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Northern Highlands vs Far Central West

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 431 km apart · Northern Highlands profile · Far Central West profile

Northern Highlands Far Central West

Northern Highlands and Far Central West are both sparsely populated areas of Queensland, though they differ in climate and resources. Northern Highlands is far wetter, with average annual rainfall 316mm higher than in Far Central West. It also has better access to money and resources and a higher share of three-bedroom homes, at 73.5% compared to 61.8%. Schooling differs too; Northern Highlands has far larger average schools, with 53 students compared to 25 in Far Central West, and a higher rate of First Nations Year 12 completion (36.4% versus 25.5%).

The gap in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has narrowed since 2011, though it remains well higher in Far Central West at 13.9%. Both areas are very similar in other ways, such as having roughly the same share of people aged 65 and over (around 17% to 18%) and almost identical typical weekly household incomes of about $1,400 to $1,500. While Far Central West is more walkable, with more homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and schools, both areas are far below the national figure for public transport access.

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Where they differ most

3+ bedrooms: 11.7 pts higher in Northern Highlands PT commute: 1.0 pts higher in Northern Highlands Population: 939 larger in Northern Highlands One-parent: 3.2 pts higher in Far Central West Work from home: 6.6 pts higher in Northern Highlands

Demographics & Identity

Population in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +939 larger in Northern Highlands gap narrowing
3,095 12th pct 2,156 8th pct
Median age in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3 yrs older in Far Central West gap widening
38 yrs 43rd pct 41 yrs 57th pct
First Nations in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +5.5 pts higher in Far Central West gap narrowing
8.4% 87th pct 13.9% 92nd pct
Aged 65+ in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.9 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
17.1% 48th pct 18.0% 54th pct
Under 15 in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.2 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap widening
18.7% 59th pct 17.5% 45th pct
De facto in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.5 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
14.5% 77th pct 16.0% 86th pct

Age structure

26.5% Older adults (45–64) +2.3 pts ▸ 28.8%
26.7% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +1.6 pts 25.1%
18.7% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.2 pts 17.5%
17.1% Seniors (65+) +0.9 pts ▸ 18.0%
10.7% Youth (15–24) +0.4 pts ▸ 11.1%

Marital status

47.1% Married ◂ +4.0 pts 43.1%
35.2% Never married +2.6 pts ▸ 37.8%
8.6% Divorced +0.6 pts ▸ 9.1%
6.0% Widowed ◂ +0.8 pts 5.2%
3.1% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Age & sex structure

Northern Highlands Far Central West

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.7 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
5.0% 0th pct 5.7% 2nd pct

Country of birth

79.5% Australia ◂ +0.9 pts 78.7%
1.0% England +0.5 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.1% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.3% India ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Philippines ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% China even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.0%
0.0% Italy even 0.0%

Ancestry

40.5% Australian ◂ +1.8 pts 38.7%
36.5% English +1.1 pts ▸ 37.6%
11.9% Irish ◂ +1.0 pts 10.9%
10.4% Scottish ◂ +1.8 pts 8.6%
4.9% German +0.2 pts ▸ 5.1%
2.1% Italian ◂ +1.3 pts 0.8%
0.7% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%
0.5% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.4% Indian even 0.5%
0.3% Filipino ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Other language in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.2 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
1.7% 0th pct 2.9% 9th pct
Limited English in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.2 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
0.1% 5th pct 0.3% 13th pct

Language used at home

82.9% English only ◂ +0.8 pts 82.1%
0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.0% Mandarin even 0.0%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Italian even 0.0%
0.0% Tagalog even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3.1 pts higher in Far Central West gap widening
27.7% 14th pct 30.8% 20th pct

Religious affiliation

54.6% Christianity ◂ +3.6 pts 51.0%
27.7% No religion +3.1 pts ▸ 30.8%
16.6% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 16.4%
0.3% Islam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.4% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.2% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.0 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap steady
39.2% 16th pct 38.2% 14th pct
Bachelor+ in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.7 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
9.4% 9th pct 10.0% 11th pct
Schools in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +2 more in Far Central West
6 71st pct 8 87th pct
Schools/1k kids in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +10.86 more in Far Central West
10.36 100th pct 21.22 100th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +2 more in Far Central West
6 12th pct 8 18th pct
Students in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +118 more in Northern Highlands
319 10th pct 201 6th pct
Avg size in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +28 larger in Northern Highlands
53 1st pct 25 0th pct
ICSEA in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +15 higher in Northern Highlands
911 11th pct 896 9th pct

