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Cairns vs Etheridge

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 270 km apart · Cairns profile · Etheridge profile

Cairns Etheridge

Cairns and Etheridge are very different Queensland areas, separated by about 270 km. Cairns is a large, diverse hub where 22.3% of people were born overseas and 14.1% use a language other than English at home. In contrast, Etheridge is sparsely populated and more traditional, with only 7.6% born overseas and 0.7% using another language. Educational and professional gaps are also stark; 19.1% of adults in Cairns hold a bachelor degree or higher, compared to just 7.5% in Etheridge, while typical weekly rents in Cairns are far higher at $340 compared to $160 in Etheridge.

Both areas share a similar overall level of advantage and access to resources, sitting just below the national average. This common ground exists despite their different layouts, with Cairns featuring large schools and high rental rates, while Etheridge has more people who own their homes outright (47.3%) and a higher share of volunteers (24.0%). Over time, the gaps in home loan payments and rent have narrowed, though the difference in the number of people who have moved recently has also decreased.

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Where they differ most

Population: 166,229 larger in Cairns Owned outright: 21.0 pts higher in Etheridge Renting: 20.8 pts higher in Cairns Year 12: 20.3 pts higher in Cairns 3+ bedrooms: 20.2 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairnsin Etheridge +166,229 larger in Cairns gap steady
166,943 87th pct 714 10th pct
Median age in Cairnsin Etheridge +7 yrs older in Etheridge gap narrowing
39 yrs 33rd pct 46 yrs 71st pct
First Nations in Cairnsin Etheridge +3.2 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
9.7% 76th pct 6.4% 65th pct
Aged 65+ in Cairnsin Etheridge +7.5 pts higher in Etheridge gap widening
15.5% 27th pct 23.0% 68th pct
Under 15 in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.9 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
19.1% 66th pct 17.2% 45th pct
De facto in Cairnsin Etheridge +0.9 pts higher in Etheridge gap steady
15.1% 75th pct 16.1% 80th pct

Age structure

26.9% Older adults (45–64) +2.0 pts ▸ 28.9%
26.9% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +5.3 pts 21.6%
15.5% Seniors (65+) +7.5 pts ▸ 23.0%
19.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.9 pts 17.2%
11.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.1 pts 9.5%

Marital status

39.9% Married +8.8 pts ▸ 48.7%
41.2% Never married ◂ +8.2 pts 33.0%
10.7% Divorced +0.5 pts ▸ 11.2%
4.4% Widowed ◂ +0.1 pts 4.3%
3.8% Separated ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Etheridge

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Cairnsin Etheridge +14.8 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
22.3% 76th pct 7.6% 21st pct

Country of birth

69.1% Australia +10.2 pts ▸ 79.3%
3.9% England ◂ +2.1 pts 1.8%
2.8% New Zealand ◂ +0.6 pts 2.2%
1.3% Philippines ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%
1.1% India ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
0.5% China ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.4% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.3% Nepal ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

30.0% Australian +11.7 pts ▸ 41.7%
34.4% English +5.4 pts ▸ 39.8%
10.5% Irish +3.3 pts ▸ 13.7%
9.3% Scottish ◂ +2.3 pts 7.0%
5.2% German ◂ +1.4 pts 3.8%
5.0% Italian ◂ +2.2 pts 2.8%
2.0% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 1.8%
1.9% Filipino ◂ +1.9 pts 0.0%
1.6% Dutch ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%
1.3% Indian ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%
0.6% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Language

Other language in Cairnsin Etheridge +13.4 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
14.1% 73rd pct 0.7% 0th pct
Limited English in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.8 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
1.8% 74th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Language used at home

76.8% English only +9.4 pts ▸ 86.1%
0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.6% Italian ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.3% Cantonese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Cairnsin Etheridge +14.3 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
42.2% 55th pct 27.9% 14th pct

