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Charters Towers vs Palm Island

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 168 km apart · Charters Towers profile · Palm Island profile

Charters Towers Palm Island

Charters Towers and Palm Island are two distinct Queensland areas with very different populations. Palm Island is far more likely to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (91.4%) and has a much younger population, with 31.4% of residents under 15 and a typical age of 26. In contrast, Charters Towers is significantly older, with a typical age of 42 and a much higher share of people aged 65 and over (21.4%). These differences extend to housing and income; homes in Charters Towers are far more likely to be owned outright (37.3%) and the typical weekly family income is far higher at $1,734, compared to just $898 on Palm Island.

The gap in typical weekly family income has widened since 2011, and the age difference has also grown. Despite these divergences, the two areas are effectively alike in the share of people who provide unpaid care. Both locations also share a total lack of public transport, with no homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop and no scheduled departures per 1,000 people.

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Where they differ most

Median age: 16 yrs older in Charters Towers First Nations: 81.7 pts higher in Palm Island Other language: 38.2 pts higher in Palm Island Renting: 65.3 pts higher in Palm Island Owned outright: 35.9 pts higher in Charters Towers

Demographics & Identity

Population in Charters Towersin Palm Island +9,696 larger in Charters Towers gap steady
11,794 49th pct 2,098 21st pct
Median age in Charters Towersin Palm Island +16 yrs older in Charters Towers gap widening
42 yrs 50th pct 26 yrs 0th pct
First Nations in Charters Towersin Palm Island +81.7 pts higher in Palm Island gap narrowing
9.7% 76th pct 91.4% 100th pct
Aged 65+ in Charters Towersin Palm Island +16.3 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
21.4% 60th pct 5.1% 3rd pct
Under 15 in Charters Towersin Palm Island +11.8 pts higher in Palm Island gap widening
19.6% 71st pct 31.4% 100th pct
De facto in Charters Towersin Palm Island +17.1 pts higher in Palm Island gap widening
12.0% 35th pct 29.1% 100th pct

Age structure

19.6% Children (0–14) +11.8 pts ▸ 31.4%
26.0% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.7 pts 21.3%
21.0% Young adults (25–44) +4.8 pts ▸ 25.8%
21.4% Seniors (65+) ◂ +16.3 pts 5.1%
12.1% Youth (15–24) +3.9 pts ▸ 15.9%

Marital status

35.8% Never married +49.2 pts ▸ 85.0%
43.8% Married ◂ +34.6 pts 9.2%
10.2% Divorced ◂ +8.7 pts 1.5%
6.1% Widowed ◂ +4.0 pts 2.1%
4.2% Separated ◂ +2.0 pts 2.1%

Age & sex structure

Charters Towers Palm Island

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Charters Towersin Palm Island +4.6 pts higher in Charters Towers gap narrowing
6.2% 15th pct 1.7% 0th pct

Country of birth

79.8% Australia +14.1 pts ▸ 93.9%
1.5% New Zealand ◂ +1.3 pts 0.2%
1.1% England ◂ +1.0 pts 0.2%
0.5% Philippines ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%
0.3% India ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.3% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% Italy even 0.0%
0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

41.8% Australian ◂ +36.6 pts 5.2%
36.9% English ◂ +32.7 pts 4.2%
11.0% Irish ◂ +10.6 pts 0.4%
9.1% Scottish ◂ +8.8 pts 0.3%
4.8% German ◂ +4.5 pts 0.3%
2.4% Italian ◂ +2.2 pts 0.2%
1.2% Chinese ◂ +0.9 pts 0.2%
0.7% Filipino ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.5% Indian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%
0.5% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.2% Greek even 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Language

Other language in Charters Towersin Palm Island +38.2 pts higher in Palm Island gap widening
2.5% 15th pct 40.7% 90th pct
Limited English in Charters Towersin Palm Island +2.6 pts higher in Palm Island gap widening
0.1% 12th pct 2.7% 81st pct