Highest year of school

39.2% Year 12 ◂ +1.0 pts 38.2%
24.9% Year 10 +1.1 pts ▸ 26.1%
12.3% Year 9 or below +0.7 pts ▸ 13.0%
5.6% Year 11 +1.3 pts ▸ 6.9%

Highest qualification level

32.4% Certificate III / IV +1.1 pts ▸ 33.5%
13.5% Bachelor degree +0.2 pts ▸ 13.7%
10.3% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.6 pts ▸ 10.9%
2.0% Postgraduate degree +1.6 pts ▸ 3.6%
2.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.4 pts 2.2%
1.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Field of qualification

14.7% Engineering & related ◂ +1.5 pts 13.2%
9.6% Management & commerce +1.3 pts ▸ 11.0%
8.0% Agriculture & environment +1.6 pts ▸ 9.6%
8.8% Health ◂ +2.1 pts 6.6%
7.7% Society & culture ◂ +1.2 pts 6.5%
7.3% Education ◂ +0.9 pts 6.3%
4.1% Architecture & building +0.5 pts ▸ 4.6%
2.7% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.3 pts ▸ 4.0%
0.8% Natural & physical sciences +0.8 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.0% Creative arts +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.4% Information technology +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$33 higher in Far Central West gap narrowing
$914 69th pct $947 73rd pct
Household income in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$60 higher in Northern Highlands gap steady
$1,502 35th pct $1,442 31st pct
Family income in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$180 higher in Far Central West gap widening
$1,929 40th pct $2,109 52nd pct
High earners in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.6 pts higher in Far Central West gap narrowing
8.0% 34th pct 9.5% 44th pct
High-income homes in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.6 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap narrowing
14.6% 31st pct 14.1% 29th pct

Household income distribution

28.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 26.3%
26.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.2 pts 25.5%
16.3% Under $650 +1.7 pts ▸ 17.9%
7.9% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.1 pts 6.8%
6.7% $4,000 or more +0.5 pts ▸ 7.2%

Personal income distribution

34.9% $650–$1,499 +1.2 pts ▸ 36.1%
27.6% Under $650 ◂ +1.3 pts 26.3%
14.7% $1,500–$2,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 15.4%
3.5% $3,000 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 4.3%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.2 pts higher in Northern Highlands
23.9% 24th pct 23.7% 24th pct
Mental health in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.5 pts higher in Far Central West
4.8% 10th pct 5.3% 13th pct
Needs assistance in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.6 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap steady
3.5% 15th pct 2.9% 10th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

8.0% Asthma +0.3 pts ▸ 8.3%
6.9% Arthritis ◂ +0.4 pts 6.6%
4.4% Diabetes +1.1 pts ▸ 5.5%
4.8% Mental health +0.5 pts ▸ 5.3%
4.9% Other condition ◂ +1.0 pts 3.9%
4.2% Heart disease ◂ +0.4 pts 3.8%
2.6% Cancer even 2.6%
1.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.1 pts 1.6%
1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%
0.3% Dementia even 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.0% None +1.3 pts ▸ 58.3%
16.7% One condition ◂ +0.6 pts 16.1%
5.0% Two conditions ◂ +0.3 pts 4.6%
2.3% Three or more +0.6 pts ▸ 2.9%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +4.1 pts higher in Far Central West gap widening
24.1% 92nd pct 28.2% 100th pct
Unpaid carers in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.7 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap steady
9.1% 13th pct 7.5% 7th pct
Unpaid child care in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.6 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap narrowing
21.3% 19th pct 19.7% 13th pct
Defence service in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
2.2% 32nd pct 2.2% 33rd pct
Housework 15h+ in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3.3 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap widening
17.1% 17th pct 13.9% 8th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +39 larger in Far Central West
260 61st pct 299 65th pct
Median age in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3 yrs older in Far Central West
29 yrs 81st pct 32 yrs 89th pct
Year 12 in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +10.9 pts higher in Northern Highlands
36.4% 32nd pct 25.5% 9th pct
Unemployment in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.6 pts higher in Far Central West
9.3% 46th pct 9.9% 49th pct
Median income in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$32 higher in Northern Highlands
$638 50th pct $606 44th pct
Household income in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$277 higher in Northern Highlands
$1,360 27th pct $1,083 9th pct
Indigenous language in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +5.8 pts higher in Far Central West
1.5% 17th pct 7.4% 66th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.2 larger in Northern Highlands gap widening
2.4 36th pct 2.2 14th pct
One-parent in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3.2 pts higher in Far Central West gap widening
11.6% 36th pct 14.8% 64th pct
Living alone in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +4.3 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
32.5% 82nd pct 36.8% 91st pct

