Gordonvale (QLD 4865) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 94/100, 5.1% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: High-Yield & Momentum Sweet Spot · R-Score: 94/100 (National Rank #1,070 of 15,286) · Street Average: 39/100 across 188 streets.

In a 6%+ interest rate environment, most Australian suburbs force investors to choose between capital growth momentum and holding cashflow. Gordonvale is one of the rare markets in QLD currently delivering both: a 94/100 R-Score paired with a 5.1% gross rental yield at a $750,000 median price. That yield profile preserves bank borrowing serviceability so investors can sequence their next acquisition without a punishing cashflow deficit.

“I’d treat the 1.8% vacancy rate as useful, not magical. With median 80% LVR cashflow already negative $150 a week, buyers need to test the holding position carefully and be selective: 82 of 136 streets scored under 50, so suburb-wide averages won’t do the job.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Gordonvale (QLD) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Gordonvale street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full October 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Gordonvale (QLD 4865), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Cairns (QLD), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 4,070 residential addresses.

1. Gordonvale (QLD) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (October 2026)

Over the past 12 months, Gordonvale’s median house price moved +12.8% (from $665,000 to $750,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to +34.6% (from $557,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +5% over the past year to $730/wk (+32% over 36 months), equating to a 5.1% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Gordonvale carried an R-Score of 99/100—its current composite R-Score of 94/100 represents a -5-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Gordonvale (QLD) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	94 / 100	Ranked #1,070 of 15,286 suburbs (was 99/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$750,000	12m change: +12.8% · 36m change: +34.6%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$730/wk (5.1%)	12m rent change: +5% · 36m rent change: +32%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	1.8% vacancy	Median selling time: 105 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	33 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	35 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	55 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Cairns & QLD
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	64 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Gordonvale (QLD)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Gordonvale achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 4,070 addresses across 188 streets in Gordonvale through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 28 streets (21% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Gordonvale rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 26 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 82 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Gordonvale (QLD)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 188 streets in Gordonvale):

Top Street in Gordonvale	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Hickey Close	100/100	22	97%	0%	$825/wk (4.9%)
#2 Hooper Close	100/100	19	97%	0%	$825/wk (4.9%)
#3 Mercy Close	100/100	18	97%	0%	$825/wk (4.9%)
#4 Jamieson Close	100/100	16	97%	0%	$825/wk (4.9%)
#5 Reese Close	100/100	10	97%	0%	$825/wk (4.9%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Gordonvale Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Gordonvale:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Muir Street	0/100	12	60%	14%	—
Mill Street	0/100	32	59%	10.1%	$565/wk
Jacob Close	0/100	31	64%	8.7%	$550/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Cairns Council (Queensland)

Gordonvale sits within the Cairns Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 179,334 (+4.5% population movement over the past 3 years) and 69,047 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Gordonvale’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Cairns are Health Care and Social Assistance (15%), Accommodation and Food Services (11%), Retail Trade (11%), Education and Training (9%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Cairns approved 2% new dwelling stock (~1,346.626 dwellings). Because new approvals exceed 1.8% of stock, investors in Gordonvale must avoid generic greenfield house-and-land pockets and stick to established, built-out streets.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Cairns currently has $3.5 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 68th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Gordonvale (October 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Gordonvale at today’s median price of $750,000 and median rent of $730/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Gordonvale Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$750,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$186,000	$150,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$36,000 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$600,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$37,960/yr ($730/wk)	5.1% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$45,750/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($37,500/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($8,250/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$150/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Gordonvale—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

Rare Convergence of 5%+ Gross Rental Yield and Top-Quartile Demand. Based on our October 2026 data, Gordonvale is best suited to first-time property investors, homeowners unlocking $150k–$250k in equity, and second/third property buyers who need strong rental yield (5.1%) to preserve bank borrowing capacity while capturing capital growth.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Gordonvale, 82 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Gordonvale Street Score Hub and target the 28 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Hickey Close, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.