Language used at home

84.4% English only ◂ +31.3 pts 53.1%
0.2% Mandarin ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Charters Towersin Palm Island +16.7 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
33.2% 24th pct 16.5% 2nd pct

Religious affiliation

50.4% Christianity +25.8 pts ▸ 76.2%
33.2% No religion ◂ +16.7 pts 16.5%
15.3% Not stated ◂ +8.1 pts 7.2%
0.4% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.3% Other religions even 0.2%
0.3% Hinduism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.1% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Charters Towersin Palm Island +10.3 pts higher in Charters Towers gap steady
36.7% 30th pct 26.4% 6th pct
Bachelor+ in Charters Towersin Palm Island +5.4 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
9.7% 22nd pct 4.3% 1st pct
Schools in Charters Towersin Palm Island +10 more in Charters Towers
12 57th pct 2 14th pct
Schools/1k kids in Charters Towersin Palm Island +2.16 more in Charters Towers
5.20 64th pct 3.04 40th pct
Students in Charters Towersin Palm Island +3,969 more in Charters Towers
4,411 63rd pct 442 26th pct
Avg size in Charters Towersin Palm Island +147 larger in Charters Towers
368 69th pct 221 49th pct
ICSEA in Charters Towersin Palm Island +267 higher in Charters Towers
933 28th pct 667 1st pct

Highest year of school

36.7% Year 12 ◂ +10.3 pts 26.4%
26.8% Year 10 +0.2 pts ▸ 27.1%
14.1% Year 9 or below +8.5 pts ▸ 22.6%
6.6% Year 11 +8.8 pts ▸ 15.4%

Highest qualification level

35.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.2 pts 32.8%
13.1% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.4 pts 9.8%
9.6% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.1 pts 8.6%
3.3% Certificate I / II +2.1 pts ▸ 5.4%
2.8% Postgraduate degree +0.4 pts ▸ 3.2%
2.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.2 pts 2.2%

Field of qualification

15.9% Engineering & related ◂ +9.8 pts 6.1%
7.1% Society & culture +4.4 pts ▸ 11.5%
9.0% Health +2.3 pts ▸ 11.2%
10.6% Education +0.7 pts ▸ 11.2%
8.7% Management & commerce ◂ +1.2 pts 7.6%
4.2% Architecture & building +2.6 pts ▸ 6.8%
4.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.6 pts 3.2%
3.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.5 pts 2.0%
1.5% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%
1.0% Creative arts ◂ +1.0 pts 0.0%
0.7% Information technology ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%

Income

Personal income in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$289 higher in Charters Towers gap widening
$669 32nd pct $380 3rd pct
Household income in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$330 higher in Charters Towers gap widening
$1,307 40th pct $977 7th pct
Family income in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$836 higher in Charters Towers gap widening
$1,734 45th pct $898 3rd pct
High earners in Charters Towersin Palm Island +6.0 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
8.3% 48th pct 2.3% 0th pct
High-income homes in Charters Towersin Palm Island +6.5 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
13.0% 43rd pct 6.5% 7th pct

Household income distribution

28.6% $650–$1,499 +6.0 pts ▸ 34.6%
20.1% Under $650 +5.9 pts ▸ 26.1%
25.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.7 pts 23.8%
7.5% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +4.6 pts 2.9%
5.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 3.7%

Personal income distribution

41.4% Under $650 +24.3 pts ▸ 65.7%
26.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.0 pts 19.1%
14.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +10.1 pts 4.5%
2.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 0.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Charters Towersin Palm Island +13.1 pts higher in Charters Towers
28.3% 44th pct 15.1% 3rd pct
Mental health in Charters Towersin Palm Island +5.3 pts higher in Charters Towers
7.5% 37th pct 2.2% 2nd pct
Needs assistance in Charters Towersin Palm Island +3.0 pts higher in Charters Towers gap steady
6.4% 66th pct 3.3% 14th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

