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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Sales Detail
Population
Yorkeys Knob is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends
Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the population of Yorkeys Knob was estimated at around 2,833 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 39 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,794. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,822 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 250 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 75.0% of overall gains, although all drivers were positive factors.
AreaSearch adopts 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, applying proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of Australian non-metropolitan areas is expected for Yorkeys Knob, with an expected growth of 278 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.6% over the 17 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in Yorkeys Knob is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
Yorkeys Knob averaged around 14 new dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 71 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved in FY-26. This averages out to about 0.6 new residents arriving per new home over the past five financial years, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand.
The average construction value of these properties is $506,000, which is higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. In FY-26, there have been $59,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Comparatively, Yorkeys Knob shows approximately 69% of the construction activity per person compared to the Rest of Qld and ranks among the 6th percentile nationally for housing choices. This limited choice supports demand for existing properties. The current development consists of 12.0% standalone homes and 88.0% attached dwellings, a shift from the current housing mix of 37.0% houses.
This skew towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The area has an estimated population of 5816 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment. Looking ahead, Yorkeys Knob is expected to grow by 358 residents through to 2041 according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Yorkeys Knob has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects potentially impacting the area. Notable projects are Navigation Drive Road Link, Woolworths Trinity Beach Shopping Centre, Half Moon Bay Estate, and Bluewater Living.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Cairns Smart Green Economy Initiative
A multi-stage strategic initiative by Cairns Regional Council to transform the region into a leader in the Smart Green Economy. Key focus areas include net-zero energy systems, circular economy activation (waste-to-energy and recycling), and biodiversity markets. Active projects under this umbrella include the $472M Cairns Water Security Stage 1, installation of 37,000 smart water meters, EV charging infrastructure, and major renewable energy transitions for council facilities.
Cairns Western Arterial Road Duplication
A $300 million major infrastructure project duplicating the remaining single-lane sections of the Cairns Western Arterial Road (CWAR) to a four-lane dual carriageway. The scope includes duplicating the Redlynch rail overpass, a new four-lane bridge over the Barron River at Kamerunga, and significant upgrades to active transport facilities. The project is delivered in three stages: Stage 1 (Lake Placid Road to Captain Cook Highway), Stage 2 (Redlynch Connector Road to Harley Street), and Stage 3 (Harley Street to Lake Placid Road). Early works for Stage 1 commenced in August 2024 and are nearing completion as of early 2026, with an updated business case for the main construction works expected in early 2026.
Woolworths Trinity Beach Shopping Centre
A $60 million retail development led by Woolworths' property arm, Fabcot. The project features a 3,800sqm full-line Woolworths supermarket, approximately 15 specialty retail stores, and a medical/consulting precinct. Infrastructure includes 269 on-grade car parks, six direct-to-boot bays, and four electric vehicle charging stations. Preliminary site works and clearing commenced in late 2025, with major construction moving forward in early 2026.
Northern Beaches Water Network Upgrade
Council's 10-year program (circa $31m) to install and replace trunk and distribution water mains across Cairns' Northern Beaches to improve flow, reduce breakages, and increase reliability for about 34,000 residents. Staged delivery: Stages 1-5 completed (2015-2020), Stage 6 Kamerunga Road underway, Stage 7 Trinity Beach mains and booster station planned by Dec 2026, Stage 8 Paradise Palms to Clifton Beach trunk main planned by Jun 2032.
Navigation Drive Road Link
New road link providing improved connectivity and traffic flow in Cairns. Part of broader transport infrastructure improvements to support regional growth.
Cairns Airport International Terminal Upgrade
$55 million upgrade to the international terminal (T1) at Cairns Airport, enhancing passenger experience and capacity for tourism growth in Far North Queensland. Includes refurbishment of the terminal, expansion of the departure lounge and baggage reclaim hall, upgrades to airside infrastructure such as taxiways and power cabling, and development of the Eastern Aviation Precinct (EAP) to increase aero stand capacity and create a new general aviation precinct.
