Cairns - Atherton vs Townsville - Mackay

Cairns - Atherton and Townsville - Mackay are two large regions in Queensland with distinct First Nations profiles. In Cairns - Atherton, 22.1% of people speak a First Nations language, which is far higher than the 11.0% seen in Townsville - Mackay. This higher share of language speakers in Cairns - Atherton is consistent with a much higher First Nations unemployment rate of 18.2%, compared to 12.8% in Townsville - Mackay.

Both areas are almost identical when it comes to their walkability scores, and residents in both regions have similar access to parks and groceries within a 15-minute walk. While Townsville - Mackay has slightly more homes within walking distance of public transport and schools, Cairns - Atherton has more homes near food and drink amenities. Townsville - Mackay has a slightly larger First Nations population of 31,062 people, and typical First Nations incomes are a little higher there than in Cairns - Atherton.