9.0% Arthritis ◂ +7.1 pts 1.9%
8.4% Asthma ◂ +5.6 pts 2.9%
7.5% Mental health ◂ +5.3 pts 2.2%
5.4% Diabetes +1.8 pts ▸ 7.2%
6.0% Other condition ◂ +2.3 pts 3.6%
5.5% Heart disease ◂ +1.2 pts 4.3%
3.3% Cancer ◂ +2.8 pts 0.5%
2.3% Lung condition ◂ +1.8 pts 0.5%
1.2% Dementia ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%
0.9% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.0% None +20.9 pts ▸ 76.9%
17.9% One condition ◂ +6.3 pts 11.5%
6.4% Two conditions ◂ +4.4 pts 2.0%
3.9% Three or more ◂ +2.5 pts 1.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Charters Towersin Palm Island +12.0 pts higher in Charters Towers gap steady
16.7% 45th pct 4.7% 0th pct
Unpaid carers in Charters Towersin Palm Island +0.7 pts higher in Palm Island gap narrowing
10.5% 28th pct 11.1% 36th pct
Unpaid child care in Charters Towersin Palm Island +10.9 pts higher in Palm Island gap steady
22.1% 27th pct 33.0% 90th pct
Defence service in Charters Towersin Palm Island +2.2 pts higher in Charters Towers
3.6% 71st pct 1.4% 9th pct
Housework 15h+ in Charters Towersin Palm Island +11.0 pts higher in Charters Towers gap narrowing
21.4% 44th pct 10.3% 5th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Charters Towersin Palm Island +775 larger in Palm Island
1,143 66th pct 1,918 77th pct
Median age in Charters Towersin Palm Island +6 yrs older in Palm Island
19 yrs 0th pct 25 yrs 50th pct
Year 12 in Charters Towersin Palm Island +10.1 pts higher in Charters Towers
36.0% 59th pct 25.9% 24th pct
Unemployment in Charters Towersin Palm Island +3.4 pts higher in Charters Towers
15.5% 74th pct 12.0% 53rd pct
Median income in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$130 higher in Charters Towers
$495 33rd pct $365 8th pct
Household income in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$469 higher in Charters Towers
$1,419 55th pct $950 12th pct
Indigenous language in Charters Towersin Palm Island +41.1 pts higher in Palm Island
3.3% 33rd pct 44.4% 92nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1.3 larger in Palm Island gap narrowing
2.4 43rd pct 3.7 100th pct
One-parent in Charters Towersin Palm Island +19.9 pts higher in Palm Island gap steady
18.8% 86th pct 38.7% 100th pct
Living alone in Charters Towersin Palm Island +8.9 pts higher in Charters Towers gap narrowing
30.3% 60th pct 21.4% 13th pct

Family composition

47.3% Couples with children ◂ +0.7 pts 46.6%
18.8% One-parent families +19.9 pts ▸ 38.7%
32.3% Couples without children ◂ +22.7 pts 9.6%
1.6% Other families +3.9 pts ▸ 5.4%

Household size

36.9% 2 people ◂ +17.8 pts 19.1%
30.3% 1 person ◂ +8.9 pts 21.4%
3.1% 6 or more +21.3 pts ▸ 24.4%
13.3% 3 people ◂ +0.2 pts 13.0%
10.9% 4 people +1.8 pts ▸ 12.6%
5.8% 5 people +4.8 pts ▸ 10.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$95 higher in Charters Towers gap widening
$220 36th pct $125 9th pct
Mortgage in Charters Towersin Palm Island +$867 higher in Palm Island
$1,300 43rd pct $2,167 87th pct
People / bedroom in Charters Towersin Palm Island +0.40 higher in Palm Island gap narrowing
0.80 43rd pct 1.20 96th pct
Renting in Charters Towersin Palm Island +65.3 pts higher in Palm Island gap widening
27.2% 57th pct 92.5% 100th pct
Owned outright in Charters Towersin Palm Island +35.9 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
37.3% 49th pct 1.4% 0th pct
Separate houses in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1.0 pts higher in Charters Towers gap narrowing
88.0% 44th pct 87.0% 41st pct
3+ bedrooms in Charters Towersin Palm Island +4.4 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
72.4% 29th pct 68.0% 21st pct

