$310 ▲ +29.2%
Lower than 65% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: $240
- 2016: $280
- 2021: $310
Median weekly rent paid by households renting their home.
Cairns · Region (SA4)
Housing & Dwellings in Cairns
Where and how people live — the homes, how they are held, and what they cost.
Lower housing costs than most other areas make daily living more affordable in Cairns. Rent and mortgage payments both sit a little below the state and national figures. While the area has a high number of renters, the typical weekly rent is only $310.
$310
▲ +29.2%
- $100–$118: 0 areas
- $118–$136: 0 areas
- $136–$154: 1 area
- $154–$171: 1 area
- $171–$189: 0 areas
- $189–$207: 3 areas
- $207–$225: 0 areas
- $225–$243: 4 areas
- $243–$261: 7 areas
- $261–$279: 6 areas
- $279–$296: 4 areas
- $296–$314: 9 areas
- $314–$332: 3 areas
- $332–$350: 3 areas
- $350–$368: 12 areas
- $368–$386: 6 areas
- $386–$404: 10 areas
- $404–$421: 4 areas
- $421–$439: 3 areas
- $439–$457: 5 areas
- $457–$475: 0 areas
- $475–$493: 1 area
- $493–$511: 2 areas
- $511–$529: 0 areas
- $529–$546: 0 areas
- $546–$564: 2 areas
- $564–$582: 1 area
- $582–$600: 2 areas
All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Cairns — lower than 65% of areas.
| Cairns | $310 |
|---|---|
| Rest of Qld | $345 |
| Queensland | $365 |
| Australia | $375 |
Housing costs
Rents, mortgages and crowding.
The typical weekly rent of $310 is a little below the national figure, though it has risen by $70 since 2011. Typical monthly mortgage payments are also a little below the Australian average at $1,517, falling $130 over the last decade.
$1,517 ▼ -7.9%
Lower than 71% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: $1,647
- 2016: $1,597
- 2021: $1,517
Median monthly mortgage repayment for households with a mortgage.
Weekly rent distribution
View on map →In Cairns, the largest group is $200–$349 at 44%, followed by $350–$549 (36%) and Under $200 (16%).
Monthly mortgage distribution
View on map →In Cairns, the largest group is $1,000–$1,799 at 44%, followed by $1,800–$2,999 (27%) and Under $1,000 (21%).
Owning & renting
How homes are owned or rented.
Renting is more common here than in most areas, with 32.8% of households renting, which is a little above the national figure. This is balanced by 31.1% of homes being owned outright, a figure that has risen 3.1 points since 2011.
32.8% ▼ -11.7%
Higher than 71% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 37.1%
- 2016: 36.3%
- 2021: 32.8%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are rented.
31.1% ▲ +11.0%
Lower than 57% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 28.0%
- 2016: 28.8%
- 2021: 31.1%
Share of occupied private dwellings owned outright (no mortgage).
How homes are owned or rented
View on map →Cairns splits fairly evenly between Rented (33%) and Owned with a mortgage (32%), with Owned outright at 31%.
Types of homes
Houses, townhouses, apartments and bedrooms.
Separate houses are common at 77.5%, which is well above the national figure. However, Cairns has far fewer large homes than most areas, with the proportion of houses with three or more bedrooms sitting well below the Queensland average.
0.80 ▼ -27.3%
Lower than 71% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 1.10
- 2016: 0.80
- 2021: 0.80
Average number of usual residents per bedroom — a crowding measure.
77.5% ▲ +1.6%
Lower than 65% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 76.3%
- 2016: 76.7%
- 2021: 77.5%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are separate houses.
70.8% ▲ +2.5%
Lower than 75% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 69.1%
- 2016: 69.4%
- 2021: 70.8%
Share of occupied private dwellings with three or more bedrooms.
Types of homes
View on map →In Cairns, Separate house is the majority at 78%; Flat or apartment is next at 12%.
Bedrooms per home
View on map →In Cairns, the largest group is 3 bedrooms at 39%, followed by 4 bedrooms (27%) and 2 bedrooms (21%).
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Cairns
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Housing & Dwellings in Cairns [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/306/cairns/topic/housing-dwellings