QLD · Cairns Council

Earlville, 4870

Est. population · Jun 2025

4,449

Growth (1 yr)

-0.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+4.0%

Median age

44

Median income

$1,166/wk

Employment rate

50.7%

Languages at home

16.2%non-English

Most common: Korean, Japanese, Australian Indigenous languages

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

53.4/100
Average

Top 27% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 71% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • High desirability
  • Education hub
  • Café precinct
What Earlville is known for: Green suburb, National parks, High desirability, Education hub, Café precinct

Suburb profile

Earlville is a regional mid-sized suburb in Cairns Council, oriented around local life rather than the metro orbit of Brisbane. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with a strong presence of young families throughout.

Local shops, markets and community spots keep everyday life grounded in the town itself. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many regional towns, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Families benefit from nearby schooling, and buses help with daily commutes.

Housing is more affordable than in many parts of the state. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

Desirability sits around average overall, with community and employment, plus safety the main drag compared with similar regional towns.

At a glance

Earlville snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$537/wk

Population (ERP)

4,449

-0.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

6.9%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#47

among Country & regional · Established

Safety

94th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

1st

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

6th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
53.4/100 — Average
State standing
Top 27% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
1746th in Australia
State rank
399th in QLD
Peer rank
#47 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#116 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
71%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$537

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

4,449(June 2025)

-0.3% annual · +4.0% over 5 years · 1th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-0.3%
5-year growth
+4.0%
Change in 1 year
-15
Change in 5 years
+170
Growth rank in QLD
1th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~4,500), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4,200
Median age
44
Median household income / week
$1,166
Dwelling vacancy
6.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
129 of 1,872
Median monthly mortgage
$1,500
Employment rate
50.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,046 / 378 / 289 (+ 24 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
649
Against the person
169
Against property
296
Rate per 1,000 residents
145.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 25 residents
State safety percentile
94.1th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+0.4%

Most common offence types

  • Assault1421
  • Drug Offences1831
  • Good Order Offences1465
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)2862
  • Unlawful Entry1021

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime MapQueensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
5
Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
860
Median ICSEA percentile
6th
School list
  • Our Lady Help of Christians SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1025 · 58th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 506 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Woree State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 860 · 6th percentile · LBOTE 35% · 530 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Balaclava State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 797 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 44% · 381 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Cairns State Special SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 913 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 24% · 130 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
  • Woree State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 854 · 5th percentile · LBOTE 40% · 750 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

97 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

2 supermarkets · 5 fast food · 1 libraries · 4 playgrounds · 1 dog parks · 4 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily errands
  • Great for outdoor family life12 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
  • Strong local sport and recreation10 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
44/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.19
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.86
Food & drink(5)
  • Domino'sFast food
  • Guzman y GomezFast food
  • KFCFast food
  • McDonald'sFast food
  • ZambreroFast food
Shopping(3)
  • NightOwlConvenience store
  • ColesSupermarket

    537 Mulgrave Road

  • WoolworthsSupermarket
Community(2)
  • Earlville LibraryLibrary
  • Our Lady Help of ChristiansSchool
Health & services(1)
  • North Qld X-rayMedical clinic
Sport & outdoors(21)
  • Henleys Hill Dog ParkDog park
  • Barnes Street ParkPark
  • Chinaman Creek ParkPark
  • Enclave ParkPark
  • Granadilla Drive ParkPark
  • Henleys Hill ParkPark
  • Hoad Street ParkPark
  • Lions ParkPark
  • Lissner Crescent ParkPark
  • Park (2)
  • Vandeleur ParkPark
  • Playground (4)
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (4)
Transport(6)

6 bus stops

Other(29)
  • The Big MarlinArtwork
  • Commonwealth BankATM
  • ANZBank
  • BOQBank
  • Queensland Country BankBank
  • Bbq
  • Bench
  • Cairns Bicycle WorksBicycle

    504 Mulgrave Road

  • Trinity Hyundai CairnsCar
  • Supercheap AutoCar Parts

    Barr Street, Earlville

  • Lifeline ShopCharity
  • Big WDepartment Store

    537 Mulgrave Road

  • TargetDepartment Store
  • Seville Mercy Conference CentreEvents Venue
  • Compleat AnglerFishing
  • Garden (2)
  • Earlville Shopping TownMall
  • Motorcycle Parking
  • Northern car parkParking
  • Parking (18)
  • Parking Space (13)
  • Caltex Woolworths PetrolPetrol station

    Mulgrave Road

  • Picnic Table
  • Australia PostPost Box
  • Public toilets
  • Shelter
  • TelstraTelephone
  • Marlin Coast Homebrew SuppliesYes
  • Yes

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

10 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Barnes Street ParkPark
  • Chinaman Creek ParkPark
  • Enclave ParkPark
  • Granadilla Drive ParkPark
  • Henleys Hill ParkPark
  • Hoad Street ParkPark
  • Lions ParkPark
  • Lissner Crescent ParkPark
  • Vandeleur ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
24
Parks (OSM)
12

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Medicare Centre (5.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
  • North Qld X-rayDoctor

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
120
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.0

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
31° / 25°
Rainfall
1,038 mm · ~90 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
29° / 24°
Rainfall
925 mm · ~92 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
25° / 20°
Rainfall
164 mm · ~20 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
28° / 22°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • Between McCombe Street and Barr StreetMulgrave Road14 Jul 2026 – 27 Aug 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closuresState road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Leichhardt
Member of Parliament
Matt SMITH (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,757
Turnout (2025)
83.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+9.5 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 43.9%Labor 56.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.2 km away).

Coalition 42.4%Labor 57.6%

1.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +10.4 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • EarlvilleLabor 54.6% · Coalition 45.4% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
  • MoorooboolLabor 61.0% · Coalition 39.0% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
  • WoreeLabor 60.7% · Coalition 39.3% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
  • Bayview HeightsLabor 53.9% · Coalition 46.1% TPP (2025)2.8 km away
  • Cairns WestLabor 67.2% · Coalition 32.9% TPP (2025)2.9 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
3/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Cairns Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.