Religious affiliation

42.9% Christianity +12.1 pts ▸ 55.0%
42.2% No religion ◂ +14.3 pts 27.9%
10.7% Not stated +5.0 pts ▸ 15.7%
1.7% Buddhism ◂ +1.2 pts 0.4%
1.1% Other religions ◂ +0.6 pts 0.6%
0.9% Hinduism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.5% Islam ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Cairnsin Etheridge +20.3 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
54.7% 77th pct 34.3% 20th pct
Bachelor+ in Cairnsin Etheridge +11.6 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
19.1% 73rd pct 7.5% 11th pct
Schools in Cairnsin Etheridge +48 more in Cairns
51 86th pct 3 21st pct
Schools/1k kids in Cairnsin Etheridge +22.79 more in Etheridge
1.60 11th pct 24.39 97th pct
Students in Cairnsin Etheridge +34,754 more in Cairns
34,820 87th pct 66 6th pct
Avg size in Cairnsin Etheridge +661 larger in Cairns
683 96th pct 22 1st pct
ICSEA in Cairnsin Etheridge +67 higher in Cairns
981 56th pct 914 22nd pct

Highest year of school

54.7% Year 12 ◂ +20.3 pts 34.3%
19.8% Year 10 +8.2 pts ▸ 27.9%
7.5% Year 9 or below +9.0 pts ▸ 16.5%
7.8% Year 11 ◂ +1.2 pts 6.6%

Highest qualification level

31.8% Certificate III / IV +4.1 pts ▸ 35.9%
20.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +9.4 pts 11.4%
15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.2 pts 13.0%
5.5% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.7 pts 2.9%
2.4% Certificate I / II +1.1 pts ▸ 3.5%
3.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +3.3 pts 0.0%

Field of qualification

14.5% Engineering & related +2.3 pts ▸ 16.8%
15.6% Management & commerce ◂ +3.3 pts 12.4%
11.9% Society & culture ◂ +5.8 pts 6.0%
11.5% Health ◂ +6.4 pts 5.1%
7.9% Education +1.3 pts ▸ 9.2%
6.5% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.1 pts 4.4%
1.8% Agriculture & environment +3.9 pts ▸ 5.7%
5.5% Architecture & building ◂ +0.8 pts 4.8%
2.4% Creative arts ◂ +1.5 pts 1.0%
2.2% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +2.2 pts 0.0%
1.4% Information technology ◂ +1.4 pts 0.0%

Income

Personal income in Cairnsin Etheridge +$65 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$809 65th pct $744 50th pct
Household income in Cairnsin Etheridge +$433 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$1,578 64th pct $1,145 18th pct
Family income in Cairnsin Etheridge +$509 higher in Cairns gap widening
$1,950 63rd pct $1,441 19th pct
High earners in Cairnsin Etheridge +3.5 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
9.1% 55th pct 5.7% 21st pct
High-income homes in Cairnsin Etheridge +6.8 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
16.8% 62nd pct 10.0% 24th pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +7.8 pts 23.1%
28.3% $650–$1,499 +1.7 pts ▸ 30.0%
15.5% Under $650 +8.7 pts ▸ 24.2%
9.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +4.2 pts 5.0%
7.6% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 5.0%

Personal income distribution

36.8% Under $650 ◂ +0.1 pts 36.7%
33.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.7 pts 27.7%
16.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.6 pts 13.0%
2.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 2.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.3 pts higher in Cairns
24.7% 28th pct 23.4% 23rd pct
Mental health in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.6 pts higher in Cairns
7.9% 41st pct 5.3% 15th pct
Needs assistance in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.0 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
5.4% 48th pct 4.3% 28th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