Family composition

54.7% Couples with children ◂ +7.8 pts 46.8%
33.2% Couples without children +3.3 pts ▸ 36.6%
11.6% One-parent families +3.2 pts ▸ 14.8%
0.6% Other families +0.8 pts ▸ 1.4%

Household size

32.5% 1 person +4.3 pts ▸ 36.8%
34.1% 2 people even 34.1%
12.2% 4 people ◂ +2.9 pts 9.3%
10.5% 3 people +0.3 pts ▸ 10.8%
7.0% 5 people ◂ +2.0 pts 5.0%
3.6% 6 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 3.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$10 higher in Northern Highlands gap steady
$150 0th pct $140 0th pct
Mortgage in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +$169 higher in Far Central West gap widening
$715 0th pct $884 0th pct
People / bedroom in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even gap steady
0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct
Renting in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +5.4 pts higher in Far Central West gap narrowing
27.6% 52nd pct 33.0% 66th pct
Owned outright in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +4.0 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap widening
39.8% 74th pct 35.7% 61st pct
Separate houses in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +6.1 pts higher in Far Central West gap narrowing
79.3% 40th pct 85.4% 52nd pct
3+ bedrooms in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +11.7 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap widening
73.5% 34th pct 61.8% 18th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.8% Owned outright ◂ +4.0 pts 35.7%
27.6% Rented +5.4 pts ▸ 33.0%
20.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +5.5 pts 14.6%
10.2% Other tenure ◂ +1.1 pts 9.2%
3.0% Not stated +3.4 pts ▸ 6.5%

Types of homes

79.3% Separate house +6.1 pts ▸ 85.4%
8.4% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +6.4 pts 1.9%
1.0% Other dwelling +4.1 pts ▸ 5.0%
0.3% Flat or apartment +2.9 pts ▸ 3.2%

Bedrooms per home

41.3% 3 bedrooms ◂ +3.1 pts 38.2%
20.2% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.9 pts 15.2%
16.5% 2 bedrooms +3.5 pts ▸ 20.0%
12.0% 5 or more ◂ +3.6 pts 8.4%
6.7% 1 bedroom +4.5 pts ▸ 11.2%
0.9% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

Weekly rent distribution

60.4% Under $200 +2.9 pts ▸ 63.3%
19.8% $200–$349 +0.5 pts ▸ 20.3%
1.1% $350–$549 +0.5 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.1% $750 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% $550–$749 even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

54.4% Under $1,000 +5.8 pts ▸ 60.2%
19.4% $1,000–$1,799 +8.0 pts ▸ 27.4%
8.3% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 8.0%
5.8% $3,000 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 7.1%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +2.3 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
5.1% 52nd pct 7.4% 70th pct
Work from home in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +6.6 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap widening
23.7% 73rd pct 17.1% 58th pct
PT commute in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.0 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap narrowing
1.0% 33rd pct 0.0% 0th pct
PT stops in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
0.00 0th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
0.0 0th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

46.3% Car (driver) ◂ +1.4 pts 44.9%
23.7% Worked at home ◂ +6.6 pts 17.1%
12.5% Walked +8.5 pts ▸ 21.0%
2.9% Car (passenger) +1.0 pts ▸ 3.8%
0.7% Bus ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.6% Bicycle even 0.6%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

