Cairns - West vs Yarrabah

Cairns - West and Yarrabah are nearby areas with very different living conditions. In Cairns - West, First Nations residents have a typical personal income of $622, while in Yarrabah it is much lower at $331. Education and work also differ sharply, with 55.1% of First Nations people in Cairns - West finishing Year 12 compared to 27.7% in Yarrabah. This is consistent with the unemployment rate for First Nations people, which is far higher in Yarrabah at 38.4% than the 12.6% seen in Cairns - West.

Everyday life in both places involves a young First Nations population, with typical ages of 25 in Cairns - West and 24 in Yarrabah. However, the two areas differ in how people get around. Cairns - West is somewhat walkable, with 73.3% of homes within a 10 minute walk of public transport. In contrast, Yarrabah is car-dependent, with 0% of homes within reach of public transport, groceries, or health services. A much larger number of First Nations people live in Yarrabah, and 79.7% there speak a First Nations language, compared to 22.3% in Cairns - West.