Gordonvale
The stock is 95.2% separate houses with 44.2% holding four or more bedrooms, so this is family-sized detached living rather than apartment territory at just 2.0% units. A gentrification score of 53 marks an active stage, propelled by net internal migration of 252 people a year, while the median age of 38 runs 2 years above national on an aging trajectory. With a 75% owner-occupier base and overseas-born at only 11.3%, 10.3 points below national, this is a rural-fringe town transitioning under domestic inflow, not migration.
Population
6,944
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,659/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
18
Buyers get space rather than density, with 95.2% separate houses and 44.2% offering four or more bedrooms against just 11.2% two-bedroom stock, so the market skews toward families needing room. Owner-occupiers dominate at 75% (31.5% outright, 43.5% mortgaged), higher than renter-heavy inner-city markets and a sign of a stable resident base. The catch for entrants is choice in smaller dwellings, since one and two bedroom homes together account for under 13% of stock.
For Buyers
Buyers get space rather than density, with 95.2% separate houses and 44.2% offering four or more bedrooms against just 11.2% two-bedroom stock, so the market skews toward families needing room. Owner-occupiers dominate at 75% (31.5% outright, 43.5% mortgaged), higher than renter-heavy inner-city markets and a sign of a stable resident base. The catch for entrants is choice in smaller dwellings, since one and two bedroom homes together account for under 13% of stock.
For Investors
Renters make up 25.0% of households, a shallower tenant pool than mortgage-belt averages where closer to one in three rents, so investor demand competes with strong owner-occupier preference. The 7.5% vacancy rate is elevated and signals softer rental absorption, tempering the yield story. Demand support comes from net internal migration of 252 a year, the primary growth driver, well above net overseas migration of 38. The pipeline is active with 12 applications in 12 months, including a reconfiguration of 2 lots into 306 lots, pointing to future supply that could pressure rents and capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
18
Last 12 Months
18
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gordonvale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Michael's School
Prep-6 · 279 students
Gordonvale State School
Prep-6 · 403 students
Cairns Adventist College
Prep-6 · 63 students
Gordonvale State High School
7-12 · 623 students
Djarragun College
Prep-12 · 259 students
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2 years above the national median, and a senior share rising 3.3 points alongside a young share falling 2.8 points confirms an aging trajectory. This is a strongly Anglo-Celtic population: English ancestry leads at 2,532, followed by Irish (734) and Scottish (633), while only 11.3% were born overseas, 10.3 points below national. Punjabi (30) and Italian (20) are the largest non-English language groups, both small. University qualifications reach just 16.5%, a substantial 13.6 points below national, reflecting a trades and service oriented workforce rather than a knowledge economy. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with the family-sized stock, and couples with children (2,227) outnumber couples without (1,417).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.2%
Houses
2.7%
Townhouse
2.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is firmly owner-occupied: 43.5% carry a mortgage, 31.5% own outright and only 25.0% rent, a far higher ownership rate than renter-dominated inner suburbs. The stock is 95.2% separate houses with apartments at just 2.0%, and the bedroom mix skews large, 43.0% three-bedroom and 44.2% four or more, versus only 11.2% two-bedroom. The IER decile 7 indicates above-median economic resources, driven by high outright ownership that builds household wealth, even though the IEO decile of 4 reflects lower education and occupation profiles.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$320
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$793
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.5%
Unoccupied
192
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.4%
Couples, no children
5,361
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 17.3% (353 workers), followed by Construction at 14.3% (292) and Education at 12.4% (253), a blue-collar and service mix rather than a professional economy. Occupations reinforce this: Community and Personal Service (443), Clerical and Admin (432) and Labourers (378) feature heavily, with Professionals at 430 less dominant than in knowledge suburbs. Unemployment of 5.5% is slightly above the national average, and the participation rate of 59.2% sits below national, partly because the aging population leaves 1,569 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA profile is mixed: IER decile 7 contrasts with IEO decile 4 and IRSAD decile 4, a divergence that reflects asset wealth from high home ownership coexisting with lower education and occupation scores.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
6,180
Unemployed
223
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
28.9%
Participation
59.2%
Employed
3,047
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.5%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
11.3%
Dwellings
2,349
Transport to Work
Gordonvale is heavily car-dependent: 88.4% of residents drive to work while public transport carries just 1.0% and walking or cycling only 4.3%, reflecting its rural-fringe position 23km south of Cairns and low density of 121.7 people per square km. The low density and 57.06 square km footprint deliver space and quiet but limited walkable amenity, so daily life assumes a vehicle. The community shows engagement through a 14.9% volunteering rate, and residential stability is high with 76.3% of residents having stayed put, a turnover rate of only 23.7% that points to settled, long-tenure households. The IER decile 7 confirms above-median household economic resources, though the IEO decile of 4 indicates the suburb trails on education and occupation measures compared with higher-tier areas.
Drive
88.4%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
4.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.95%/yr
(+222 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation is forecast to grow 1.95% a year, adding roughly 222 people annually, with the medium projection lifting the SA2 from 11,413 in 2025 to 12,455 by 2031. The engine is internal migration, averaging net 252 people a year, dwarfing net overseas migration of just 38, which is unusual and marks Gordonvale as a domestic relocation destination rather than a migrant gateway. A gentrification score of 53 places it in the active stage, with signals including population up 38% since 2011 and an accelerating growth rate. Real income grew 21.0% over the decade and rents rose 37.5%, yet affordability still improved from 42.5% in 2011 to 39.2% in 2021. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.3 points, so growth is families and downsizers relocating rather than a youth influx.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+38
Net Internal / yr
+252
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +38% since 2011, Net internal migration +252/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 28%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gordonvale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gordonvale a good suburb to live in?
Ownership is high at 75% and residential turnover low at 23.7%, signalling a settled community. The trade-offs are heavy car dependence (88.4% drive) and limited public transport at just 1.0%.
What is the median house price in Gordonvale?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent of $320 produces a gross yield of roughly 4.0%, higher than premium metro suburbs.
What schools are in Gordonvale?
School-level data is not available in this dataset for Gordonvale, so specific campuses cannot be listed. The suburb's family profile is clear from housing, with 44.2% of homes having four or more bedrooms and couples with children numbering 2,227, indicating demand for local schooling.
Is Gordonvale safe?
Crime statistics are not available in this dataset for Gordonvale. Indirect indicators suggest stability: residential turnover is low at 23.7%, with 76.3% of residents having stayed put, and the volunteering rate is 14.9%, both consistent with a settled, engaged community rather than a transient one.
Is Gordonvale good for property investment?
The renter pool is shallow at 25.0% and vacancy is elevated at 7.5%, but internal migration of 252 people a year supports demand. A pipeline of 12 development applications signals future supply.
How is Gordonvale's population changing?
Population is growing about 1.95% a year, around 222 people, with the SA2 forecast to reach 12,455 by 2031 from 11,413 in 2025. Net internal migration of 252 a year drives this, far above overseas migration of 38. The median age of 38 is 2 years above national, with the senior share up 3.3 points on an aging trajectory.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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