Home prices in Cairns are on the rise as data reveals suburbs account for 41 per cent of sales
A home at 69 Hillview Cres, Whitfield, sold for $800,000 in January. Photo: realestate.com.au
Cairns house prices have soared 41 per cent in the past year, with new data revealing suburbs where buyers are now paying tens of thousands more to enter the market.
The latest REA Market Trends data showed the Cairns housing market, Edge Hill saw the biggest annual increase in median price, rising 21.2 per cent by 2025 to $900,000.
This equates to buyers shelling out $157,500 more for a median-priced home.
Second was Mount Peter with house prices up 21 per cent, from $620,000 to $749,999.
In Goldsborough, the average cost of a home will increase by 19.6 percent by 2025, to an average of $932,500.
This was followed by Clean Water, with home values up 17 per cent or $127,500, and Edmonton, with homes up 16.5 per cent or $93,500.
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A home at 32 Oxley St, Edge Hill, sold for $800,000 in December. Photo: realestate.com.au
In the unit market, the top performer was Cairns City with house prices up 41.5 per cent or $195,000.
This saw the median unit price in Cairns City go from $470,000 to $665,000.
Next was Manunda, with the median price up 32 per cent, from $250,000 to $330,000, then Edmonton, up 30.8 per cent or $83,500.
Rounding out the top five were Holloways Beach and Kewarra Beach with median unit prices up 25.8 per cent and 23.9 per cent respectively.
Ray Murphy, selling principal at Ray White Cairns, Cairns Beaches and Palm Cove said the Cairns market has been doing very well in the real estate market due to high demand and lack of buyers.
“What we are finding is that a disproportionate amount of price growth is coming from the affordable price bracket as the pool of buyers is very large,” he said.
“A lot of buyers are being pushed down to those affordable prices, which are mostly units, and they’re being pushed out of the housing market.”
Ray White Cairns, Cairns Beaches and Palm Cove selling principal, Ray Murphy. Image: Provided
Mr Murphy said factors such as the Australian Government 5 Per Cent Deposit Scheme increased demand in the Cairns region and thus created a two-speed market, where suburbs and the region as a whole operated differently.
The latest PropTrack Home Price Index showed Cairns property prices fell 13.2 per cent, or about $75,000, year-on-year in January to $638,000.
“There’s been a lot of softening in listings across the region, with steady demand driving open house attendance and more product competition and auction competition,” Mr. Murphy said.
“We see an average of 6.9 attendees per open home, which creates a lot of competition.
“At the auction of 69 Hillview Cres in Whitfield (last month), there were 29 registered buyers and the property sold for $200,000 over reserve.”
Mr Murphy said owner-occupiers in particular were willing to pay a premium to get a more affordable home, which was driving investors out of the market and driving up prices.
“There are no more one-bed houses under $300,000 on the Cairns market,” he said.
“Those days are gone and I don’t think they will come back.
“In the condo market, you can get a one bed right now for $350,000, a two bed will be north of $400,000 and in the condo market, if you can get anything under $700,000 you’re doing pretty well.”
A unit at 906/99 Esplanade, Cairns City, sold for $550,000 in December. Photo: realestate.com.au
Mr Murphy said he expected this high price growth at the lower end of the market to continue, even if interest rates rise.
“If interest rates go up, we could see a smaller buyer pool for homes north of $1.5m or $2m,” he said.
“Under $700,000, interest is not a factor in our market.
“What we find out about consumers is that it is not efficiency but the deposit that prevents them from entering the market.
Once they have that money, they are in a good position to secure their homes.”
CAIRNS TOP MARKET FOR PRICE GROWTH TO 2025
| A suburb | Type of structure | Median sales price Dec 2025 | Annual change in average value | Median sales price Dec 2024 | Annual change in average value |
| Edge Hill | The house | $900,000 | 21.2 | $742,500 | $157,500 |
| Mount Peter | The house | $749,999 | 21 | $620,000 | $129,999 |
| Goldsborough | The house | $932,500 | 19.6 | $780,000 | $152,500 |
| Clean water | The house | $877,500 | 17 | $750,000 | $127,500 |
| Edmonton | The house | $658,500 | 16.5 | $565,000 | $93,500 |
| Holloways Beach | The house | $675,000 | 16.2 | $581,000 | $94,000 |
| Whore | The house | $635,000 | 15.5 | $550,000 | $85,000 |
| Mooroobool | The house | $650,000 | 15.2 | $564,000 | $86,000 |
| Gordonvale | The house | $660,778 | 14.9 | $575,000 | $85,778 |
| Trinity Park | The house | $785,000 | 14.9 | $683,000 | $102,000 |
| Palm Cove | The house | $1,090,000 | 14.7 | $950,000 | $140,000 |
CAIRNS MARKETS FOR HIGHEST PRICE GROWTH TO 2025
| A suburb | Type of structure | Median sales price Dec 2025 | Annual change in average value | Median sales price Dec 2024 | Annual change in average value |
| City of Cairns | Unit | $665,000 | 41.5 | $470,000 | $195,000 |
| Manunda | Unit | $330,000 | 32 | $250,000 | $80,000 |
| Edmonton | Unit | $355,000 | 30.8 | $271,500 | $83,500 |
| Holloways Beach | Unit | $393,000 | 25.8 | $312,500 | $80,500 |
| Kewarra Beach | Unit | $655,000 | 23.9 | $528,500 | $126,500 |
| Clean water | Unit | $490,000 | 23.7 | $396,250 | $93,750 |
| Yorkeys Knob | Unit | $437,000 | 21.4 | $360,000 | $77,000 |
| White Rock | Unit | $500,000 | 20.9 | $413,500 | $86,500 |
| Stratford | Unit | $472,000 | 18 | $400,000 | $72,000 |
| Clifton Beach | Unit | $475,000 | 17.3 | $405,000 | $70,000 |
| Earlville | Unit | $341,500 | 17 | $292,000 | $49,500 |
(SOURCE: REA)