32.4% 1 vehicle +8.3 pts ▸ 40.7%
32.3% 2 vehicles ◂ +4.5 pts 27.8%
15.8% 4 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 14.0%
14.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +3.6 pts 10.6%
5.1% No vehicle +2.3 pts ▸ 7.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3.9 pts higher in Far Central West gap widening
33.7% 32nd pct 37.6% 49th pct
Recent arrivals in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +4.4 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap widening
17.5% 76th pct 13.1% 61st pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.4 pts higher in Far Central West gap steady
2.1% 0th pct 2.4% 2nd pct
Participation in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.6 pts higher in Northern Highlands gap steady
64.9% 65th pct 64.3% 63rd pct
Full-time in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3.1 pts higher in Far Central West gap widening
75.0% 100th pct 78.2% 100th pct

Industries people work in

37.2% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +5.4 pts 31.9%
14.0% Public administration & safety +7.0 pts ▸ 20.9%
6.8% Construction +0.8 pts ▸ 7.6%
6.0% Retail trade +0.3 pts ▸ 6.3%
6.1% Education & training ◂ +1.2 pts 4.8%
4.4% Accommodation & food +0.8 pts ▸ 5.2%
4.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.0 pts 2.8%
4.8% Health care & social assistance even 4.7%
0.3% Arts & recreation +2.4 pts ▸ 2.7%
2.3% Mining ◂ +0.9 pts 1.3%
2.1% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 2.2%
1.9% Electricity, gas & water ◂ +1.3 pts 0.5%

Occupations people work in

27.9% Managers ◂ +0.8 pts 27.1%
19.4% Labourers +1.7 pts ▸ 21.1%
10.8% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.2 pts 10.7%
8.6% Clerical & administrative +1.1 pts ▸ 9.8%
9.4% Machinery operators & drivers even 9.5%
8.7% Professionals ◂ +1.7 pts 7.0%
6.9% Community & personal service +0.2 pts ▸ 7.2%
4.7% Sales workers +0.1 pts ▸ 4.7%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1 higher in Northern Highlands
4 36th pct 3 29th pct
IRSD decile in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1 higher in Northern Highlands
4 36th pct 3 29th pct
IER decile in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +3 higher in Northern Highlands
5 43rd pct 2 14th pct
IEO decile in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1 higher in Northern Highlands
3 29th pct 2 14th pct
IRSAD score in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +19 higher in Northern Highlands
961 35th pct 942 27th pct
ERP in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +956 higher in Northern Highlands
3,183 11th pct 2,227 8th pct
Growth in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.2 pts higher in Far Central West
1.8% 26th pct 1.9% 27th pct
Businesses in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +447 higher in Northern Highlands
882 48th pct 435 21st pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +316 higher in Northern Highlands
508 11th pct 191 0th pct
Max temp in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.6 higher in Northern Highlands
34.8 100th pct 33.2 100th pct
Min temp in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.4 higher in Northern Highlands
17.3 89th pct 16.9 88th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.1 higher in Far Central West
2.6 17th pct 3.8 27th pct
Types ≤15 min in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +1.3 more in Far Central West
3.0 20th pct 4.3 35th pct
15-min city in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +24.9 pts higher in Far Central West
37.8% 27th pct 62.7% 48th pct
Walk to shops in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +23.2 pts higher in Far Central West
40.7% 30th pct 63.8% 51st pct
Walk to transit in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +24.6 pts higher in Far Central West
41.0% 24th pct 65.5% 42nd pct
Walk to a park in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +14.7 pts higher in Far Central West
49.6% 14th pct 64.3% 20th pct
Walk to health in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +5.7 pts higher in Far Central West
40.5% 45th pct 46.2% 50th pct
Amenities/1k in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +23.4 more in Far Central West
43.0 86th pct 66.3 87th pct
Intersections/km² in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Mean slope in Northern Highlandsin Far Central West +0.1 pts higher in Northern Highlands
2.7% 5th pct 2.6% 3rd pct

Compare Northern Highlands with nearby areas

Croydon - Etheridge Mount Isa Dalrymple Longreach Mount Isa Surrounds Charters Towers Herberton Far Central West

Compare Far Central West with nearby areas

Longreach Mount Isa Northern Highlands Far South West Mount Isa Surrounds Outback Barcaldine - Blackall Sandover - Plenty

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Northern Highlands vs Far Central West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/315021407/northern-highlands/vs/315031410/far-central-west