Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Cairns Council
Manunda, 4870
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,170
Growth (1 yr)
-0.6%
Growth (5 yr)
-0.8%
Median age
39
Median income
$1,069/wk
Employment rate
50.1%
Languages at home
23.3%non-English
Most common: Nepali, Australian Indigenous languages, Japanese
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
- Education hub
- Café precinct
Suburb profile
Manunda sits in Cairns Council as a regional mid-sized suburb that feels self-contained and a long way from big-city bustle. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix. Many residents were born overseas or speak a language other than English at home.
School and preschool provision is plentiful within the local area. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas.
Purchase and rent costs sit on the more affordable side of the local range. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads around average on desirability, chiefly because community and employment trail behind.
At a glance
Manunda snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$430/wk
Population (ERP)
5,170
-0.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
10.0%
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
#61
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
94th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
1st
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
26th
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
- 49.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 32% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2188th in Australia
- State rank
- 474th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #61 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #153 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 73%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $430
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
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Mar 2026 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
5,170(June 2025)
-0.6% annual · -0.8% over 5 years · 1th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.6%
- 5-year growth
- -0.8%
- Change in 1 year
- -29
- Change in 5 years
- -43
- 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 (~5,200), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 5,191
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $1,069
- Dwelling vacancy
- 10%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 241 of 2,416
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 50.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 838 / 289 / 1,023 (+ 9 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian 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 Profile — Australian 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)
- 755
- Against the person
- 196
- Against property
- 344
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 146
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 26 residents
- State safety percentile
- 94.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +0.5%
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 Map — Queensland 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
- 7
- Median school ICSEA (7 schools)
- 953
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 26th
School list
- Cairns School of Distance EducationCombined · Government · ICSEA 1024 · 57th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 3,692 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
- Trinity Bay State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 908 · 12th percentile · LBOTE 54% · 1,784 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
- The BUSY SchoolSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 975 · 36th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 1,780 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
- Cairns West State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 784 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 70% · 481 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- St Francis Xavier's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 953 · 26th percentile · LBOTE 37% · 382 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- Edge Hill State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1016 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 43% · 864 students · Top SEA quarter 23% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Parramatta State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 887 · 8th percentile · LBOTE 50% · 482 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Cairns Kids Early Learning Centrechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Amenities
161 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 2 fast food · 1 libraries · 2 places of worship · 2 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Great for outdoor family life — 13 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 12 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 12 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 55/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.19
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.16
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.5
Food & drink(6)
- Urban Coffee Co.Cafe
Unit 56 64 Alfred Street, Manunda
- Japanese Kitchen SATOFast food
114 Hoare Street
- Red RoosterFast food
- Raintrees TavernPub
- Apex Milk BarRestaurant
- Brothers Leagues Club CairnsRestaurant
99-105 Anderson Street
Shopping(3)
- Convenience store
- EG AustraliaConvenience store
- WoolworthsSupermarket
Community(8)
- Cairns Kids Early Learning CentreChildcare
- Cominos HouseCommunity centre
27 Greenslopes Street
- Manunda LibraryLibrary
- Cairns Adventist CollegeSchool
- Cairns School of Distance EducationSchool
- Cairns West State SchoolSchool
- St Francis Xavier's SchoolSchool
- Trinity Bay State High SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(24)
- Card Avenue Dog ParkDog park
- Clarke and Wallace ParkPark
- Cominos Place ParkPark
- Endeavour ParkPark
- Fire Station ParkPark
- Guginy ReservePark
- Harald Falge ParkPark
- Park (3)
- Pumeri ParkPark
- Sidney ParkPark
- Teatree ParkPark
- Playground (2)
- Cairns Basketball StadiumSports centre
- Police-Citizens Youth Club CairnsSports centre
- Sports centre
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (5)
Transport(12)
12 bus stops
Other(22)
- BWSAlcohol
- Bench (4)
- carBicycle Parking
- Supercheap AutoCar Parts
144 Anderson Street, Manunda
- The Salvation ArmyCharity
- VinniesCharity
- TAFE Queensland - Cairns CampusCollege
- Eureka Street FurnitureFurniture
109 Anderson Street
- Garden
- The Green SpaceGarden
- Raintrees Shopping CentreMall
- Motel
7 Stephens Street
- Parking (60)
- Parking Space (25)
- AmpolPetrol station
- Petrol station
- Lakes ChurchPlace of worship
- Place of worship
- Re Turn It (Cash for Containers Recycling)Recycling
- Shelter
- TelstraTelephone
- Smith Park VelodromeTrack
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 insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
10 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Clarke and Wallace ParkPark
- Cominos Place ParkPark
- Endeavour ParkPark
- Fire Station ParkPark
- Guginy ReservePark
- Harald Falge ParkPark
- Pumeri ParkPark
- Sidney ParkPark
- Teatree ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 15
- Parks (OSM)
- 13
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Lakes Church
- Place of worship
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Cairns North Community Health Facility (1.9 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 237
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 45.8
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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 normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- At McDonnell StreetAnderson Street31 Jul 2026 – 23 Dec 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State 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 overlays — State 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 3.1 km away).
Coalition 33.5%Labor 66.5%
10.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +12.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- ManundaLabor 68.0% · Coalition 32.0% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
- Cairns WestLabor 67.2% · Coalition 32.9% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
- Edge HillLabor 64.3% · Coalition 35.7% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Parramatta ParkLabor 65.2% · Coalition 34.8% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
- Cairns CityLabor 66.0% · Coalition 34.0% TPP (2025)2.0 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
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.