# Townsville - Mackay vs Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 4,425 km apart

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.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Townsville - Mackay | Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 31,062 | 10 | 31,052 larger in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 60 yrs | 38 yrs older in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. |  |
| Year 12 | 42.6% | — |  |  |
| Unemployment | 12.8% | — |  |  |
| Median income | $591 | $999 | $408 higher in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. |  |
| Household income | $1,555 | $4,750 | $3,195 higher in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. |  |
| Indigenous language | 11.0% | — |  |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Townsville - Mackay | Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 more in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| 15-min city | 45.0% | 27.0% | 18.1 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to shops | 46.3% | 85.1% | 38.8 pts higher in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. |  |
| Walk to transit | 49.4% | 0.0% | 49.4 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to school | 51.0% | 13.5% | 37.5 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to a park | 76.5% | 44.4% | 32.1 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to health | 36.1% | 26.2% | 9.9 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 5 | 5 higher in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. |  |
| Mean slope | 4.6% | 13.7% | 9.0 pts higher in Christmas - Cocos (Keeling) Is. |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG310/townsville-mackay/vs/IREG901/christmas-cocos-is