Cardwell Postcode

Queensland

Very Remote Bottom 20% SEIFA
4849
Postcode for Cardwell, QLD
Phone area code: 07 · 1249 km from Brisbane · Pop. 1,320
1,320
Population
60
Median Age
$846
Household Income/wk
$250
Median Rent/wk
1/10
SEIFA Advantage
31.6
Area (km²)

Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.

Where Cardwell ranks: household income sits in the bottom 10% of QLD suburbs; SEIFA decile 1 places it in the bottom 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.

How Cardwell Compares

Cardwell vs the QLD average and the national average (2021 Census, population-weighted).

MetricCardwellQLD avgAU avg
Household income/wk $846 -QLD $1,770 $1,836
Rent/wk $250 -QLD $380 $390
Mortgage/month $1,278 -QLD $1,774 $1,958
Median age 60 44.0 45.0
SEIFA decile 1/10 -QLD 4.0/10 6.0/10
Unemployment 8.2% +QLD 6.0% 5.0%

Green pill = at least 10% above the QLD average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.

Cardwell is a very remote community in Queensland, with postcode 4849. It lies roughly 1249 km from Brisbane, classified by the ABS as very remote Australia. The area is administered by Cassowary Coast.

According to the 2021 Census, Cardwell has a population of 1,320 with a median age of 60. The median weekly household income is $846, below the QLD average. The unemployment rate is 8.2%, higher than the QLD average. The Indigenous population is 127 (9.6% of residents).

Housing in Cardwell includes a median weekly rent of $250, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,278, with 585 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the QLD average. Rental properties account for 40.4% of dwellings.

On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Cardwell scores in decile 1 out of 10, which is well below the national average.

Cardwell is served by Cardwell State School.

Cardwell is part of the Innisfail - Cassowary Coast statistical area in Queensland.

Cardwell Details

Postcode4849
StateQueensland (QLD)
Phone Area Code07
Population (2021)1,320
Median Age60 years
Median Household Income (Census 2021)$846/week
Median Personal Income (Census 2021)$508/week
Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021)$250
Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021)$1,278
Average Household Size1.9 persons
Area31.6 km²
Population Density42/km²
Total Dwellings585
Australian Citizens85.8%
Indigenous Population127 (9.6%)
Unemployment Rate8.2%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile1/10 (well below average)
Latitude-18.2654956
Longitude146.0258069
Distance from Brisbane1249 km
Region (SA4)Cairns
Area (SA3)Innisfail - Cassowary Coast
Local GovernmentCassowary Coast
Federal ElectorateKennedy

Age Profile

0–14 (10.1%) 15–24 (5.9%) 25–44 (13.4%) 45–64 (30.7%) 65+ (39.9%)
Show counts
0–14 years133 (10.1%)
15–24 years78 (5.9%)
25–44 years177 (13.4%)
45–64 years405 (30.7%)
65+ years527 (39.9%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (45.1%) Mortgaged (14.5%) Rented (40.4%)

SEIFA Socio-economic Index

Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD), decile 1 of 10. Higher deciles indicate more advantage.

Health Conditions (2021 Census)

Arthritis222 (16.8%)
Heart Disease129 (9.8%)
Diabetes106 (8.0%)
Lung Condition91 (6.9%)
Asthma89 (6.7%)
Cancer83 (6.3%)
Dementia61 (4.6%)

Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle36 (6.3%)
1 vehicle268 (47.1%)
2 vehicles209 (36.7%)
3+ vehicles56 (9.8%)

Schools in Cardwell

Cardwell State School
Primary · Gov · ICSEA 932 · 76 students

Suburbs Near Cardwell

Same Postcode (4849)

More Cardwell Data

Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.