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Cairns - North vs Whitsunday

Name: Cairns - North vs Whitsunday — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 492 km apart · Cairns - North profile · Whitsunday profile

Cairns - North Whitsunday

Cairns - North and Whitsunday are two distinct Queensland regions located nearly 500km apart. Cairns - North is more urban and connected, with a walkability score of 4.8 (somewhat walkable) and 77.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport, compared to 0.0% in Whitsunday, which is mostly car-dependent (2.8). There are also notable differences in education and culture; Cairns - North has a far higher share of people who completed Year 12 (60.7% compared to 48.1%) and a larger First Nations population, with 15.2% of residents speaking a First Nations language compared to 4.5% in Whitsunday.

Since 2011, the two areas have tracked in different directions across several key measures. The gap in high-income households earning over $3,000 a week has widened, as has the difference in the share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, the gap in Year 12 completion has narrowed slightly. Despite these shifts, the two areas remain very similar in some ways, such as having nearly the same proportion of people aged 65 and over (about 15%) and almost identical typical weekly personal incomes.

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Where they differ most

Population: 34,392 larger in Cairns - North Year 12: 12.6 pts higher in Cairns - North Unpaid child care: 5.6 pts higher in Cairns - North Recent arrivals: 10.0 pts higher in Whitsunday No car: 2.8 pts higher in Whitsunday

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +34,392 larger in Cairns - North gap widening

57,774 47th pct 23,382 16th pct

Median age in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +2 yrs older in Cairns - North gap widening

41 yrs 62nd pct 39 yrs 43rd pct

Age structure

25.1% Young adults (25–44) +4.3 pts ▸ 29.4%

29.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.8 pts 27.4%

19.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.7 pts 16.7%

15.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +0.2 pts 15.1%

11.0% Youth (15–24) +0.4 pts ▸ 11.4%

Marital status

45.1% Married ◂ +4.5 pts 40.7%

36.5% Never married +5.1 pts ▸ 41.7%

10.9% Divorced ◂ +0.7 pts 10.2%

3.7% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.8% Widowed ◂ +0.2 pts 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Cairns - North Whitsunday

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

70.0% Australia +0.7 pts ▸ 70.7%

6.0% England ◂ +1.9 pts 4.1%

3.2% New Zealand +0.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.0% India ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

0.9% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

0.7% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.5% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.4% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.2%

0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

40.1% English +1.1 pts ▸ 41.2%

32.0% Australian +2.5 pts ▸ 34.5%

11.7% Irish ◂ +1.2 pts 10.5%

11.0% Scottish ◂ +1.0 pts 10.1%

6.0% German ◂ +0.6 pts 5.5%

4.5% Italian ◂ +0.9 pts 3.6%

2.1% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 1.7%

1.7% Chinese ◂ +0.7 pts 1.0%

1.4% Indian ◂ +0.9 pts 0.5%

1.2% Filipino ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

0.6% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

82.6% English only ◂ +0.3 pts 82.3%

0.6% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.5% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.4% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.3% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.8% No religion ◂ +2.0 pts 45.8%

41.0% Christianity ◂ +1.8 pts 39.3%

7.9% Not stated +5.0 pts ▸ 12.9%

1.4% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

0.7% Other religions ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

0.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.4% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.2% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +5 more in Cairns - North

12 14th pct 7 8th pct

Schools/1k kids in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +0.72 more in Whitsunday

1.07 8th pct 1.79 38th pct

Students in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +5,515 more in Cairns - North

9,134 44th pct 3,619 13th pct

Avg size in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +244 larger in Cairns - North

761 88th pct 517 62nd pct

ICSEA in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +36 higher in Cairns - North

1,026 56th pct 990 36th pct

Highest year of school

60.7% Year 12 ◂ +12.6 pts 48.1%

18.8% Year 10 +4.5 pts ▸ 23.4%

8.4% Year 11 +0.1 pts ▸ 8.5%

5.4% Year 9 or below +1.9 pts ▸ 7.3%

Highest qualification level

30.6% Certificate III / IV +5.8 pts ▸ 36.4%

23.9% Bachelor degree ◂ +7.7 pts 16.3%

16.9% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.5 pts 14.4%

7.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.3 pts 3.1%

4.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.1 pts 1.9%

1.9% Certificate I / II +0.9 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

14.8% Engineering & related +2.8 pts ▸ 17.5%

16.5% Management & commerce ◂ +2.3 pts 14.1%

13.4% Health ◂ +6.1 pts 7.3%

12.3% Society & culture ◂ +4.2 pts 8.1%

9.0% Education ◂ +2.5 pts 6.5%

6.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +2.5 pts ▸ 8.8%

5.9% Architecture & building +1.2 pts ▸ 7.1%

3.0% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.3 pts 1.6%

2.7% Creative arts ◂ +0.1 pts 2.5%

1.9% Agriculture & environment +0.4 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$42 higher in Cairns - North gap widening

$884 69th pct $842 62nd pct

Household income in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$245 higher in Cairns - North gap widening

$1,819 60th pct $1,574 41st pct

Family income in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$247 higher in Cairns - North gap widening

$2,153 60th pct $1,906 40th pct

Household income distribution

32.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 30.3%

25.5% $650–$1,499 +2.4 pts ▸ 27.8%

12.6% Under $650 +2.0 pts ▸ 14.6%

11.3% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.7 pts 8.6%

9.8% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.9 pts 6.9%

Personal income distribution

33.5% $650–$1,499 +3.5 pts ▸ 37.0%

35.3% Under $650 ◂ +3.3 pts 31.9%

20.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.8 pts 14.5%

3.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

8.1% Other condition ◂ +2.2 pts 5.9%

8.0% Mental health ◂ +0.8 pts 7.2%

7.4% Arthritis ◂ +0.8 pts 6.6%

6.3% Asthma ◂ +0.1 pts 6.2%

3.1% Diabetes +0.4 pts ▸ 3.5%

3.3% Heart disease even 3.2%

3.0% Cancer ◂ +0.5 pts 2.5%

1.6% Lung condition +0.2 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.8% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.0% None ◂ +3.8 pts 63.2%

