Cairns vs Cairns - Far North Coast

Cairns and Cairns - Far North Coast are two distinct parts of the region, with Cairns acting as a concentrated hub and the Far North Coast being much more spread out. Life in Cairns is far more walkable, with 65% of homes in a 15-minute-city walkshed and 84.3% within 10 minutes of public transport, compared to 31.7% and 0.0% in Cairns - Far North Coast. The urban layout differs sharply, as Cairns has 53 intersections per square kilometre while Cairns - Far North Coast has only 2. There is also a notable gap in First Nations outcomes; for example, 49.3% of First Nations people in Cairns finished Year 12, which is far higher than the 37.6% in Cairns - Far North Coast.

The two areas share a similar landscape, with almost identical average terrain slopes. However, the gap in First Nations household income is quite large, with the typical income in Cairns being $1,434, which is well higher than the $1,117 seen in Cairns - Far North Coast. This income difference is consistent with the fact that the typical personal income for First Nations residents is also a little higher in Cairns.