7.9% Mental health ◂ +2.6 pts 5.3%
7.2% Arthritis +0.7 pts ▸ 7.8%
7.7% Other condition ◂ +3.5 pts 4.2%
6.4% Asthma ◂ +2.5 pts 3.9%
3.5% Heart disease +2.4 pts ▸ 5.9%
4.0% Diabetes ◂ +0.5 pts 3.5%
2.8% Cancer ◂ +0.1 pts 2.7%
1.7% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.9% Stroke +0.5 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.9% None ◂ +0.9 pts 63.0%
17.2% One condition ◂ +1.8 pts 15.4%
5.1% Two conditions ◂ +1.6 pts 3.5%
2.4% Three or more +1.2 pts ▸ 3.6%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Cairnsin Etheridge +10.1 pts higher in Etheridge gap widening
13.9% 27th pct 24.0% 77th pct
Unpaid carers in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.6 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
10.4% 27th pct 8.8% 15th pct
Unpaid child care in Cairnsin Etheridge +7.3 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
25.5% 56th pct 18.2% 11th pct
Defence service in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.0 pts higher in Cairns
4.2% 84th pct 2.2% 25th pct
Housework 15h+ in Cairnsin Etheridge +3.9 pts higher in Etheridge gap steady
18.6% 24th pct 22.5% 55th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairnsin Etheridge +16,107 larger in Cairns
16,153 95th pct 46 11th pct
Median age in Cairnsin Etheridge +11 yrs older in Etheridge
23 yrs 29th pct 34 yrs 88th pct
Year 12 in Cairnsin Etheridge +15.5 pts higher in Cairns
48.8% 86th pct 33.3% 51st pct
Unemployment in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.1 pts higher in Cairns
16.4% 76th pct 14.3% 69th pct
Median income in Cairnsin Etheridge +$36 higher in Etheridge
$576 56th pct $612 66th pct
Household income in Cairnsin Etheridge +$710 higher in Cairns
$1,435 57th pct $725 1st pct
Indigenous language in Cairnsin Etheridge +21.2 pts higher in Cairns
21.2% 87th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairnsin Etheridge +0.3 larger in Cairns gap steady
2.5 71st pct 2.2 14th pct
One-parent in Cairnsin Etheridge +11.0 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
18.5% 84th pct 7.4% 7th pct
Living alone in Cairnsin Etheridge +13.3 pts higher in Etheridge gap narrowing
27.0% 37th pct 40.4% 95th pct

Family composition

52.5% Couples with children ◂ +3.8 pts 48.6%
27.9% Couples without children +14.3 pts ▸ 42.2%
18.5% One-parent families ◂ +11.0 pts 7.4%
1.2% Other families +1.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

Household size

27.0% 1 person +13.3 pts ▸ 40.4%
35.0% 2 people even 35.0%
15.7% 3 people ◂ +4.1 pts 11.5%
13.7% 4 people ◂ +7.6 pts 6.2%
5.4% 5 people ◂ +0.4 pts 5.0%
3.2% 6 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairnsin Etheridge +$180 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$340 74th pct $160 17th pct
Mortgage in Cairnsin Etheridge +$830 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$1,588 62nd pct $758 10th pct
People / bedroom in Cairnsin Etheridge +0.20 higher in Etheridge gap steady
0.80 43rd pct 1.00 89th pct
Renting in Cairnsin Etheridge +20.8 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
35.0% 75th pct 14.2% 7th pct
Owned outright in Cairnsin Etheridge +21.0 pts higher in Etheridge gap narrowing
26.4% 21st pct 47.3% 83rd pct
Separate houses in Cairnsin Etheridge +4.8 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
72.9% 19th pct 68.1% 14th pct
3+ bedrooms in Cairnsin Etheridge +20.2 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
71.3% 27th pct 51.2% 7th pct

How homes are owned or rented

26.4% Owned outright +21.0 pts ▸ 47.3%
35.6% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +21.4 pts 14.2%
35.0% Rented ◂ +20.8 pts 14.2%
1.3% Other tenure +10.2 pts ▸ 11.5%
1.7% Not stated +8.7 pts ▸ 10.4%

Types of homes

72.9% Separate house ◂ +4.8 pts 68.1%
0.8% Other dwelling +18.5 pts ▸ 19.2%
15.7% Flat or apartment ◂ +14.6 pts 1.2%
10.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.0 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

