Kuranda
With a median age of 46, six years above the national average, and a household income at the 29.7th percentile nationally, Kuranda is a low-income, aging community occupying 110.83 square kilometres in tropical Far North Queensland. Only 3,273 residents live here, giving a density of 29.5 people per square kilometre, far below typical suburban benchmarks. The suburb scores IRSD decile 3 for relative disadvantage, placing it in the bottom third nationally. Despite those pressures, 39.7% of households own their home outright, more than two in five, and 88.3% of dwellings are separate houses, reflecting a rural character where land rather than amenity defines affordability.
Population
3,273
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,284/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Separate houses dominate at 88.3% of dwellings, and the most common configuration is three bedrooms at 40.6%, followed closely by four-plus bedrooms at 24.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,595, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.7%, just below the standard 30% stress threshold. Outright owners are the largest tenure group at 39.7%, with mortgage holders at 34.1% and renters at 26.3%. The ownership concentration in a low-income area points to long-term residents who bought when prices were lower, rather than active demand from new buyers.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate at 88.3% of dwellings, and the most common configuration is three bedrooms at 40.6%, followed closely by four-plus bedrooms at 24.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,595, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.7%, just below the standard 30% stress threshold. Outright owners are the largest tenure group at 39.7%, with mortgage holders at 34.1% and renters at 26.3%. The ownership concentration in a low-income area points to long-term residents who bought when prices were lower, rather than active demand from new buyers.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 9.0% is elevated, pointing to weak rental demand and the risk of extended void periods, caution is warranted compared to tighter coastal markets. Only 4 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, two of which were lot reconfiguration rather than new dwelling creation, signalling very limited new supply. Net overseas migration adds 24 residents a year and internal migration adds 14, balanced drivers that keep population growing at around 1% annually but without the demand surge that lifts rents quickly.
Development Activity
Total DAs
69
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+25.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kuranda iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Cairns Hinterland Steiner School
Prep-8 · 157 students
Kuranda District State College
Prep-12 · 285 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national figure, and the demographic trend is aging: the senior share rose 7.2 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.5 points. The overseas-born share of 23.3% is 1.7 points above national. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,126 residents), Irish (370) and Scottish (331), reflecting a European-heritage settler base. University qualifications reach 25.9%, which is 4.2 points below the national figure. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national average exactly. Christianity is the dominant religion with 1,008 adherents, while Buddhism (43) is the second largest. Participation in the labour force is low at 46.9%, and 970 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older age profile and part-time rural economy.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.3%
Houses
2.4%
Townhouse
3.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure here splits with outright owners at 39.7%, mortgage holders at 34.1% and renters at 26.3%. The high outright ownership rate relative to a household income at the 29.7th percentile nationally reflects long-term residents who paid down debt over decades rather than recent purchasers. Separate houses make up 88.3% of the stock, with apartments at only 3.7% and semi-detached at 2.4%, an almost entirely freestanding stock across a 110.83 square kilometre footprint. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 40.6%, and four-plus bedroom homes account for 24.8% of dwellings, suggesting family-sized lots. The vacancy rate of 9.0% is high, indicating the rental market carries structural surplus. Rent-to-income at 20.2% and mortgage-to-income at 28.7% both sit below stress thresholds, though this reflects modest repayments on a low income base rather than genuine affordability headroom.
Mortgage / mo
$1,595
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$260
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$600
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.0%
Unoccupied
114
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples, no children
2,305
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 23.2% of employed residents (203 workers), followed by Education at 15.7% (137) and Public Admin at 8.5% (74). Construction accounts for 8.2% (72 workers) and Retail for 7.3% (64). Professionals are the largest occupational group at 287 workers, followed by Community and Personal service workers at 208, reflecting a public-sector and social-services employment base rather than a commercial economy. The unemployment rate of 8.8% is above the national average and the full-time employment rate is 53.6%, with part-timers at 529 versus full-timers at 612. SEIFA scores across the four indexes tell a consistent disadvantage story: IRSD decile 3, IRSAD decile 4, IER decile 4, and IEO decile 5, placing the suburb in the lower half nationally on all measures of economic resources and education-occupation outcomes.
Unemployment
9.7%
Labour Force
2,493
Unemployed
242
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.6%
Part-time
37.6%
Participation
46.9%
Employed
1,141
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.9%
Postgraduate
6.2%
Born Overseas
23.3%
Dwellings
1,150
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near total, with 88.7% of commuters driving and only 0.8% using public transport. Walking or cycling accounts for 5.9%, a modest but non-trivial share given the low-density rural layout. No schools are recorded within the Kuranda suburb boundary in this dataset. The IRSAD decile of 4 places the suburb in the lower-middle tier nationally for relative advantage and disadvantage combined. Volunteering is high at 20.1%, above many comparable regional areas, suggesting active community engagement despite the economic pressures. Disability support needs are present for 5.7% of residents (162 people), consistent with the aging profile. Household composition shows 877 couples with children and 729 couples without children as the main family types, with no single-parent families recorded in the Census data for this area.
Drive
88.7%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
5.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.01%/yr
(+51 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 11.2% over the decade, above the typical pattern for a remote rural suburb, and the medium forecast tracks the SA2 that contains Kuranda from 5,033 in 2025 to 5,367 by 2031, a steady 1.01% annual gain. Migration is balanced: overseas arrivals add a net 24 per year and internal migration adds 14, meaning growth depends on sustained inflow from both channels rather than natural increase alone. The gentrification score of 25 and stage of early signs reflects population growth and modest rent increases of 28.6% over the period, but real income growth was only 8.5%, so affordability improved slightly from 45.1% in 2011 to 43.4% in 2021. The gentrification assessment is not gentrifying at the suburb level based on SEIFA decile 3 position, suggesting population gains have not yet translated into income or opportunity uplift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+24
Net Internal / yr
+14
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kuranda compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kuranda a good suburb to live in?
Kuranda suits buyers and residents who value space and a rural lifestyle over urban amenity. The suburb sits at IRSD decile 3, in the bottom third nationally for disadvantage, with household income at the 29.7th percentile. The median age of 46, six years above national, reflects an established community rather than a growth area, and car ownership is near universal at 88.7% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Kuranda?
Weekly rent averages $260 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,595, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.7%, just under the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Kuranda?
No schools are recorded inside the Kuranda suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on nearby facilities in surrounding areas. The local university qualification rate is 25.9%, which is 4.2 points below the national figure, reflecting the lower-education-occupation profile of a rural service community.
Is Kuranda safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kuranda in this dataset. As a structural indicator, the suburb scores IRSD decile 3, placing it in the bottom third nationally for relative disadvantage, which is correlated with higher crime rates in comparable areas. The low income base (household income at the 29.7th percentile) and 8.8% unemployment rate are relevant context.
Is Kuranda good for property investment?
With only 4 development applications in 12 months and population growing at 1.01% annually, the market is stable rather than high-growth, and returns depend on long-term capital appreciation in a remote location.
How is Kuranda's population changing?
Population grew 11.2% over the decade and is forecast to continue at around 1.01% per year, adding about 51 residents annually. The SA2 containing Kuranda is projected to reach 5,367 by 2031 from 5,033 in 2025. Migration is balanced, with 24 net overseas arrivals and 14 net internal migrants annually. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 7.2 points over the decade.
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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