Freshwater
QLD 4870 · Cairns
2,142 (2021) → 2,184 est. (2025)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Freshwater is a suburb in Cairns, QLD 4870, about 1396km from Brisbane CBD. Recent property sales in Freshwater are too limited to report a reliable median price. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 0/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Freshwater has an overall score of 38/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 18/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
ATO 2023-24, postcode 4870 area — postcode-level, not suburb-specific.
Top countries of birth: England (5.28%), New Zealand (2.29%), Japan (1.68%), PNG (1.21%), Germany (1.07%)
Top languages: Japan (2.47%), German (1.59%), Thai (0.42%), Afrikaans (0.37%), Australian Indigenous Languages (0.37%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Residential Safety
Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.
QLDdoesn't publish crime data at the suburb level. The rates shown are the Cairns local-government-area average applied to this suburb, so other suburbs in the same LGA share the same figures.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: Queensland Police Service (LGA-level) · Updated 2025
Schools
Strong school options
Well above average — good-quality schools within reach and a healthy range of options to choose from.
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 984 (below the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Freshwater State SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1064
Nearby (within 10km)
- Freshwater Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · 1.2kmICSEA 1041
- Peace Lutheran CollegeCombined · Independent · 2.4kmICSEA 1054
- St Andrew's Catholic College Redlynch ValleyCombined · Catholic · 2.9kmICSEA 1067
- Redlynch State CollegeCombined · Government · 3.5kmICSEA 1007
- Whitfield State SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.6kmICSEA 974
- Edge Hill State SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.9kmICSEA 1016
- Caravonica State SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.9kmICSEA 1020
- Machans Beach State SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.8kmICSEA 944
- Mother of Good Counsel SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 4.9kmICSEA 1091
- Holy Spirit College - Manoora CampusSecondary · Catholic · 5km
- St Francis Xavier's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 5.4kmICSEA 953
- Cairns West State SchoolPrimary · Government · 5.5kmICSEA 784
Source: ACARA MySchool · Updated 2025
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Employment & Economy
Top local industries
Source: DEWR SALM / ABS Census 2021 · Updated SALM Mar 2026 / 2021 Census
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
In this suburb
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap · Healthdirect NHSD (via Geoscience Australia)
Fitness
Decent access
Around the national average — a reasonable mix of fitness facilities, with more variety a short drive away.
Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Outdoors
Great outdoor access
Well above average — plenty of parkland and outdoor recreation within easy reach.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Culture
Some cultural venues
Around the national average — a handful of cultural venues, with more on offer a short trip away.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Entertainment Scene
A few good options
A handful of local venues to choose from — nothing epic, but you're not driving far either.
Government liquor register data is not yet available for QLD. Venue counts are estimated from OpenStreetMap within 2km of the suburb centre.
View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →
Source: OpenStreetMap
Childcare
Some choices available
Around the national average — a reasonable mix of childcare options, though popular services may have waiting lists.
View childcare centres on the map →
Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register · Updated July 2026
Aged Care
Government-subsidised aged care services located in this suburb. Star Ratings are the official ratings for residential aged care homes.
Source: Dept of Health, Disability and Ageing · Updated May 2026 Star Ratings
Places of Worship
Mapped places of worship within 3km of the suburb centre, grouped by religion where recorded. Community mapping may not capture every congregation.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Nearby suburbs in Cairns
Compare Freshwater with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Freshwater
Is Freshwater safe?
Freshwater has a residential safety score of 18/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 14,811 per 100,000 across all categories.
How far is Freshwater from Brisbane CBD?
Freshwater is about 1396.4 km from Brisbane CBD.
What schools are in Freshwater?
Freshwater has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 1064 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Freshwater?
Freshwater has a transport score of 0/100.