Woree
A $357,000 median house price and a renter majority of 53.4% define Woree, and the two are linked. Household income sits in just the 22nd percentile nationally, so most residents lease rather than buy, with outright owners (22.8%) and mortgage holders (23.7%) each trailing the renting share. The suburb scores in the bottom decile on three of four SEIFA indexes (IRSAD, IRSD and IER all decile 1, IEO decile 2), reflecting its position well below the national advantage average. University qualifications reach only 15.5%, which is 14.6 points below national, and the median age of 38 runs 2.0 years below the national figure. This Cairns suburb of 5,127 leans on Healthcare, which employs 20.9% of the local workforce.
Population
5,127
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,152/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$357K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $357,000 median house price, Woree is one of the more affordable markets in the Cairns region, and that affordability shows in the repayment math. Average monthly mortgage repayments of about $1,300 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 22nd percentile nationally. The stock favours buyers who want a freestanding home: 48.6% are separate houses, with apartments at 25.0% and semi-detached dwellings at 24.6%. Two-bedroom dwellings lead at 41.6% and three-bedroom follow at 33.4%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are only 17.7%, so larger families face thinner choice. With renters at 53.4% outnumbering both owner categories, much of the housing trades as rental rather than owner-occupied stock, which keeps entry prices accessible relative to coastal Queensland.
For Buyers
At a $357,000 median house price, Woree is one of the more affordable markets in the Cairns region, and that affordability shows in the repayment math. Average monthly mortgage repayments of about $1,300 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 22nd percentile nationally. The stock favours buyers who want a freestanding home: 48.6% are separate houses, with apartments at 25.0% and semi-detached dwellings at 24.6%. Two-bedroom dwellings lead at 41.6% and three-bedroom follow at 33.4%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are only 17.7%, so larger families face thinner choice. With renters at 53.4% outnumbering both owner categories, much of the housing trades as rental rather than owner-occupied stock, which keeps entry prices accessible relative to coastal Queensland.
For Investors
A 53.4% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant pool, the largest of the three tenure groups in Woree. Weekly rent of $280 against the $357,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, healthier than the sub-2% yields common in premium capital-city suburbs. Rent has climbed 40.0% over the period, well above wage growth, and the rent-to-income ratio of 24.3% still sits below the stress line, leaving room for further increases. The vacancy rate of 8.2% is the main caution, signalling softer demand than the rent growth alone suggests. New supply is minimal, with only 2 development applications lodged in 12 months, both minor building works rather than dwellings. Net overseas migration adds 34 residents a year while internal migration removes 52, so demand support is modest and yield, not volume, carries the case.
Development Activity
Total DAs
3
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 Woree iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Gerard Majella Primary School
Prep-6 · 399 students
St Mary's Catholic College
7-12 · 949 students
Woree State School
Prep-6 · 530 students
Woree State High School
7-12 · 750 students
Demographics
The median age of 38 runs 2.0 years below the national figure, yet the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 5.6 points over the decade while the young share fell 3.8 points. Overseas-born residents reach 22.9%, just 1.3 points above national, so the population is only marginally more international than average. Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (1,433), Irish (398) and Scottish (384), and the most common non-English languages are Australian Indigenous languages (36), Punjabi (35) and Nepali (28). University qualifications at 15.5% sit 14.6 points below national, the clearest marker of the suburb's working profile. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, and couples with children (1,114) outnumber couples without children (830) among 3,325 families. Christianity (2,249) is the dominant religion, with Buddhism (86) a distant second.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
48.6%
Houses
24.6%
Townhouse
25.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily to renting: 53.4% lease, 23.7% carry a mortgage and 22.8% own outright. Renters outnumbering both owner groups combined points to a market driven by tenants rather than established owner wealth, consistent with incomes in the 22nd percentile nationally. The stock is 48.6% separate houses, 25.0% apartments and 24.6% semi-detached, a fairly even spread for a regional suburb. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 41.6% and three-bedroom follow at 33.4%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are just 17.7%, skewing supply toward smaller households. The median house price of $357,000 keeps the price-to-income ratio low by national standards. Mortgage-to-income at 26.1% and rent-to-income at 24.3% both stay below the 30% stress threshold, a rare alignment that reflects how cheap housing is relative even to modest local incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$280
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$679
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.2%
Unoccupied
165
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.0%
Couples, no children
3,325
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in Healthcare, which leads at 20.9% (263 workers), followed by Education at 10.8% (136), Construction at 9.8% (124), Retail at 8.5% (107) and Hospitality at 7.4% (93). By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (327) and Labourers (297) outnumber Professionals (267), which aligns with the decile 2 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is elevated at 9.7%, well above the national average, and the participation rate of 50.1% is low because 1,298 residents are not in the labour force. The full-time employment rate reads 61.8%. Real incomes grew only 5.1% over the decade, a modest gain that helps explain why all four SEIFA scores land in the bottom two deciles, with IRSAD, IRSD and IER each at decile 1.
