Atherton, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Atherton sits high on the Atherton Tableland of Far North Queensland, about 752 metres above sea level and roughly 80 kilometres south-west of Cairns. The southern part of the tableland around the town is the traditional country of the Yidinji people. It was named after John Atherton, a pioneer pastoralist who had settled in the district in the 1870s, and was laid out as a town in 1885, having earlier been known as Priors Pocket. A historic Chinese community left its mark in the town's former Chinatown and the surviving Hou Wang temple. Rich red volcanic soils make the surrounding tableland highly productive, growing coffee, peanuts, avocados, maize and many other crops alongside dairy and beef cattle, with tourism an increasing draw.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Atherton is more socio-economically advantaged than about 14% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 910, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Atherton at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 7,724
- Median age
- 46
- Median weekly household income
- $1,099
- SEIFA score
- 910
- Coordinates
- -17.2701, 145.4820
Atherton demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Atherton using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is seniors (65+) at 27%, 37% of homes are rented, and 15% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,307 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 826 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,627 | 21% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,871 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,095 | 27% |
Share of the 7,726 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,142 | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 684 | 22% |
| Rented | 1,142 | 37% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,529 | 82% |
| Townhouses & semis | 297 | 10% |
| Flats & apartments | 213 | 7% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 3,098 occupied private dwellings in Atherton.
- Median weekly rent
- $280
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,490
- Median weekly personal income
- $641
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,052 (15%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 470 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 713 (9%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,670 (43%)
- Labour-force participation
- 50.5%
- Unemployment rate
- 5%
- Employed full-time
- 1,714
- Employed part-time
- 1,132
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Atherton
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Atherton is December (average daytime high around 28.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 20.6°C). The area receives roughly 1267 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.3°C | 19.9°C | 262 mm |
| Feb | 27°C | 20°C | 221 mm |
| Mar | 26.2°C | 19.3°C | 188 mm |
| Apr | 24.7°C | 17.9°C | 107 mm |
| May | 22.5°C | 15.7°C | 50 mm |
| Jun | 20.8°C | 14.2°C | 45 mm |
| Jul | 20.6°C | 13°C | 33 mm |
| Aug | 21.8°C | 13°C | 23 mm |
| Sep | 23.8°C | 14.5°C | 18 mm |
| Oct | 26.6°C | 16.3°C | 37 mm |
| Nov | 28°C | 17.9°C | 58 mm |
| Dec | 28.1°C | 19.3°C | 225 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Atherton
Where is Atherton?
Atherton is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Atherton?
At the 2021 Census, Atherton had a population of about 7,724.
Is Atherton an advantaged area?
Atherton has an ABS SEIFA score of 910, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 14 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 14% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Atherton?
Atherton has average daytime highs of about 24.8°C and overnight lows of about 16.8°C, with roughly 1,267 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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