Half Moon Bay Estate
A community title scheme estate featuring 249 residential house and land packages on a 19.58ha beachfront site at Trinity Park. Approved by Cairns Regional Council in January 2024, the project will dedicate about 35% of the site to open space, including a mangrove conservation area and wetlands rehabilitation. Civil works for roads and infrastructure are planned to start first.
Bluewater Living
A master-planned community spanning 155 hectares with parkland, rainforest, waterfront home sites, and a 108-berth marina, offering a blend of natural beauty, security, and community amenities.
Employment
While Yorkeys Knob retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.8%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking
Yorkeys Knob boasts a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,588 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% lower than Rest of Qld's 4.1%.
Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Qld's 65.7%. Census responses indicate that 15.4% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. The area specializes in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level, but agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 1.4% compared to Rest of Qld's 4.5%.
Local employment opportunities appear limited, as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Yorkeys Knob's labour force decreased by 1.8%, with employment down by 3.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7% and the labour force grow by 2.1%, with unemployment up by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Yorkeys Knob's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows median income in Yorkeys Knob is $51,243. Average income stands at $61,744. This contrasts with Rest of Qld figures: median income of $53,146 and average of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% between July 2023 and September 2025, estimated current incomes are approximately $56,321 (median) and $67,863 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household incomes at the 15th percentile, while personal incomes are at the 45th percentile. Income distribution indicates that 30.7% earn between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (869 residents), similar to metropolitan regions where 31.7% fall into this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 14th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Yorkeys Knob displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Yorkeys Knob's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 37.0% houses and 63.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Yorkeys Knob stood at 26.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.5% and rented ones at 47.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,357, below Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. Median weekly rent in Yorkeys Knob was $310, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $345. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,863 and rents substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Yorkeys Knob features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households account for 55.2% of all households, including 13.1% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 14.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 44.8%, with lone person households at 40.2% and group households comprising 4.7%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational attainment in Yorkeys Knob aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics
Yorkeys Knob's residents aged 15+ have 24.2% with university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (17.7%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 43.7%, including advanced diplomas (13.0%) and certificates (30.7%). Educational participation is high, with 27.6% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.9%), secondary (7.1%), tertiary (5.9%).
Educational participation is notably high, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 5.9% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Yorkeys Knob has 12 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by three different routes that combined offer 254 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 168 meters from the nearest stop. Most commutes in this primarily residential area are outward-bound, and cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 91%. On average, there is one vehicle per dwelling, which is below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 15.4% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.
The service frequency averages 36 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 21 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
The level of general health in Yorkeys Knob is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions
Yorkeys Knob shows above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.
Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 52% of the total population (~1,463 people). The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 9.0 and 8.2% of residents respectively. 68.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among the working-age population are typical. The area has 24.6% of residents aged 65 and over (696 people), higher than the 20.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
In terms of cultural diversity, Yorkeys Knob records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Yorkeys Knob, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, had a higher than average cultural diversity with 10.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 24.8% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Yorkeys Knob, comprising 41.5% of the population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to the rest of Queensland, with 0.2% of Yorkeys Knob's population identifying as Jewish, versus 0.1%.
In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.9%), Australian (22.9%), and Irish (9.6%). There were also notable differences in the representation of French (1.1% vs regional 0.5%), Scottish (8.9% vs 7.8%), and New Zealand (0.9%) ethnic groups compared to the broader Queensland region.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Yorkeys Knob hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide
Yorkeys Knob's median age is 46 years, which is significantly higher than Rest of Qld's 41 and the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Qld, Yorkeys Knob has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (15.2%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.5%). This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is well above the national average of 9.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 has grown from 5.9% to 7.7%, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 12.5% to 13.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 15.7% to 13.0%, and the 5 to 14 age group dropped from 9.7% to 7.5%. By 2041, Yorkeys Knob's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 27%, reaching 483 people from the current 379. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 age groups are expected to experience population declines.