Townsville - Mackay vs Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is.

Townsville - Mackay and Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. are two very different regions separated by thousands of kilometres. Townsville - Mackay has a much larger First Nations population, with 31,062 people compared to just 10 in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is.. The demographics of First Nations residents differ sharply: the typical age in Townsville - Mackay is only 22, whereas in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. it is far older at 60. This age gap is matched by a large income difference, as typical First Nations household income is far higher in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. at $4,750, compared to $1,555 in Townsville - Mackay.

Both areas are mostly car-dependent, which is their strongest similarity. While they share this lack of walkability, Townsville - Mackay generally has better access to a range of services, with far more homes within a 15-minute walk of schools, public transport and parks. In contrast, Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. has far more homes within a short walk of groceries, where 85.1% of residents are close to food compared to 46.3% in Townsville - Mackay.