Smithfield
Smithfield runs a median age of 34, a full 6.0 years below the national figure, and the youth shows up everywhere in its numbers. Detached houses dominate at 91.3% of dwellings, and half the stock (51.2%) carries four or more bedrooms, a family-sized profile reinforced by an average household of 2.6 people. Household income sits at the 66.6th percentile nationally, comfortably mid-market, and 27.9% of residents were born overseas, 6.3 points above national.
Population
6,664
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,840/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Mortgage holders make up 43.5% of households against just 23.5% owning outright, a sign of a market still being bought into rather than held by long-settled owners. The stock suits families: 91.3% are separate houses, 51.2% carry four or more bedrooms and another 37.6% have three, so buyers chasing apartments (only 6.0% of dwellings) will struggle. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,755, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes sitting only in the 66.6th percentile. That gap between modest incomes and manageable repayments is the suburb's core draw for first and second home buyers priced out of central Cairns.
For Buyers
Mortgage holders make up 43.5% of households against just 23.5% owning outright, a sign of a market still being bought into rather than held by long-settled owners. The stock suits families: 91.3% are separate houses, 51.2% carry four or more bedrooms and another 37.6% have three, so buyers chasing apartments (only 6.0% of dwellings) will struggle. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,755, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes sitting only in the 66.6th percentile. That gap between modest incomes and manageable repayments is the suburb's core draw for first and second home buyers priced out of central Cairns.
For Investors
The 5.5% vacancy rate is on the looser side, suggesting tenants have choice, so rent growth will be gradual rather than sharp. Development is thin at just 2 applications in 12 months, neither adding housing supply, which limits new competing stock but also signals a quiet construction pipeline. With rent-to-income at 22.8%, tenants are not stretched, leaving room for measured increases. The investment case here rests on solid yield and a young, mobile renter base (turnover runs at 29.7%) rather than rapid capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
2
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 Smithfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Newman Catholic College
7-10 · 625 students
Tropical North Learning Academy - Smithfield State High School
7-12 · 1135 students
Demographics
The median age of 34 is 6.0 years below the national figure, one of the youngest profiles you will find outside a student precinct, and it shapes the household structure: couples with children number 2,288 against 1,387 couples without, so families clearly outweigh empty-nesters. University qualifications reach 30.8%, marginally above national by 0.7 points, while 27.9% of residents were born overseas, 6.3 points higher than national. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,314), Irish (676) and Scottish (674), and the top non-English languages are Mandarin and Punjabi (43 speakers each), followed by Japanese (33) and Korean (31). Average household size is 2.6, a touch above national, consistent with the family-heavy makeup and the large four-bedroom housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.3%
Houses
2.7%
Townhouse
6.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward debt: 43.5% of households hold a mortgage, 33.0% rent and only 23.5% own outright, the mortgage majority pointing to a younger buyer base still working down loans rather than long-held wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 91.3%, with apartments just 6.0% and semi-detached 2.7%, so housing variety is limited. Bedroom counts skew large: 51.2% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 37.6% have three, leaving compact one and two-bedroom homes scarce at under 12% combined.
Mortgage / mo
$1,755
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $420.
$650
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $650 · units $570
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$816
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
134
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.2%
Couples, no children
5,090
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans heavily on people-facing services: Healthcare leads at 22.6% (530 workers), Education follows at 13.1% (307) and Public Administration at 10.1% (238), with Construction at 9.5% and Hospitality at 8.4%. By occupation, Professionals (714) and Community/Personal Service workers (572) top the list, ahead of Managers (401), a mix that reflects the heavy care and education base rather than corporate finance. Unemployment is 5.4% and the full-time employment rate is 62.8%, with participation at 62.3%. The suburb scores SEIFA decile 6 on IRSAD and decile 7 on IRSD, mid-to-upper on advantage and relative disadvantage, while the IER economic-resources score reaches decile 7, lifted by the high 43.5% mortgage-holder base that signals working households servicing assets.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.8%
Part-time
31.8%
Participation
62.3%
Employed
3,159
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.8%
Postgraduate
7.0%
Born Overseas
27.9%
Dwellings
2,303
Transport to Work
Smithfield is built around the car: 88.3% of residents drive to work, well above the national norm, while public transport carries just 1.4% and 3.7% walk or cycle, reflecting a low-density layout at 508.3 people per km2 across 13.11 km2. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas. On the advantage measures the suburb reads comfortably mid-market: SEIFA decile 6 on IRSAD and decile 7 on IRSD, above the national midpoint, and only 4.4% of residents (274 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the young median age of 34. Volunteering runs at 15.2%, and with housing costs absorbing roughly 22% of income, residents retain reasonable disposable headroom.
Drive
88.3%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Smithfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Smithfield a good suburb to live in?
Smithfield suits younger families: the median age of 34 sits 6.0 years below national, and it scores SEIFA decile 6 on IRSAD and decile 7 on IRSD, both above the national midpoint.
What is the median house price in Smithfield?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,755, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.0%, below the 30% stress line. Weekly rent runs $420, which against the median implies a gross rental yield near 4.3%.
What schools are in Smithfield?
No schools are recorded inside the Smithfield boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The resident base is reasonably educated, with university qualifications at 30.8%, marginally above the national figure by 0.7 points, and a young median age of 34.
Is Smithfield safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Smithfield in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores SEIFA decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, above the national midpoint, and only 4.4% of its 6,664 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a settled, low-disadvantage area.
Is Smithfield good for property investment?
A 33.0% renter share provides a steady tenant pool, though the 5.5% vacancy rate is loose, so the case rests on yield rather than rapid capital growth.
How is Smithfield's population changing?
Forecast figures are not available, but the structure points to family-led growth: the median age of 34 is 6.0 years below national and there are 2,288 couples with children. Mobility is high, with turnover at 29.7% and 70.3% of residents staying, typical of a younger, transient population.
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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