QLD · Cairns Council
Mount Peter, 4869
Current weather
19.5°CClear sky
88% humidity · 4 km/h wind · 25.5° / 16.8° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Set among the hills of Cairns, Mount Peter is a smaller community with bushland views and a cooler, leafier feel. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. Ridge-top pockets and tree cover give the area a cooler, greener hillside feel.
A younger crowd gives the area energy, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life.
Housing is well-priced for what you get: space, location and everyday convenience. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in housing affordability and community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 689
- Median age
- 30
- Median household income / week
- $2,096
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 11 of 237
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,582
- Employment rate
- 75.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 19 / 0 / 0
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.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 46
- Against the person
- 8
- Against property
- 26
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 66.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 86 residents
- State safety percentile
- 82.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +14.7%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault149
- Drug Offences189
- Other Property Damage119
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)257
- Unlawful Entry276
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
- 987
- MacKillop Catholic College, Mount PeterCombined
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
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
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
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Mount Peter Early Learningchildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · 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)
- 11
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
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
- 3974th in Australia
- State rank
- 922nd in QLD
- Peer rank
- #303 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #482 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 73%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Assaultcrime149
- Drug Offencescrime189
- Other Property Damagecrime119
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime257
- Unlawful Entrycrime276
- Mount Peter Early Learningchildcarechildcare
- MacKillop Catholic College, Mount PeterschoolsCombined
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
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.