Westcourt
Renting is the dominant tenure in Westcourt, with 61.8% of households paying rent, well above the national average, and the median house price of $371,000 sits in the affordable tier for Cairns. The suburb compresses 3,841 residents into just 1.63 km2, producing a density of 2,355 per km2. Household income falls in the 23.8th percentile nationally, and SEIFA scores land in decile 1 on IRSD and IRSAD, placing Westcourt among the most disadvantaged suburbs in Australia. Overseas-born residents at 34% are 12.4 percentage points above the national figure, driven by net overseas migration of 119 arrivals per year.
Population
3,841
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,186/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$371K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $371,000 is estimated from 2025 rent data, making Westcourt one of the more accessible entry points in the Cairns region. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household income sitting in the 23.8th percentile nationally. Separate houses account for 37.5% of dwellings, matched almost equally by apartments at 37.2%, so buyers choosing detached housing compete for a narrow slice of stock. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 38.4%, with three-bedroom at 25.6% and 4-plus bedroom homes at only 9.5%. Outright owners at 18.9% are low compared to the national norm, a consequence of the renter-majority profile where only 19.3% carry a mortgage.
For Buyers
The median house price of $371,000 is estimated from 2025 rent data, making Westcourt one of the more accessible entry points in the Cairns region. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household income sitting in the 23.8th percentile nationally. Separate houses account for 37.5% of dwellings, matched almost equally by apartments at 37.2%, so buyers choosing detached housing compete for a narrow slice of stock. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 38.4%, with three-bedroom at 25.6% and 4-plus bedroom homes at only 9.5%. Outright owners at 18.9% are low compared to the national norm, a consequence of the renter-majority profile where only 19.3% carry a mortgage.
For Investors
A 61.8% renter share is one of the highest you will find in Queensland, giving landlords a large tenant pool. Weekly rent of $300 against a $371,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, above average for regional QLD. The vacancy rate of 10.4% is elevated, signalling some supply excess in the apartment segment, which makes up 37.2% of stock. Overseas migration drives net growth of 119 people per year, more than offsetting the internal outflow of 42, and the medium forecast lifts the broader SA2 population to 7,053 by 2031. Rent grew 33.3% over the decade, well outpacing real income growth of 5.4%, and one development application lodged in the past 12 months indicates limited new supply pressure in the short term.
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
Demographics
The median age of 41 is one year above the national median, and the suburb is on an aging trajectory with the senior share rising 3.6 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents at 34% run 12.4 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting the overseas migration inflow of 119 per year that is the primary population driver. Ancestry is led by English (1,110 residents), Irish (358) and Scottish (265), with Nepali (67 speakers), Japanese (28) and Korean (18) the most prominent non-English languages. University qualifications at 24.7% sit 5.4 percentage points below national, consistent with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation advantage. Average household size of 2.0 is 0.5 below national, reflecting the higher share of single-person and couple households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
37.5%
Houses
25.3%
Townhouse
37.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Westcourt diverges sharply from the national pattern: 61.8% rent, while outright owners at 18.9% and mortgage holders at 19.3% are both low compared to Australian norms. The stock splits into thirds across separate houses (37.5%), apartments (37.2%) and semi-detached dwellings (25.3%), an unusually balanced mix. Two-bedroom units dominate at 38.4% and studio or one-bedroom at 26.5%, reflecting the renter-heavy, smaller-household profile. Rent-to-income at 25.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household income ranking in only the 23.8th percentile nationally. Mortgage-to-income is also 25.3%, suggesting those who do buy are not over-extended relative to their incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$664
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.4%
Unoccupied
191
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.9%
Couples, no children
2,177
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs 23% of the local workforce (248 workers), the highest industry by a wide margin, followed by Hospitality at 11.9% and Education at 9.1%. By occupation, Professionals lead (305 workers), then Community and Personal Services (284) and Labourers (210), a mix that reflects the service-sector economy typical of a regional city centre. The unemployment rate of 8.3% is elevated compared to national averages, and the participation rate of 49.4% is low, partly because 1,226 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA scores all land in decile 1 on IRSD, IRSAD and IER, placing Westcourt in the bottom 10% nationally for economic resources, education, and relative disadvantage, outcomes driven by the high renter share and below-national incomes.
Unemployment
9.5%
Labour Force
3,619
Unemployed
344
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.0%
Part-time
28.7%
Participation
49.4%
Employed
1,488
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.7%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
34.0%
Dwellings
1,638
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 78.8% drive to work, above the national average, while only 2.8% use public transport. Walking and cycling account for 9.4% of commutes, above what that car share would suggest for a dense 1.63 km2 suburb. No schools are recorded inside the Westcourt boundary, so families rely on institutions in surrounding Cairns suburbs. The IRSAD decile 1 score places the suburb in the bottom 10% for relative socioeconomic advantage nationally, and 11.5% of residents (396 people) need daily assistance, higher than the national norm. Volunteering at 13.2% is moderate. Rent-to-income at 25.3% keeps the rental market accessible, a practical factor given that 61.8% of households are tenants.
Drive
78.8%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
9.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.57%/yr
(+39 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation in the broader SA2 grew 3.5% over the decade, modest by QLD standards, and the annual growth rate of 0.57% adds about 39 people per year. The medium forecast lifts the SA2 count from 6,811 in 2025 to 7,053 by 2031. Net overseas migration of 119 per year is the sole growth engine, compared to a net internal outflow of 42, a pattern common in regional centres where international arrivals and students offset locals leaving for larger cities. The gentrification score of 13 classifies Westcourt as not gentrifying, and affordability barely changed from 40.2% in 2011 to 41.4% in 2021, indicating a stable but low-income catchment rather than a suburb undergoing price-driven transformation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+119
Net Internal / yr
-42
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Westcourt compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Westcourt a good suburb to live in?
Westcourt suits renters seeking affordable housing close to Cairns services. The median house price is $371,000 and rent-to-income is 25.3%. Trade-offs are a SEIFA decile 1 disadvantage rating, an 8.3% unemployment rate, and no schools inside the 1.63 km2 boundary.
What is the median house price in Westcourt?
The median house price is approximately $371,000, estimated from 2025 rent data. Weekly rent averages $300 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,300, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3% staying below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Westcourt?
No schools are recorded inside the Westcourt boundary in this dataset. The suburb covers just 1.63 km2, and families rely on schools in neighbouring Cairns suburbs. Local university qualification rates sit at 24.7%, which is 5.4 points below the national figure.
Is Westcourt safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Westcourt in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, which places it in the bottom 10% nationally, a factor that can correlate with higher crime rates in regional centres. Residents should check QLD Police crime maps for current data.
Is Westcourt good for property investment?
Westcourt has a 61.8% renter share, one of Queensland's highest, and a weekly rent of $300 against a $371,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%. The vacancy rate of 10.4% is elevated. Overseas migration adds 119 people per year to the broader area, and rent grew 33.3% over the decade, supporting the long-run investment case.
How is Westcourt's population changing?
The broader SA2 population grew from 6,679 in 2023 to 6,811 in 2025, and the medium forecast reaches 7,053 by 2031. Annual growth averages 0.57%, driven entirely by overseas migration at 119 arrivals per year, while internal migration posts a net outflow of 42 per year.
What languages are spoken in Westcourt?
With 34% of residents born overseas, 12.4 percentage points above the national figure, Westcourt has significant linguistic diversity. Nepali is the largest non-English language at 67 speakers, followed by Japanese (28), Korean (18) and Punjabi (15), reflecting the international student and migrant communities around Cairns.
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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