QLD · Cairns Council

Mooroobool, 4870

Est. population · Jun 2025

7,467

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.8%

Median age

41

Median income

$1,495/wk

Employment rate

56%

Languages at home

23.2%non-English

Most common: Nepali, Japanese, Australian Indigenous languages

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

41.7/100
Average

Top 49% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 73% confidence

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

Suburb profile

Mooroobool sits in Cairns Council as a regional mid-sized suburb that feels self-contained and a long way from big-city bustle. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with family life visible on every street.

Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.

Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

The desirability picture is around average, weighed down by softer safety relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Mooroobool snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$595/wk

Population (ERP)

7,467

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

8.2%

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

#104

among Country & regional · Established

Safety

94th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

34th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

15th

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
41.7/100 — Average
State standing
Top 49% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
3463rd in Australia
State rank
747th in QLD
Peer rank
#104 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#339 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
73%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$595

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

7,467(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +2.8% over 5 years · 34th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+2.8%
Change in 1 year
+55
Change in 5 years
+206
Growth rank in QLD
34th 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 (~7,700), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
7,136
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$1,495
Dwelling vacancy
8.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
229 of 2,789
Median monthly mortgage
$1,517
Employment rate
56%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,978 / 406 / 179

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)
1,090
Against the person
283
Against property
496
Rate per 1,000 residents
146
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 25 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 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
4
Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
875
Median ICSEA percentile
15th
School list
  • Our Lady Help of Christians SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1025 · 58th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 506 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Balaclava State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 797 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 44% · 381 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
  • St Francis Xavier's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 953 · 26th percentile · LBOTE 37% · 382 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Cairns West State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 784 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 70% · 481 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Goodstart Early Learningkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

Childcare centre count

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare servicesOpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Amenities

54 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

4 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life24 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
9/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
3.36
Community(1)
  • Goodstart Early LearningKindergarten
Sport & outdoors(29)
  • Caesar ParkPark
  • Chataway Street ParkPark
  • Craig Street ParkPark
  • Hayward Street ParkPark
  • Irene Street DogParkPark
  • Irene Street Flood Plain AreaPark
  • Leoni ParkPark
  • Long Street ParkPark
  • Mestrez Street ParkPark
  • Mosch Place ParkPark
  • Mountain View ParkPark
  • Park (8)
  • Robert Kerr ParkPark
  • Shang ParkPark
  • Silky Oak Court ParkPark
  • Summer Hill ParkPark
  • Watkins Street ParkPark
  • Playground (4)
  • Sports field
Entertainment(2)
  • Erin’s Ledge LookoutViewpoint
  • McArthur LookoutViewpoint
Transport(6)

6 bus stops

Other(5)
  • Bench
  • Parking (10)
  • Parking Space (2)
  • TelstraTelephone
  • Waste Basket (2)

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

16 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Caesar ParkPark
  • Chataway Street ParkPark
  • Craig Street ParkPark
  • Hayward Street ParkPark
  • Irene Street DogParkPark
  • Irene Street Flood Plain AreaPark
  • Leoni ParkPark
  • Long Street ParkPark
  • Mestrez Street ParkPark
  • Mosch Place ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
30
Parks (OSM)
24

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

Nearest hospital
Cairns North Community Health Facility (4.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
202
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.1

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

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 3.5 km away).

Coalition 39.8%Labor 60.2%

4.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +10.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • EarlvilleLabor 54.6% · Coalition 45.4% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
  • MoorooboolLabor 61.0% · Coalition 39.0% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
  • Cairns WestLabor 67.2% · Coalition 32.9% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
  • ManundaLabor 68.0% · Coalition 32.0% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
  • WhitfieldLabor 59.4% · Coalition 40.6% TPP (2025)2.6 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.