How homes are owned or rented

27.2% Rented +65.3 pts ▸ 92.5%
37.3% Owned outright ◂ +35.9 pts 1.4%
28.3% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +28.3 pts 0.0%
4.4% Other tenure ◂ +1.1 pts 3.3%
3.1% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 2.4%

Types of homes

88.0% Separate house ◂ +1.0 pts 87.0%
8.7% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +8.1 pts 0.6%
0.3% Flat or apartment +7.8 pts ▸ 8.1%
2.2% Other dwelling +1.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

Bedrooms per home

42.0% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.2 pts 40.7%
18.7% 2 bedrooms +5.3 pts ▸ 24.0%
23.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.3 pts 22.4%
6.7% 5 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 4.9%
4.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.3 pts 4.3%
1.0% Studio / none ◂ +1.0 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

34.7% Under $200 +57.4 pts ▸ 92.1%
48.3% $200–$349 ◂ +43.9 pts 4.4%
10.3% $350–$549 ◂ +10.3 pts 0.0%
0.5% $750 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.4% $550–$749 ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Charters Towersin Palm Island +43.9 pts higher in Palm Island gap narrowing
5.6% 58th pct 49.5% 100th pct
Work from home in Charters Towersin Palm Island +10.3 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
10.3% 38th pct 0.0% 0th pct
PT commute in Charters Towersin Palm Island +2.0 pts higher in Palm Island gap narrowing
2.8% 74th pct 4.7% 86th pct
PT stops in Charters Towersin Palm Island even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Charters Towersin Palm Island even
0.00 0th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Charters Towersin Palm Island even
0.0 0th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Charters Towersin Palm Island even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

58.5% Car (driver) ◂ +24.0 pts 34.5%
6.2% Walked +26.5 pts ▸ 32.7%
5.4% Car (passenger) +7.0 pts ▸ 12.4%
10.3% Worked at home ◂ +10.3 pts 0.0%
2.8% Bus +2.0 pts ▸ 4.7%
0.5% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

5.6% No vehicle +43.9 pts ▸ 49.5%
36.0% 1 vehicle +0.3 pts ▸ 36.2%
35.7% 2 vehicles ◂ +23.7 pts 12.0%
14.0% 3 vehicles ◂ +11.7 pts 2.3%
8.8% 4 or more ◂ +8.2 pts 0.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Charters Towersin Palm Island +19.8 pts higher in Charters Towers gap narrowing
33.9% 46th pct 14.1% 0th pct
Recent arrivals in Charters Towersin Palm Island +9.4 pts higher in Palm Island gap steady
16.3% 70th pct 25.7% 90th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Charters Towersin Palm Island +4.4 pts higher in Palm Island gap narrowing
5.4% 72nd pct 9.8% 88th pct
Participation in Charters Towersin Palm Island +26.3 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
53.0% 28th pct 26.7% 0th pct
Full-time in Charters Towersin Palm Island +11.8 pts higher in Charters Towers gap widening
64.6% 76th pct 52.8% 11th pct

Industries people work in

12.4% Health care & social assistance +20.6 pts ▸ 33.0%
13.8% Education & training +9.3 pts ▸ 23.0%
5.7% Public administration & safety +9.9 pts ▸ 15.6%
12.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +12.4 pts 0.0%
11.4% Mining ◂ +11.4 pts 0.0%
8.8% Retail trade ◂ +2.6 pts 6.2%
6.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +3.9 pts 2.4%
5.8% Construction ◂ +3.4 pts 2.4%
1.9% Administrative & support +2.6 pts ▸ 4.4%
3.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.0 pts 2.7%
3.3% Other services ◂ +1.8 pts 1.5%
3.0% Manufacturing ◂ +3.0 pts 0.0%

