Machans Beach, QLD 4878 — Suburb Profile
Last reviewed: · By Knowburb Research Team
In short
Machans Beach is a suburb of Queensland, postcode 4878, home to 943 residents with a settled, mature community. Located in the Cairns local government area (Outer Regional Australia) and roughly 1401 km from the Brisbane CBD.
Snapshot
Demographics
- Population
- 943
- Median age
- 47 years
- Median household income
- $1,610 /week
- Median personal income
- $829 /week
- Median family income
- $1,941 /week
- Average household size
- 2.4
- Persons per bedroom
- 0.8
- Local government area
- Cairns
- Statistical region (SA4)
- Cairns
- Remoteness classification
- Outer Regional Australia
- Federal electorate
- Leichhardt
Property & cost of living
- Median rent
- $370 /week
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,600
- Rent share of household income
- 23%
Schools
- Machans Beach State School
- Freshwater State School
- Yorkeys Knob State School
Transport
Transport data refreshes monthly from state GTFS feeds.
Lifestyle & amenities
- 8 cafés
- 8 restaurants
- 1 pub or bar
- 36 parks and reserves
- 2 gyms and fitness centres
- 2 supermarkets
- 15 playgrounds
Climate
- Warmest month: Jan (31.5°C avg max)
- Coolest month: Jul (25.9°C avg max)
- Annual rainfall: 2026 mm
- Reference station: Cairns Aero, 5.3 km away
NBN & connectivity
Fibre to the Node serves 56.6% of the 542 resolvable premises in Machans Beach. Most premises here connect via fibre to a street cabinet, then copper into the home. Speeds depend heavily on the copper run length — NBN 100 is rarely achievable on long runs.
- Fibre to the Premises: 43.0%
- Fibre to the Node: 56.6%
- Sky Muster (Satellite): 0.4%
Safety
- Recorded offences: 33,437 across the Cairns LGA in the year to April 2026 (stable on the prior year).
- Most common categories: 13,828 theft, 5,935 break-ins, 4,497 violent offences.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Machans Beach?
Machans Beach (QLD 4878) had 943 residents at the most recent ABS Census. The median age is 47. It sits within the Cairns local government area.
What is the median rent in Machans Beach?
The median advertised rent in Machans Beach is $370/week, based on SQM Research listings data. Rents vary by property type, bedrooms and condition.
Are there schools in Machans Beach?
Yes — 3 schools are listed within or near Machans Beach covering government sectors. Nearest include: Machans Beach State School (0.5 km), Freshwater State School (4.9 km), Yorkeys Knob State School (5.1 km). School data sourced from ACARA and state education departments.
What NBN technology is available in Machans Beach?
Machans Beach is predominantly served by Fibre to the Node (56.6% of premises). Coverage data is sourced from the NBN upgrade map aggregated from NBN Co address checks.
How safe is Machans Beach?
Across the surrounding area, 33,437 offences were recorded in the 12 months to APR26. The most common offence categories were theft (13,828), break-ins (5,935), violent (4,497). Crime statistics are recorded by area (postcode or LGA), not by individual suburb. Data sourced from each state's crime statistics agency.
What is the climate like in Machans Beach?
In Machans Beach, mean daily temperatures range from 20.9°C to 29.1°C and annual rainfall is 2,026 mm measured at the Cairns Aero weather station (5.3 km away). Long-term averages from the Bureau of Meteorology.
Sources & methodology
Demographics from ABS Census. Property data from SQM Research. Climate from Bureau of Meteorology. Schools from ACARA. NBN from NBN Co. Amenities from OpenStreetMap. See full methodology.
Additional sources for this profile: