Rockhampton vs Cairns - Atherton

Rockhampton and Cairns - Atherton are two large Queensland regions with very different community profiles. The most striking gap is that 22.1% of people in Cairns - Atherton speak a First Nations language, which is far higher than the 4.2% in Rockhampton. Cairns - Atherton is also more accessible without a car; its walkability score is 4.0 (somewhat walkable), while Rockhampton is 2.9 (mostly car-dependent). This is seen in the fact that 46.8% of Cairns - Atherton homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, compared to only 16.6% in Rockhampton.

Everyday life in both places shares similar proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with Rockhampton at 29,507 and Cairns - Atherton at 28,466. Typical First Nations personal incomes are also close, sitting at $531 in Rockhampton and $503 in Cairns - Atherton. While Cairns - Atherton generally has more homes within walking distance of parks, groceries and health services, the gap in the number of people who finished Year 12 among First Nations residents is small, with 41.4% in Cairns - Atherton and 38.8% in Rockhampton.