Occupations people work in

11.3% Community & personal service +27.0 pts ▸ 38.3%
14.2% Professionals +3.8 pts ▸ 18.0%
14.8% Managers ◂ +10.3 pts 4.4%
14.4% Technicians & trades ◂ +7.0 pts 7.4%
14.2% Labourers ◂ +5.3 pts 8.8%
11.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +7.5 pts 4.1%
9.3% Clerical & administrative +1.6 pts ▸ 10.9%
7.8% Sales workers ◂ +3.9 pts 3.8%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1 higher in Charters Towers
2 14th pct 1 0th pct
IRSD decile in Charters Towersin Palm Island +2 higher in Charters Towers
3 29th pct 1 0th pct
IER decile in Charters Towersin Palm Island +2 higher in Charters Towers
3 29th pct 1 0th pct
IEO decile in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1 higher in Charters Towers
2 14th pct 1 0th pct
IRSAD score in Charters Towersin Palm Island +201 higher in Charters Towers
908 20th pct 707 1st pct
ERP in Charters Towersin Palm Island +9,753 higher in Charters Towers
12,088 47th pct 2,335 20th pct
Growth in Charters Towersin Palm Island +5.7 pts higher in Palm Island
1.4% 27th pct 7.1% 77th pct
Businesses in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1,238 higher in Charters Towers
1,250 47th pct 12 1st pct
Approvals in Charters Towersin Palm Island +27 higher in Palm Island
25 39th pct 52 49th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1,410 higher in Palm Island
664 52nd pct 2,074 100th pct
Max temp in Charters Towersin Palm Island +4.1 higher in Charters Towers
31.8 91st pct 27.7 76th pct
Min temp in Charters Towersin Palm Island +3.2 higher in Palm Island
17.0 88th pct 20.2 95th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Charters Towersin Palm Island +59,517 higher in Palm Island
17,509 86th pct 77,026 100th pct
Assault/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +19,621 higher in Palm Island
2,162 86th pct 21,783 100th pct
Sexual/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +573 higher in Palm Island
237 46th pct 810 97th pct
Robbery/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island
68 87th pct —
Burglary/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1,060 higher in Palm Island
704 72nd pct 1,764 92nd pct
Theft/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +544 higher in Charters Towers
1,831 70th pct 1,287 51st pct
Vehicle theft/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +62 higher in Palm Island
271 38th pct 334 48th pct
Property damage/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +4,303 higher in Palm Island
1,179 76th pct 5,481 99th pct
Drugs/100k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1,689 higher in Palm Island
3,697 95th pct 5,386 100th pct
5-yr change in Charters Towersin Palm Island +92.1 pts higher in Charters Towers
90.7% 100th pct -1.5% 33rd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Charters Towersin Palm Island
2.2 14th pct —
Types ≤15 min in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1.0 more in Charters Towers
2.5 16th pct 1.5 6th pct
15-min city in Charters Towersin Palm Island +28.0 pts higher in Charters Towers
28.0% 16th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to shops in Charters Towersin Palm Island +35.6 pts higher in Charters Towers
35.6% 28th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to transit in Charters Towersin Palm Island even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Charters Towersin Palm Island +4.9 pts higher in Palm Island
43.1% 30th pct 47.9% 38th pct
Walk to a park in Charters Towersin Palm Island +41.1 pts higher in Charters Towers
48.1% 18th pct 7.0% 2nd pct
Walk to health in Charters Towersin Palm Island +27.3 pts higher in Palm Island
20.1% 19th pct 47.4% 66th pct
Amenities/1k in Charters Towersin Palm Island +6.7 more in Charters Towers
11.4 14th pct 4.8 0th pct
Intersections/km² in Charters Towersin Palm Island +1 higher in Palm Island
0 7th pct 1 57th pct
Mean slope in Charters Towersin Palm Island +5.0 pts higher in Palm Island
4.4% 46th pct 9.5% 94th pct

Compare Charters Towers with nearby areas

Townsville Hinchinbrook Burdekin Palm Island Flinders Whitsunday Tablelands Cassowary Coast

Compare Palm Island with nearby areas

Hinchinbrook Townsville Cassowary Coast Burdekin Charters Towers Tablelands Cairns Yarrabah

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Charters Towers vs Palm Island [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA32310/charters-towers/vs/LGA35790/palm-island