Cairns - City vs Mount Whitfield

Cairns - City and Mount Whitfield are neighbouring areas with very different layouts. Cairns - City is a walker's paradise, where nearly every home is within a 15-minute walk of health services, schools, and groceries. Mount Whitfield is somewhat walkable and has a steeper terrain, with only 18.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services. There are also notable differences for First Nations people; for example, typical household income for First Nations residents is $1,703 in Mount Whitfield, which is well higher than the $1,142 seen in Cairns - City.

Both areas have tracked similarly since 2011, remaining distinct in their accessibility and demographics. While both have First Nations populations well above the national figure, Cairns - City has a larger number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is consistent with the fact that First Nations people are far more likely to speak a First Nations language in Cairns - City than in Mount Whitfield. Meanwhile, First Nations residents in Mount Whitfield have a far higher rate of Year 12 completion at 61.3%.