Kanimbla
Household income in the 87.3rd percentile nationally sits alongside a median house price of just $545,000, making Kanimbla one of the more affordable high-income pockets in the Cairns region. The suburb is almost entirely detached housing, with 98.6% separate houses and 73% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, a profile that skews firmly toward family owner-occupiers rather than investors. Healthcare dominates the local economy at 24.1% of workers, a share well above the national average for a suburb this size. With 2,827 residents across 3.1 square kilometres, density sits at 912 people per km2, and 77.8% of residents stayed put over the five-year period, signalling a stable, settled community.
Population
2,827
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,270/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Median House
$545K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $545,000 median house price puts Kanimbla well below the national median for comparable family-sized suburbs. Mortgage repayments average $1,842 per month, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.7% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, giving buyers genuine headroom compared to most capital-city markets. Stock is almost exclusively separate houses at 98.6%, with 73% of dwellings carrying 4 or more bedrooms, so families get space without the premium typical in southern cities. Outright owners at 31.2% and mortgage holders at 50.1% together account for 81.3% of the housing base, confirming strong owner-occupier demand. Household income in the 87.3rd percentile nationally means the local buyer pool has real purchasing capacity relative to the asking price.
For Buyers
The $545,000 median house price puts Kanimbla well below the national median for comparable family-sized suburbs. Mortgage repayments average $1,842 per month, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.7% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, giving buyers genuine headroom compared to most capital-city markets. Stock is almost exclusively separate houses at 98.6%, with 73% of dwellings carrying 4 or more bedrooms, so families get space without the premium typical in southern cities. Outright owners at 31.2% and mortgage holders at 50.1% together account for 81.3% of the housing base, confirming strong owner-occupier demand. Household income in the 87.3rd percentile nationally means the local buyer pool has real purchasing capacity relative to the asking price.
For Investors
A 4.2% vacancy rate sits above the 2-3% equilibrium range, indicating some softness in rental demand that investors should weigh carefully. Weekly rent of $450 against a $545,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.3%, reasonable by Queensland regional standards. The renter share is low at 18.7%, so the tenant pool is thinner than inner-city markets. Only 3 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, including 2 lot reconfiguration proposals that could add new supply to the area over the medium term. Household income at the 87.3rd percentile nationally supports tenants' ability to pay, but the vacancy rate signals the market is not undersupplied. Buyers looking for yield should note the lot subdivision activity, which may add competing rental stock as Kanimbla Grove stages progress.
Development Activity
Total DAs
3
Last 12 Months
3
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
Demographics
The median age of 39 sits 1 year below the national figure, pointing to a working-age population profile rather than a retiree shift. University qualifications reach 33.7% of residents, 3.6 percentage points above the national average, consistent with the suburb's concentration of healthcare and education workers. Overseas-born residents account for 29%, which is 7.4 points above the national share, with Nepali (58 speakers), Japanese (29) and Mandarin (20) the most common non-English languages, reflecting the international character of Cairns. Ancestry is led by English (907), Irish (246) and Scottish (236), with Italian (210) a notable fourth. Households average 2.9 people, 0.4 above the national figure, and couples with children make up 1,165 families, the dominant household type.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.6%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Kanimbla's housing stock is one of the most uniformly detached in Queensland, with 98.6% separate houses and only 1.4% semi-detached dwellings. The bedroom profile is similarly skewed toward large homes: 73% have 4 or more bedrooms and 26.7% have 3 bedrooms, leaving almost no small-format stock. Tenure splits show 50.1% with a mortgage, 31.2% owning outright and 18.7% renting, a profile more weighted toward mortgage holders than the national average. Rent-to-income at 19.8% and mortgage-to-income at 18.7% both sit well below stress thresholds, indicating housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes. The $545,000 median is estimated from rental data for 2025, as transaction volume is limited, so buyers should verify current comparable sales before committing.
Mortgage / mo
$1,842
Rent / wk
$450
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$916
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.2%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.6%
Couples, no children
2,449
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 24.1% (259 workers), a share significantly higher than state and national averages and consistent with Kanimbla's proximity to Cairns Hospital and associated services. Education follows at 11.2% (120 workers), then Construction at 7.3%, Public Administration at 6.9% and Hospitality at 6.8%. By occupation, Professionals lead with 362 workers, followed by Community and Personal Service (232), Clerical and Admin (199) and Managers (196). The unemployment rate of 4.0% is close to the national benchmark, and the participation rate of 69.9% is healthy. SEIFA places Kanimbla in the IRSAD decile 4 and IRSD decile 3, indicating below-average advantage on multiple indices despite the relatively high household income percentile, likely reflecting the regional cost base and service-sector wage profile.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.8%
Part-time
37.2%
Participation
69.9%
Employed
1,502
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.7%
Postgraduate
6.6%
Born Overseas
29.0%
Dwellings
952
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extremely high at 89.7% of residents driving to work, with public transport used by just 0.6%, which reflects the suburban spread and limited transit infrastructure typical of outer Cairns. Walking and cycling account for 1.9% of commutes. No schools are recorded within the Kanimbla boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs for primary and secondary education. Crime data is not available for this postcode. The IRSAD decile 4 score indicates below-average relative socioeconomic advantage compared nationally, though the 87.3rd percentile household income and low housing stress ratios (mortgage-to-income 18.7%, rent-to-income 19.8%) tell a different story at the individual household level. The volunteering rate of 18.5% is above the national average, reflecting the community engagement common in stable, owner-occupied suburbs.
Drive
89.7%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kanimbla compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kanimbla a good suburb to live in?
Kanimbla offers a stable owner-occupier community with household income at the 87.3rd percentile nationally and housing stress ratios well below thresholds (mortgage-to-income 18.7%, rent-to-income 19.8%). The 98.6% separate house rate and 4+ bedroom dominance suit families. The main trade-offs are high car dependence (89.7%) and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Kanimbla?
The median house price is approximately $545,000, estimated from rental data for 2025. Weekly rent averages $450 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite the relatively large 4-plus bedroom housing stock.
What schools are in Kanimbla?
No schools are recorded inside the Kanimbla boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Cairns suburbs. The local population is well-educated, with university qualifications at 33.7%, which is 3.6 percentage points above the national average, reflecting the healthcare and education worker base.
Is Kanimbla safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kanimbla in this dataset. As indirect indicators, the volunteering rate of 18.5% is above the national average, and 77.8% of residents stayed in the same dwelling over the five-year period, both consistent with a stable, low-turnover community. The suburb scores IRSAD decile 4 nationally.
Is Kanimbla good for property investment?
Rent of $450 per week against a $545,000 median gives a gross yield around 4.3%, reasonable for a Queensland regional suburb. However, the 4.2% vacancy rate sits above equilibrium, and the 18.7% renter share is low, limiting the tenant pool. Lot subdivision activity nearby may add competing supply over the medium term, so yield growth is not guaranteed.
How is Kanimbla's population changing?
Suburb-level population forecasts are not available for Kanimbla, but the working-age median of 39 and average household size of 2.9 people, which is 0.4 above national, suggest organic family-led growth. Active lot reconfiguration applications, including a proposed 43-lot subdivision, indicate new dwellings are entering the pipeline around the suburb.
What languages are spoken in Kanimbla?
About 29% of residents were born overseas, 7.4 percentage points above the national figure. Nepali is the most common non-English language with 58 speakers, followed by Japanese (29), Mandarin (20), Korean (20) and Cantonese (19), reflecting the international character of the broader Cairns community.
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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