Manoora
Cairns has few suburbs where you can buy at a $326,000 median house price, and Manoora sits at the bottom end of that range for a reason. Household income reads just $1,054 a week, in the 15.1st percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 1 on three of four SEIFA indexes (IRSAD, IRSD and IER), the most disadvantaged tier. The stock is apartment-heavy at 43.7% of dwellings and renter-dominated, with 61.3% of households renting against a national base near a third. The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below national, and overseas-born residents reach 26.2%, which is 4.6 points above the national figure, giving a younger, lower-income, high-turnover profile across a dense 2.23 km2 footprint.
Population
6,175
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,054/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$326K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $326,000 median house price makes Manoora one of the cheapest entry points in the Cairns market, and at a $1,100 average monthly mortgage the cost of ownership is modest in absolute terms. That keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold, even though local incomes sit in the 15.1st percentile nationally. The stock favours smaller dwellings: two-bedroom homes make up 48.1% and three-bedroom 31.3%, while 4-plus bedroom houses are only 8.0%, so buyers wanting a large family home compete for scarce supply. Apartments are 43.7% of dwellings against 38.7% separate houses, which is unusual for an outer Cairns suburb and reflects an investor-built unit base. Owner-occupier numbers are thin, with 17.1% owning outright and 21.6% holding a mortgage, so most buyers here are entering a market dominated by renters.
For Buyers
The $326,000 median house price makes Manoora one of the cheapest entry points in the Cairns market, and at a $1,100 average monthly mortgage the cost of ownership is modest in absolute terms. That keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold, even though local incomes sit in the 15.1st percentile nationally. The stock favours smaller dwellings: two-bedroom homes make up 48.1% and three-bedroom 31.3%, while 4-plus bedroom houses are only 8.0%, so buyers wanting a large family home compete for scarce supply. Apartments are 43.7% of dwellings against 38.7% separate houses, which is unusual for an outer Cairns suburb and reflects an investor-built unit base. Owner-occupier numbers are thin, with 17.1% owning outright and 21.6% holding a mortgage, so most buyers here are entering a market dominated by renters.
For Investors
Manoora is built for yield rather than capital growth. Weekly rent of $270 against the $326,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, well above what premium suburbs return, and 61.3% of households rent, giving landlords a deep tenant pool. The catch is a 9.7% vacancy rate, high enough to signal periodic oversupply in the apartment segment that forms 43.7% of stock. Rent has climbed 35.0% over the measurement period, the clearest demand signal, and rent-to-income at 25.6% leaves tenants with room before stress. Demand support is mixed: net overseas migration adds 62 residents a year while internal migration removes 88, so natural growth is thin at 0.41% annually. New supply is negligible, with only 2 development applications lodged in 12 months and neither adding dwellings, so the investment case rests on the existing low entry price and rising rents rather than scarcity-driven appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
6
Last 12 Months
6
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 36 is 4.0 years below national, marking Manoora as younger than most suburbs, though the trajectory is aging because the senior share rose 6.2 points while the working-age share fell 2.3 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 26.2%, which is 4.6 points above national, and the average household size of 2.2 sits 0.3 below the national figure. University qualifications are low at 18.6%, running 11.5 points below national, which aligns with a workforce weighted toward community, labouring and clerical roles. Ancestry leans Other (1,811) and English (1,505), and the most common non-English language background is Australian Indigenous languages (99 speakers) ahead of Japanese (42) and Punjabi (28). Couples with children number 1,230 against 848 couples without, and Buddhism (138) is the notable second religion behind Christianity (2,554).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
38.7%
Houses
13.7%
Townhouse
43.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily skewed to renting: 61.3% of households rent, while only 17.1% own outright and 21.6% carry a mortgage, the inverse of the ownership-led national pattern. The stock is 43.7% apartments and 13.7% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at just 38.7%, a denser mix than typical for outer Cairns and a product of investor-built units. Smaller dwellings dominate, with two-bedroom homes at 48.1% and three-bedroom at 31.3%, while 4-plus bedroom houses are only 8.0%. The median house price is $326,000, low enough that the $1,100 average monthly mortgage keeps mortgage-to-income at 24.1%, below the 30% stress line. Rent-to-income runs higher at 25.6%, reflecting that the renter majority carries more of the housing cost burden than the small owner base, a divergence that fits the suburb's 15.1st-percentile income profile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,100
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$629
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.7%
Unoccupied
259
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.6%
Couples, no children
3,756
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in service sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 25.7% (378 workers), followed by Hospitality at 10.6% (156), Education at 10.1% (149), Retail at 8.3% and Public Admin at 6.9%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (430) and Labourers (352) outnumber Professionals (337), which explains why university qualifications sit 11.5 points below national. The labour market is strained: unemployment runs at 11.2%, well above typical rates, the participation rate is just 49.1%, and 1,692 residents are not in the labour force. These weak fundamentals show in the SEIFA scores, with the suburb at decile 1 on IRSAD, IRSD and IER and decile 2 on IEO, the lowest advantage tier nationally. Real income growth was essentially flat at 0.1% over the decade, which kept household income anchored in the 15.1st percentile.
