The home at 69 Hillview Cres, Whitfield, sold for $800,000 in January. Picture: realestate.com.au
Cairns home prices soared by up to 41 per cent last year, with new data revealing the suburbs where buyers are now paying tens of thousands more to get into the market.
The latest REA Market Trends data showed in the Cairns house market, Edge Hill saw the greatest annual increase in median price, up 21.2 per cent in 2025 to $900,000.
This equated to buyers fork out $157,500 more for a median-priced house.
Second was Mount Peter with house prices up 21 per cent, from a median of $620,000 to $749,999.
In Goldsborough, the average cost of a house shot up 19.6 per cent in 2025, to an average of $932,500.
This was followed by Freshwater, with house prices up 17 per cent or $127,500, and Edmonton, with house prices up 16.5 per cent or $93,500.
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The home at 32 Oxley St, Edge Hill, sold for $800,000 in December. Picture: realestate.com.au
In the unit market, the top performer was Cairns City with apartment 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 unit 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 unit markets had been outperforming the house markets due to high demand and affordability constraints of buyers.
“What we’re finding is a disproportionate amount of price growth is coming from the affordable price bracket as the buyer pool is much bigger,” he said.
“A lot of buyers have been pushed down into that affordable price bracket, which is predominantly units, and forced out of house markets.”
Ray White Cairns, Cairns Beaches and Palm Cove selling principal, Ray Murphy. Picture: Supplied
Mr Murphy said factors such as the Australian Government 5 Per Cent Deposit Scheme were increasing demand in the Cairns region and thereby creating a two-speed market, where suburbs and the region as a whole were performing differently.
The latest PropTrack Home Price Index showed Cairns property prices jumped 13.2 per cent, or about $75,000, year-on-year in January to a median of $638,000.
“There been significant softening in listing volumes across the region, with demand unchanged creating strong open home attendance and competition with multiple offers and competition at auction,” Mr Murphy said.
“We’re seeing an average of 6.9 attendees per open home, which is creating significant competition.
“At the auction of 69 Hillview Cres in Whitfield (last month), there were 29 registered bidders and the property sold for $200,000 over reserve.”
Mr Murphy said owner-occupiers in particular were prepared to pay a premium to secure a more affordable home, which was pushing investors out of the market and prices up.
“There are no two-bed units sub-$300,000 anymore in the Cairns market,” he said.
“Those days are gone and I don’t think they’re coming back.
“In the unit market, you can get one-bedders at the moment for $350,000, two-bedders would be north of $400,000 and in the housing market, if you can get anything sub-$700,000 you’re doing very well.”
The unit at 906/99 Esplanade, Cairns City, sold for $550,000 in December. Picture: realestate.com.au
Mr Murphy said he expected this high price growth in the lower end of the market to continue, even should interest rates go up.
“If interest rates increase, we might see a smaller buyer pool for homes north of $1.5m or $2m,” he said.
“Sub-$700,000, interest rates aren’t really a factor in our market.
“What we’re finding with buyers is that it isn’t the serviceability but the deposit preventing them from entering the market.
“Once they have that deposit, they’re in a good position to secure homes.”
CAIRNS TOP HOUSE MARKETS FOR PRICE GROWTH 2025
| Suburb | Property type | Median sale price Dec 2025 | Annual change in median price | Median sale price Dec 2024 | Annual change in median price |
| Edge Hill | House | $900,000 | 21.2 | $742,500 | $157,500 |
| Mount Peter | House | $749,999 | 21 | $620,000 | $129,999 |
| Goldsborough | House | $932,500 | 19.6 | $780,000 | $152,500 |
| Freshwater | House | $877,500 | 17 | $750,000 | $127,500 |
| Edmonton | House | $658,500 | 16.5 | $565,000 | $93,500 |
| Holloways Beach | House | $675,000 | 16.2 | $581,000 | $94,000 |
| Woree | House | $635,000 | 15.5 | $550,000 | $85,000 |
| Mooroobool | House | $650,000 | 15.2 | $564,000 | $86,000 |
| Gordonvale | House | $660,778 | 14.9 | $575,000 | $85,778 |
| Trinity Park | House | $785,000 | 14.9 | $683,000 | $102,000 |
| Palm Cove | House | $1,090,000 | 14.7 | $950,000 | $140,000 |
CAIRNS TOP UNIT MARKETS FOR PRICE GROWTH 2025
| Suburb | Property type | Median sale price Dec 2025 | Annual change in median price | Median sale price Dec 2024 | Annual change in median price |
| Cairns City | 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 |
| Freshwater | 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)
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