Airlie Beach - Cannonvale property market: the official numbers
What the census actually says about Airlie Beach - Cannonvale, QLD — who lives there, what they pay, and what they do for work. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
At the last census, Airlie Beach - Cannonvale's median rent was $370/wk — 1% below the national median. Rent all but covered the typical mortgage repayment ($1,603 against $1,733 a month) — that's a cashflow shape, not a scarcity story.
What the census counted
The typical repayment ran at about 24% of the median household income. These are point-in-time medians from August 2021. Rents and repayments have moved since — repayments especially, after the 2022–24 rate rises — so compare places with them; don't price today with them.
Renting vs paying a mortgage
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $1,603 against a typical mortgage repayment of $1,733:
What this gap does and doesn't tell you
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
The owner–renter split
40.2% of Airlie Beach - Cannonvale households rent — that's the tenant pool an investor here would actually be renting into, and it's a deep pool by national standards.
The age mix
How to read an age profile
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Airlie Beach - Cannonvale's median age of 36 sits below the national median of 38.
What the local economy runs on
29.2% of Airlie Beach - Cannonvale's 7,967 workers are in accommodation & food services. That's the engine under local housing demand — worth knowing how it's running before you buy.
The upfront costs in QLD
Current sale prices live behind licensed feeds we won't republish. The costs of buying don't — they're public and exact:
- Stamp duty in Queensland — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official QLD price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Common questions
What is the median rent in Airlie Beach - Cannonvale?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Airlie Beach - Cannonvale was $370 a week — 1% below the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Airlie Beach - Cannonvale?
14,523 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 36 (national median: 38). Airlie Beach - Cannonvale is one of Queensland's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Airlie Beach - Cannonvale do for work?
The biggest employing industry is accommodation & food services, followed by retail trade (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
So, who buys here?
Your call
This is a cashflow shape — $1,603 a month in rent against a $1,733 repayment at the census. That suits a buyer who wants the rent to carry the loan, not one chasing a blue-chip postcode. And be honest about size: 14,523 people is a thin market — fewer sales, fewer buyers when you want out, and longer waits at both ends.
Everything above is August 2021 — before you act, pull current asking rents, vacancy and listing volumes for Airlie Beach - Cannonvale. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the Queensland stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
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General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Airlie Beach - Cannonvale, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.