homes. So far in FY2025-26, 2 approvals have been recorded. On average, 2.1 people move to the area annually for each new home constructed between FY2020-21 and FY2024-25, indicating strong demand supporting property values.

New homes are built at an average cost of $418,000. In FY2025-26, there have been $2.8 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited focus on commercial development.

Of new developments, 83.0% are detached houses and 17.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining the area's low density character with detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 68 people per dwelling approval, Cooktown exhibits growth area characteristics. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Cooktown is projected to add 184 residents by 2041. Current construction levels should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth beyond current forecasts.

Cooktown has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

The performance of an area can be significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified two projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service Redevelopment, Gigers Residential Subdivision, Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance, and Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan SuperGrid. The following list details those projects likely to be 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 Cooktown remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Cooktown has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6%. As of September 2025, 1,431 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.4% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%.

The workforce participation rate was 61.4%, below Rest of Qld's 65.7%. Only 9.2% of residents worked from home, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction. Cooktown specializes in public administration & safety with an employment share 2.3 times the regional level.

Manufacturing is under-represented at 0.8% compared to Rest of Qld's 5.6%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census data. In the 12-month period, employment increased by 1.6%, labour force by 1.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.5 percentage points. This compares to Rest of Qld where employment grew by 1.7%, labour force expanded by 2.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. 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, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Cooktown suburb's median income among taxpayers in FY2023 was $66,211. The average income stood at $75,830. These figures compare to Rest of Qld's median and average incomes of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on a 9.91% Wage Price Index growth since FY2023, estimated current incomes are approximately $72,773 (median) and $83,345 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Cooktown fall between the 14th and 24th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.9% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually (868 people), mirroring regional levels where 31.7% occupy this bracket. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 86.8% income retention, total disposable income ranks at 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% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro Qld's figures of 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cooktown stood at 37.6%, with mortgaged properties at 24.0% and rented ones at 38.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent in Cooktown was $230, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $345. Nationally, Cooktown's mortgage repayments were significantly 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 constitute 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 account for the remaining 37.2%, with lone person households at 33.8% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld 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 was 20.2%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees were the most common at 14.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials were held by 45.7% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 35.6%. Educational participation was high, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This included 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

Health data shows positive outcomes for Cooktown residents. Mortality rates and health conditions align with national benchmarks.

Common health issues affect both young and old age groups similarly. Private health cover is high at 57% (~1,782 people), compared to 52.5% in the rest of Queensland. Arthritis and mental health issues are most common, affecting 8.1 and 6.3% respectively. 73.2% report no medical ailments, higher than the 67.6% across the rest of Queensland. Under-65 residents have better-than-average health outcomes. The area has 21.5% of residents aged 65 and over (669 people), higher than the 20.4% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, ranking nationally higher than the general population.

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 below average, with 81.2% citizens, 84.9% born in Australia, and 89.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, at 48.5%, compared to 52.2% regionally. Top ancestral groups were Australian (27.7%), English (25.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (12.5%), significantly higher than regional averages of 3.9%.

Notably, New Zealanders comprised 0.9% (vs 0.9% regionally), Maori 0.8% (vs 0.8%), and Germans 4.4% (vs 4.7%).

Cooktown hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Cooktown's median age is 44 years, which is slightly higher than Queensland's average of 41 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 65-74 make up a significant portion (14.0%) of the population, while those aged 15-24 are relatively smaller at 8.7%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has increased from 12.0% to 13.0%, whereas the percentage of individuals aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 13.7% to 11.6%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are forecast for Cooktown. The largest projected growth is in the 25-34 age group, with a predicted increase of 18%, adding 53 residents to reach a total of 359. Conversely, population declines are expected for individuals aged 55-64 and those aged 5-14 years.