35.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +12.5 pts 23.1%
29.5% 4 bedrooms ◂ +11.8 pts 17.7%
5.4% 1 bedroom +16.6 pts ▸ 21.9%
20.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +8.1 pts 12.7%
6.3% 5 or more +4.1 pts ▸ 10.4%
0.7% Studio / none +2.7 pts ▸ 3.5%

Weekly rent distribution

41.2% $350–$549 ◂ +41.2 pts 0.0%
37.9% $200–$349 ◂ +2.8 pts 35.1%
11.7% Under $200 +23.4 pts ▸ 35.1%
4.9% $550–$749 ◂ +4.9 pts 0.0%
0.8% $750 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

17.8% Under $1,000 +28.1 pts ▸ 45.9%
41.3% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +41.3 pts 0.0%
27.4% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +27.4 pts 0.0%
7.8% $3,000 or more +16.5 pts ▸ 24.3%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Cairnsin Etheridge +0.8 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
6.4% 67th pct 5.6% 58th pct
Work from home in Cairnsin Etheridge +15.1 pts higher in Etheridge gap narrowing
11.8% 48th pct 26.9% 88th pct
PT commute in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.1 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
1.1% 52nd pct 0.0% 0th pct
PT stops in Cairnsin Etheridge +462 more in Cairns
462 82nd pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.77 more in Cairns
2.77 44th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Cairnsin Etheridge +679.1 more in Cairns
679.1 75th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Cairnsin Etheridge +22 more in Cairns
22 72nd pct 0 0th pct
Stop walk in Cairnsin Etheridge
64 88th pct —

How people get to work

58.1% Car (driver) ◂ +26.4 pts 31.7%
11.8% Worked at home +15.1 pts ▸ 26.9%
2.5% Walked +16.8 pts ▸ 19.3%
5.0% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.2 pts 4.8%
1.1% Bicycle ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
1.0% Bus ◂ +1.0 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.7% 1 vehicle +2.4 pts ▸ 40.1%
38.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +8.5 pts 29.7%
5.8% 4 or more +8.4 pts ▸ 14.2%
11.9% 3 vehicles +0.6 pts ▸ 12.5%
6.4% No vehicle ◂ +0.8 pts 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Cairnsin Etheridge +12.4 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
43.6% 86th pct 31.1% 32nd pct
Recent arrivals in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.8 pts higher in Etheridge gap narrowing
12.0% 51st pct 14.8% 63rd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.5 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
5.7% 75th pct 3.3% 22nd pct
Participation in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.0 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
62.5% 72nd pct 61.5% 67th pct
Full-time in Cairnsin Etheridge +13.2 pts higher in Etheridge gap widening
58.5% 43rd pct 71.7% 91st pct

Industries people work in

1.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +42.9 pts ▸ 44.5%
18.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +16.9 pts 1.1%
7.3% Public administration & safety +7.1 pts ▸ 14.4%
9.9% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.6 pts 7.4%
9.7% Retail trade ◂ +8.0 pts 1.7%
8.9% Education & training ◂ +2.6 pts 6.2%
8.7% Construction ◂ +4.4 pts 4.2%
5.6% Transport & warehousing ◂ +3.1 pts 2.5%
4.7% Professional & technical ◂ +3.9 pts 0.8%
4.5% Other services ◂ +3.1 pts 1.4%
3.6% Administrative & support ◂ +1.1 pts 2.5%
3.6% Manufacturing ◂ +3.6 pts 0.0%

