CAIRNS SUBURB GUIDE
Yorkeys Knob
A northern beaches suburb built around Half Moon Bay marina and a headland, with a boating culture, a golf course, and a long quiet beach.
Median house price
12-mo growth
Median days on market
Median rent (house)
Gross yield (house)
Houses sold (12 mo)
Source: realestate.com.au suburb profile, 12 months to May 2026. Figures are suburb-wide; your specific property may differ.
Yorkeys Knob is the northern beaches suburb with its own marina, set around the headland that gives it its name and the protected waters of Half Moon Bay. It has a boating and fishing culture, a beachfront golf course, a long patrolled-in-season beach, and a relaxed local feel. The median house sale price is $730,000, up 14.1% over the past 12 months (realestate.com.au, to May 2026).
What makes Yorkeys Knob different
Yorkeys Knob stands apart from the other northern beaches because of the water access. Half Moon Bay Marina gives the suburb a working boating community, with berths, a boat ramp, and a sailing club, and the headland and beachfront golf course add to the resort-meets-village character. The beach itself is long and quieter than Trinity Beach, and the suburb is large enough to feel established without being busy. It is the obvious choice on the northern beaches for buyers who want to keep a boat.
Homes, streets & price ranges
The housing mix spans older beach homes, marina-precinct properties, and larger family homes on the streets behind the beach. Recent recorded sales sketch it: a 5-bed with dual living on beachfront Sims Esplanade led the year at $1,071,000, the suburb's recorded top sale; houses on streets like Varley Street trade in the $780Ks; and the unit and townhouse complexes around Rutherford Street, Deauville Close and Best Street carry the volume between roughly $486K and $625K, alongside Sims Esplanade units near the sand at $600K. The recorded medians for the 12 months to July 2026 were $755,000 for a 4-bed and $767,600 for a 3-bed, with units at $464,500.
Lifestyle and amenities
Daily life centres on the marina, the golf course, the beach, and a small local shopping and dining cluster. For major retail, Smithfield Shopping Centre is a short drive away. The boating, fishing, and golf options give Yorkeys Knob a distinct lifestyle pitch, and its position at the southern end of the northern beaches keeps it within easy reach of both the city and the busier beach hubs further north.
The Yorkeys Knob market
realestate.com.au recorded 88 Yorkeys Knob sales in the 12 months to July 2026, about 1.7 a week, with a recorded-sales median of $509,000 across all property types, a figure that reflects the strong unit component. The house market itself is smaller (29 profile-year sales at 49 days median), which makes accurate pricing and good marketing important. The 14.1% growth over 12 months reflects steady interest in the suburb's lifestyle, with buyer attention typically strongest through the dry season from May to October. Verify current data before pricing decisions.
Recent Yorkeys Knob sales
| Address | Sold | Property | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sims Esplanade | $1,071,000 | 5 bed beachfront, dual living | Sep 2025 |
| 426 Varley Street | $785,000 | 3 bed house, pool | Apr 2026 |
| 12/22-24 Rutherford Street | $625,000 | 3 bed unit | Feb 2026 |
| 2/75 Sims Esplanade | $600,000 | 2 bed unit | Nov 2025 |
| 6/16-18 Deauville Close | $530,000 | 2 bed unit, renovated | Aug 2025 |
| 9/32-34 Best Street | $525,000 | 2 bed unit | Feb 2026 |
| 4/35-37 Rutherford Street | $502,500 | 2 bed townhouse | May 2026 |
| 1/35-37 Rutherford Street | $486,500 | 2 bed townhouse | Mar 2026 |
Recorded sales from realestate.com.au public sold results, 12 months to July 2026, all sold by TS Property Group, Alexie's agency (8 of the suburb's 88 recorded sales in that period, including the suburb's recorded top sale). Prices are the published sold figures.
What buyers love
Half Moon Bay Marina, a genuine point of difference for boat owners
Beachfront golf course and a long, quiet beach
Established suburb with a relaxed boating and fishing culture
Lower house median than the premium beach villages
Solid rental demand with a 4.6% gross yield on houses
Things to consider
49 day median on market is longer than the busier beach suburbs
Smaller sales volume means fewer recent comparables for pricing
Frequently asked questions
What is the median house price in Yorkeys Knob?
The median house sale price in Yorkeys Knob is $730,000 as at May 2026, up 14.1% over the prior 12 months (realestate.com.au). Recorded medians for the 12 months to July 2026 were $755,000 for a 4-bed and $767,600 for a 3-bed, with the recorded top sale at $1,071,000 on beachfront Sims Esplanade. A local appraisal is especially worthwhile in a market this size.
Which Yorkeys Knob streets and complexes stand out?
Sims Esplanade fronts the beach and produced the year's recorded top sale at $1,071,000, with its units trading near $600K. The Rutherford Street, Deauville Close and Best Street complexes carry most of the turnover between roughly $486K and $625K, and the house streets behind the beach, like Varley Street, sit in the $780Ks.
Does Yorkeys Knob have a marina?
Yes. Half Moon Bay Marina is the suburb's defining feature, with berths, a boat ramp, and a sailing club, making Yorkeys Knob the natural choice on the northern beaches for buyers who own a boat. The marina, headland, and beachfront golf course give the suburb a lifestyle mix that the other beach suburbs do not offer.
How does Yorkeys Knob compare to Trinity Beach?
Trinity Beach is larger and busier, with a patrolled beach, a school, and a fuller cafe and shopping strip. Yorkeys Knob is quieter and built around its marina and golf course, with a stronger boating focus and a slightly lower house median ($730k vs $874k, May 2026). Buyers who want amenities lean Trinity Beach; those who want water access and calm tend toward Yorkeys Knob.
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Selling resources
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What's My Home Worth?By Alexie Aristides, Your Cairns Selling Specialist