# Victoria exc. Melbourne vs Cairns - Atherton — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 2,111 km apart

Victoria exc. Melbourne and Cairns - Atherton are both expansive regional areas, but they differ sharply in their First Nations populations and layout. In Cairns - Atherton, 22.1% of people speak a First Nations language, which is far higher than the 4.3% in Victoria exc. Melbourne. This difference is reflected in the First Nations unemployment rate, which is well higher in Cairns - Atherton at 18.2% compared to 10.4% in Victoria exc. Melbourne. In contrast, Victoria exc. Melbourne is more connected for pedestrians, with a far higher share of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport (64.2% versus 46.8%).

Both areas share very similar typical First Nations household incomes, which sit at $1,371 in Victoria exc. Melbourne and $1,338 in Cairns - Atherton. While Victoria exc. Melbourne generally has better access to schools and health services within a 15-minute walk, both areas are described as somewhat walkable. They also both have high proportions of homes within a short walk of a park, with figures sitting at 79.0% and 76.0% respectively.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Victoria exc. Melbourne | Cairns - Atherton | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 33,452 | 28,466 | 4,986 larger in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Median age | 23 yrs | 24 yrs | 1 yrs older in Cairns - Atherton |  |
| Year 12 | 35.4% | 41.4% | 6.0 pts higher in Cairns - Atherton |  |
| Unemployment | 10.4% | 18.2% | 7.8 pts higher in Cairns - Atherton |  |
| Median income | $564 | $503 | $61 higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Household income | $1,371 | $1,338 | $33 higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Indigenous language | 4.3% | 22.1% | 17.7 pts higher in Cairns - Atherton |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Victoria exc. Melbourne | Cairns - Atherton | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 4.5 | 4.0 | 0.5 higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.4 | 3.9 | 0.5 more in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| 15-min city | 50.6% | 46.9% | 3.7 pts higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Walk to shops | 51.1% | 48.9% | 2.2 pts higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Walk to transit | 64.2% | 46.8% | 17.4 pts higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Walk to school | 56.1% | 48.1% | 8.0 pts higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Walk to a park | 79.0% | 76.0% | 3.1 pts higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Walk to health | 39.2% | 33.9% | 5.2 pts higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Intersections/km² | 2 | 0 | 1 higher in Victoria exc. Melbourne |  |
| Mean slope | 4.7% | 5.9% | 1.2 pts higher in Cairns - Atherton |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG202/victoria-exc-melbourne/vs/IREG309/cairns-atherton