Unemployment
9.5%
Labour Force
2,705
Unemployed
258
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.8%
Part-time
28.5%
Participation
50.1%
Employed
1,891
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.5%
Postgraduate
2.8%
Born Overseas
22.9%
Dwellings
1,847
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 84.9% drive to work, while only 2.6% use public transport and 3.2% walk or cycle, well below city-suburb active-transport rates and typical of regional Cairns. The suburb scores decile 1 on IRSAD and IRSD, the bottom advantage and disadvantage tiers nationally, meaning more residents face relative deprivation than in most areas. Volunteering runs at 11.4% and 6.9% of residents (305 people) need daily assistance, slightly above what the median age of 38 would imply. Rent-to-income at 24.3% keeps tenants below the stress line, a genuine affordability advantage. No schools are recorded inside the 5.95 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Cairns suburbs, a practical trade-off at the low residential density of 861 residents per km2.
Drive
84.9%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.72%/yr
(+38 people/yr)
EstablishedWoree is a slow-growth established suburb: annual population growth registers 0.72%, about 38 people a year, and the 10-year change is 6.2%. The population rose from 5,205 in 2023 to 5,252 in 2025, and medium forecasts lift it to 5,525 by 2031, a gentle climb rather than expansion. Overseas migration of 34 a year is the primary driver, partly offset by net internal outflow of 52, so external arrivals carry the growth. The gentrification stage reads early signs with a score of 36, supported by rent growth of 40.0% over the period and a senior share up 5.6 points. Affordability worsened from 38.1% in 2011 to 41.2% in 2021, so even this low-priced market is becoming harder for locals relative to a decade ago.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+34
Net Internal / yr
-52
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Woree compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Woree a good suburb to live in?
Woree is one of the more affordable parts of Cairns, with a $357,000 median house price and rent-to-income at 24.3%, below the 30% stress line. The trade-offs are that it scores decile 1 on three of four SEIFA indexes and household income sits in the 22nd percentile nationally, with unemployment elevated at 9.7%.
What is the median house price in Woree?
The median house price is $357,000, affordable by national standards. Weekly rent averages $280 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.1%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite modest local incomes.
What schools are in Woree?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.95 km2 Woree boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Cairns suburbs. University qualifications among residents reach only 15.5%, which is 14.6 points below the national figure, reflecting the suburb's working profile.
Is Woree safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Woree in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and 6.9% of its 5,127 residents need daily assistance, figures consistent with a lower-advantage area rather than a direct safety measure.
Is Woree good for property investment?
Rent of $280 a week against a $357,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, stronger than the sub-2% yields in premium capital suburbs. Rent has risen 40.0% over the period, but an 8.2% vacancy rate is a caution, and only 34 net overseas migrants a year provide modest demand support.
How is Woree's population changing?
Population growth is 0.72% annually, about 38 people a year, with a 6.2% rise over 10 years to 5,252 residents in 2025. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.6 points and the young share down 3.8 points over the decade. Medium forecasts reach 5,525 by 2031.
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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