Cairns · Council (LGA)
Recorded crime in the area — the overall offence rate per 100,000 residents, the mix of offence types, and how it is changing. Sourced from state and territory police data; offence definitions differ by state, so comparisons across state lines are indicative only.
Much higher crime rates than most other areas mark Cairns, where recorded offences have jumped 47% over the last five years. There are now 20,712 offences per 100,000 people, a figure that stands well above the typical area.
All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Cairns — higher than 87% of areas.
The overall recorded-offence rate and its five-year trend.
Theft is the most common crime at 19.4%, followed by assault and related offences at 11.6%. Drug offences make up 10.8% of the total, while burglary and property damage account for 9.1% and 7.5% respectively.
20,712
Higher than 87% of council (lga) areas.
Total recorded criminal offences per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). The per-capita rate is the meaningful map metric — raw counts just track population. Offence definitions and counting rules differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
47.0%
Higher than 88% of council (lga) areas.
Change in the recorded-offence rate over the latest five years — positive means crime is rising, negative means it is falling. Computed from each region's annual series.
Rates for assault, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, theft, drugs and more.
Theft and robbery are among the highest at this level, and the rate for burglary is also among the highest. Assault, drug offences, motor vehicle theft, and property damage are all much higher than most areas.
2,398
Higher than 86% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded assault & related per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
327
Higher than 68% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded sexual offences per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
123
Higher than 95% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded robbery per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
1,880
Higher than 93% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded burglary (unlawful entry) per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
4,025
Higher than 97% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded theft per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
653
Higher than 78% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded motor vehicle theft per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
1,544
Higher than 86% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded property damage per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
2,230
Higher than 88% of council (lga) areas.
Recorded drug offences per 100,000 residents per year (latest complete year, from the state/territory police service). Offence definitions differ by state, so cross-state comparisons are indicative only.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Crime & Safety in Cairns [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA32080/cairns/topic/crime-safety