Unemployment
12.9%
Labour Force
3,030
Unemployed
391
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.3%
Part-time
30.5%
Participation
49.1%
Employed
2,149
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.6%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
26.2%
Dwellings
2,409
Transport to Work
Manoora is car-dependent and offers limited active transport: 83.9% of residents drive, only 2.3% use public transport and 5.6% walk or cycle, below the share seen in transit-served suburbs. The suburb scores decile 1 on IRSAD and decile 1 on IRSD, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and 7.6% of residents (407 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a lower-resourced area. Volunteering runs at 12.2%, and the renter-heavy, high-turnover profile shows in a 31.0% mobility rate, meaning roughly a third of residents moved within the period. No schools are recorded inside the 2.23 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Cairns suburbs. The trade-off for buyers is clear: the $326,000 median delivers affordability that few suburbs match, set against socioeconomic indicators that sit well below the national average.
Drive
83.9%
Public Transport
2.3%
Walk / Cycle
5.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.41%/yr
(+26 people/yr)
EstablishedManoora is an established, slow-growth suburb expanding at just 0.41% a year, or about 26 residents annually, well below the pace of high-growth corridors. The population sat at 6,323 in 2025 and medium forecasts lift it modestly to 6,535 by 2031, continuing the 8.5% rise recorded over the past decade. Overseas migration of 62 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 88, so growth depends on new arrivals replacing departing residents. The gentrification reading shows early signs with a score of 30, supported by 35.0% rent growth, but affordability is worsening, sliding from 39.1% in 2011 to 42.9% in 2021. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.2 points and the young share down 2.6 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+62
Net Internal / yr
-88
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Manoora compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manoora a good suburb to live in?
Manoora's main draw is affordability, with a $326,000 median house price among the lowest in Cairns and a younger median age of 36, four years below national. The trade-offs are real: it scores decile 1 on the IRSAD index, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and unemployment runs at 11.2%.
What is the median house price in Manoora?
The median house price is $326,000, one of the cheapest entry points in the Cairns market. Weekly rent averages $270 and the average monthly mortgage is about $1,100, keeping the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Manoora?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.23 km2 Manoora boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Cairns suburbs. University qualifications among residents sit at 18.6%, which is 11.5 points below the national figure.
Is Manoora safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Manoora in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lowest tier, and 7.6% of its 6,175 residents need daily assistance, both pointing to a higher-need area.
Is Manoora good for property investment?
Rent of $270 a week against the $326,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.3%, above premium-suburb returns, and 61.3% of households rent. The 9.7% vacancy rate signals periodic apartment oversupply, so the case rests on yield and 35.0% rent growth rather than capital appreciation.
How is Manoora's population changing?
Population growth is 0.41% annually, about 26 residents a year, with an 8.5% rise over the past decade. The 2025 figure of 6,323 is forecast to reach 6,535 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.2 points and the young share down 2.6 points.
What languages are spoken in Manoora?
About 26.2% of residents were born overseas, 4.6 points above the national figure. English is dominant, while the most common non-English language backgrounds are Australian Indigenous languages (99 speakers), Japanese (42), Punjabi (28) and Mandarin (26).
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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