QLD · Cairns Council
Yorkeys Knob, 4878
Current weather
22.1°CMainly clear
75% humidity · 12.2 km/h wind · 26.3° / 19.2° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Affordable
- Rural
- Green space
- Established
- Residential
Suburb profile
In Cairns, Yorkeys Knob keeps a rural calm, a mid-sized suburb with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. Open skies and rolling countryside set a calm backdrop to everyday routines.
Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play.
The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 2,794
- Median age
- 46
- Median household income / week
- $1,234
- Dwelling vacancy
- 12.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 183 of 1,462
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,357
- Employment rate
- 55.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 131 / 480 / 306
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 · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $520
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) · Period: Mar 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 119
- Against the person
- 18
- Against property
- 71
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 42.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 155 residents
- State safety percentile
- 56.4th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -5.8%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault59
- Drug Offences63
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)156
- Traffic And Related Offences67
- Unlawful Entry108
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 998
- Yorkeys Knob State SchoolPrimary
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 · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Planning & development
Development applications from QLD coordinated projects (lodged 2020–2026).
1 planning-related records
Other· 1 proposal
- Aquis Resort at the Great Barrier Reef projectRedevelopment of 343 ha of rural land into a large scale integrated tourism resort, 13 kilometres north of Cairns and 3 kilometres south of Yorkeys Knob.Completed EIS project
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- QLD coordinated projects — Queensland Department of State Development · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · State coordinated projects register (not council DAs)
Amenities
3 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Varley Street at Carolyn CloseBus stop
- Varley Street at Nancy StreetBus stop
- MobilPetrol station
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Best Street ReservePark
- Old School ParkPark
- Ray Howarth ReserveNature reserve
- Yorkeys Creek Fish Habitat AreaNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Innisfail Court House (former)State heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
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 · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 4
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 features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 37.3/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3833rd in Australia
- State rank
- 896th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #174 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #463 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 70%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Assaultcrime59
- Drug Offencescrime63
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime156
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime67
- Unlawful Entrycrime108
- Innisfail Court House (former)heritageState heritage place
- Best Street Reservegovernmentpark
- Old School Parkgovernmentpark
- Ray Howarth Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Yorkeys Creek Fish Habitat Areagovernmentnature_reserve
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
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.