Cairns Regional Council
Palm Cove
Palm Cove at a glance
Walk score
70
Very walkable
Population
2,450
Median age 53
The brief
What to know about Palm Cove.
Palm Cove (4879) sits in the Cairns region of Queensland.
Palm Cove has roughly 2,450 residents, with a retiree-heavy demographic. Households are mostly owner-occupied. Day-to-day life here is very walkable, with most errands manageable on foot.
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Day to day
What it’s like to live here.
Palm Cove scores 70/100 on walkability, which makes it very walkable with limited public transport. Coffee, groceries and a meal out are mostly walking-distance, which keeps a household viable on one car.
Summer days here average around 32°C (warm), winter mornings around 17°C (mild). Annual rainfall lands at about 2065mm. Data comes from the Bureau of Meteorology's Cairns Aero station, 97.0km away.
Schooling within or near the suburb covers 2 government primary, 1 government secondary, 2 Catholic.
Who lives here
Demographics.
The 2021 Census put Palm Cove's population at 2,450, with a median age of 53. That sits as a retiree-heavy demographic. Households are mostly owner-occupied (67% own, 30% rent), which shapes everything from school catchment stability to how often properties turn over. The household mix skews family-dominated (70% family households, 28% lone person), so amenity decisions tend to follow what families want: parks, schools, supermarkets.
Population
2,450
Median age
53
Family households
70%
Lone person
28%
Demographics data as of May 2026· ABS 2021 Census
Market
The price of a home here.
Median house price
Verified median pending
We don't yet have a verified suburb-level median for this market. We're working on a data partner; in the meantime, treat the state-level figures as a guide only. How we source data.
Sales data as of May 2026· rental-qld
Rental and ownership
Weekly rent (house)
$400/wk
Weekly rent (unit)
$550/wk
Owner occupied
67%
Renter occupied
30%
At a deeper level
2,450
Median age: 53
Rental data as of March 2026· rental-qld
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Safety
Crime and safety.
LGA-wide data, not suburb-specific
QLD Police only publishes crime statistics at the local government area / region level. The numbers below cover the entire Cairns Regional Council, which may include suburbs with very different crime profiles. Quieter residential pockets within the LGA likely have lower rates than the total suggests; busier areas may have higher.
24,995
total offences in 2026 across the Cairns Regional Council LGA
Top offence categories
Crime statistics are reported at LGA level and may cover a broader area than this suburb.
Source: State Police Open Data
Getting around
Walkability.
70
30
100
Scores calculated from OpenStreetMap data (ODbL)
Walkability data as of May 2026· OpenStreetMap
Place
Location.
Amenities
Transport
Education
Schools in Palm Cove.
Local schools for Palm Cove
View the catchment for each school to find out more.
Government School Catchment
Tropical North Learning Academy - Trinity Beach State School
Tropical North Learning Academy - Smithfield State High School
Kuranda District State College
© ACARA, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Climate
Weather year-round.
Annual Rainfall
2065 mm
Hottest Month (avg max)
31.5°C
Coldest Month (avg min)
16.9°C
Monthly Rainfall (mm)
Weather data from BOM station Cairns Aero (97 km away)
Climate data as of May 2026· Bureau of Meteorology
Frequently asked
About Palm Cove.
- What is the Palm Cove postcode?
- Palm Cove is in the 4879 postcode, in QLD, in the Cairns Regional Council region.
- What is the average rent in Palm Cove?
- The median weekly rent for houses is $400, for units it's $550.
- What schools are in Palm Cove?
- There are 6 schools serving Palm Cove on this page, including Tropical North Learning Academy - Trinity Beach State School, Holy Cross School, Tropical North Learning Academy - Smithfield State High School.
- How walkable is Palm Cove?
- Palm Cove has a Walk Score of 70 out of 100, very walkable. transit score 30, bike score 100.
- What suburbs are near Palm Cove?
- Palm Cove is close to Buchan Point, Ellis Beach, Clifton Beach, Macalister Range, Kewarra Beach.
- What is the population of Palm Cove?
- Palm Cove has approximately 2,450 residents. The median age is 53.
Palm Cove
Guides
Side by side
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Sources cited
Median, growth and rental data from state revenue offices and ABS. Census from ABS 2021. Climate from BoM. Hazard from Geoscience Australia. School data from ACARA. Crime from state police open data. Full methodology →
Always dated
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