Byron Bay vs Cairns City suburb comparison (NSW vs QLD)
Which suburb suits you better?
Side-by-side comparison of 16 categories from official government and open data.
| Category | Byron Bay | Cairns City |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 58.1/100 | 55.1/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 18.2/100 | 10.6/100 |
| Crime rate | 125.9 / 1k | 130.5 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | 5 | 3 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 5 |
| Public transport stops | 119 | — |
| Walkability | 100.0/100 | 95.5/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 334 | 799 |
| Planning activity | 86 | — |
| Population | 6,330 | 3,616 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 8/10 | 8/10 |
Quick verdicts
- Best for familiesCairns City
- Best for beach lifestyleByron Bay
- Best for investmentByron Bay
- Best for best valueByron Bay
- Best for best schoolsCairns City
Comparison summary
Byron Bay and Cairns City offer different strengths across official suburb data. Byron Bay leads on more comparison categories overall. Overall score favours Byron Bay; Housing (desirability) favours Byron Bay; Crime rate favours Byron Bay. Quick verdicts: Families → Cairns City, Beach lifestyle → Byron Bay, Investment → Byron Bay, Best value → Byron Bay.