Occupations people work in

11.1% Managers +24.6 pts ▸ 35.7%
9.9% Labourers +11.4 pts ▸ 21.2%
20.4% Professionals ◂ +11.0 pts 9.3%
15.0% Technicians & trades ◂ +5.1 pts 9.9%
14.9% Community & personal service ◂ +9.0 pts 5.9%
12.0% Clerical & administrative ◂ +6.0 pts 5.9%
9.4% Sales workers ◂ +7.5 pts 2.0%
5.6% Machinery operators & drivers +3.2 pts ▸ 8.8%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Cairnsin Etheridge +1 higher in Cairns
7 64th pct 6 57th pct
IRSD decile in Cairnsin Etheridge even
6 57th pct 6 57th pct
IER decile in Cairnsin Etheridge even
4 36th pct 4 36th pct
IEO decile in Cairnsin Etheridge +1 higher in Cairns
7 64th pct 6 57th pct
IRSAD score in Cairnsin Etheridge +5 higher in Cairns
966 60th pct 961 57th pct
ERP in Cairnsin Etheridge +178,607 higher in Cairns
179,334 86th pct 727 8th pct
Growth in Cairnsin Etheridge +5.5 pts higher in Cairns
6.0% 70th pct 0.4% 17th pct
Businesses in Cairnsin Etheridge +14,946 higher in Cairns
15,166 86th pct 220 18th pct
Approvals in Cairnsin Etheridge +699 higher in Cairns
699 86th pct 0 0th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairnsin Etheridge +1,959 higher in Cairns
2,830 100th pct 871 71st pct
Max temp in Cairnsin Etheridge +4.8 higher in Etheridge
28.0 77th pct 32.8 94th pct
Min temp in Cairnsin Etheridge +0.3 higher in Cairns
18.7 91st pct 18.4 91st pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Cairnsin Etheridge +12,729 higher in Cairns
20,712 87th pct 7,983 47th pct
Assault/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +1,838 higher in Cairns
2,398 86th pct 560 20th pct
Sexual/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +47 higher in Cairns
327 68th pct 280 55th pct
Robbery/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge
123 95th pct —
Burglary/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +1,600 higher in Cairns
1,880 93rd pct 280 21st pct
Theft/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +1,644 higher in Cairns
4,025 97th pct 2,381 84th pct
Vehicle theft/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +373 higher in Cairns
653 78th pct 280 40th pct
Property damage/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +1,264 higher in Cairns
1,544 86th pct 280 4th pct
Drugs/100k in Cairnsin Etheridge +1,249 higher in Cairns
2,230 88th pct 980 74th pct
5-yr change in Cairnsin Etheridge +15.9 pts higher in Etheridge
47.0% 88th pct 62.9% 92nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.8 higher in Cairns
5.4 76th pct 3.6 46th pct
Types ≤15 min in Cairnsin Etheridge +0.8 more in Cairns
5.0 73rd pct 4.2 58th pct
15-min city in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.6 pts higher in Cairns
62.0% 73rd pct 60.5% 72nd pct
Walk to shops in Cairnsin Etheridge +3.7 pts higher in Cairns
63.8% 74th pct 60.1% 71st pct
Walk to transit in Cairnsin Etheridge +79.7 pts higher in Cairns
79.7% 75th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Cairnsin Etheridge +1.0 pts higher in Cairns
61.0% 61st pct 60.0% 59th pct
Walk to a park in Cairnsin Etheridge +25.6 pts higher in Cairns
91.0% 75th pct 65.3% 43rd pct
Walk to health in Cairnsin Etheridge +16.9 pts higher in Etheridge
42.1% 58th pct 59.0% 77th pct
Amenities/1k in Cairnsin Etheridge +96.4 more in Etheridge
12.8 22nd pct 109.2 100th pct
Intersections/km² in Cairnsin Etheridge +11 higher in Cairns
11 72nd pct 0 3rd pct
Mean slope in Cairnsin Etheridge +2.2 pts higher in Cairns
5.6% 65th pct 3.4% 27th pct

Compare Cairns with nearby areas

Yarrabah Cassowary Coast Tablelands Douglas Wujal Wujal Hinchinbrook Palm Island Hope Vale

Compare Etheridge with nearby areas

Mareeba Tablelands Croydon Richmond Cassowary Coast Hinchinbrook Cairns Carpentaria

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Etheridge [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA32080/cairns/vs/LGA33100/etheridge