17.6% One condition ◂ +1.2 pts 16.4%

4.9% Two conditions ◂ +0.5 pts 4.4%

2.1% Three or more +0.1 pts ▸ 2.2%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +1,985 larger in Cairns - North

2,769 72nd pct 784 30th pct

Median age in Cairns - North in Whitsunday even

23 yrs 29th pct 23 yrs 29th pct

Median income in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$47 higher in Whitsunday

$683 69th pct $730 75th pct

Household income in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$195 higher in Cairns - North

$1,909 74th pct $1,714 59th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +0.1 larger in Cairns - North gap narrowing

2.5 57th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

55.6% Couples with children ◂ +3.3 pts 52.2%

29.0% Couples without children +4.2 pts ▸ 33.2%

14.6% One-parent families ◂ +0.8 pts 13.8%

0.8% Other families even 0.8%

Household size

37.1% 2 people +0.9 pts ▸ 38.0%

22.4% 1 person +3.6 pts ▸ 26.0%

16.6% 3 people ◂ +2.3 pts 14.3%

16.0% 4 people ◂ +2.0 pts 14.0%

5.5% 5 people +0.1 pts ▸ 5.6%

2.5% 6 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 2.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$40 higher in Cairns - North gap widening

$390 66th pct $350 47th pct

Mortgage in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +$33 higher in Cairns - North gap narrowing

$1,733 43rd pct $1,700 41st pct

People / bedroom in Cairns - North in Whitsunday even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

41.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +6.6 pts 34.5%

28.5% Rented +4.1 pts ▸ 32.6%

28.5% Owned outright +1.3 pts ▸ 29.8%

1.1% Not stated +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.9% Other tenure +0.5 pts ▸ 1.4%

Types of homes

80.1% Separate house ◂ +6.7 pts 73.3%

10.0% Flat or apartment +4.7 pts ▸ 14.7%

8.4% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.0 pts 7.5%

0.6% Other dwelling +2.0 pts ▸ 2.6%

Bedrooms per home

34.1% 3 bedrooms +5.5 pts ▸ 39.7%

37.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +11.4 pts 26.3%

16.9% 2 bedrooms +3.1 pts ▸ 20.0%

7.2% 5 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 5.1%

2.5% 1 bedroom +2.9 pts ▸ 5.4%

0.3% Studio / none +1.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

Weekly rent distribution

54.1% $350–$549 ◂ +12.9 pts 41.1%

26.8% $200–$349 +8.7 pts ▸ 35.5%

5.1% Under $200 +7.3 pts ▸ 12.3%

9.2% $550–$749 ◂ +2.4 pts 6.7%

1.4% $750 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 1.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

36.8% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.7 pts 36.1%

32.9% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +2.3 pts 30.6%

15.1% Under $1,000 +1.8 pts ▸ 16.8%

9.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 9.3%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +183 more in Cairns - North

183 34th pct 0 0th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +3.17 more in Cairns - North

3.17 27th pct 0.00 0th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +591.7 more in Cairns - North

591.7 44th pct 0.0 0th pct

PT routes in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +10 more in Cairns - North

10 20th pct 0 0th pct

Stop walk in Cairns - North in Whitsunday

24 80th pct —

How people get to work

58.3% Car (driver) ◂ +4.2 pts 54.1%

13.8% Worked at home ◂ +6.1 pts 7.6%

1.5% Walked +8.4 pts ▸ 10.0%

4.2% Car (passenger) +0.7 pts ▸ 4.8%

0.8% Bus +1.4 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.7% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

42.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +5.0 pts 37.9%

35.0% 1 vehicle +1.1 pts ▸ 36.0%

13.2% 3 vehicles +0.1 pts ▸ 13.2%

6.1% 4 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 7.2%

2.9% No vehicle +2.8 pts ▸ 5.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

9.5% Accommodation & food +12.6 pts ▸ 22.1%

18.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +11.2 pts 7.4%

9.9% Education & training ◂ +4.5 pts 5.4%

8.9% Construction +0.5 pts ▸ 9.4%

9.2% Retail trade ◂ +0.1 pts 9.1%

7.8% Public administration & safety ◂ +4.4 pts 3.4%

1.9% Mining +4.5 pts ▸ 6.5%

5.7% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 6.4%

5.3% Professional & technical ◂ +1.9 pts 3.4%

3.4% Administrative & support +1.5 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.0% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 4.2%

3.1% Manufacturing +0.8 pts ▸ 4.0%

Occupations people work in

23.6% Professionals ◂ +11.5 pts 12.1%

14.4% Technicians & trades +3.6 pts ▸ 17.9%

14.3% Community & personal service ◂ +0.7 pts 13.6%

12.3% Managers +0.8 pts ▸ 13.2%

8.2% Labourers +4.7 pts ▸ 12.9%

11.8% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.9 pts 9.9%

9.3% Sales workers even 9.3%

4.5% Machinery operators & drivers +4.7 pts ▸ 9.2%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +37,276 higher in Cairns - North

63,376 47th pct 26,100 13th pct

Growth in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +1.9 pts higher in Whitsunday

8.2% 72nd pct 10.1% 81st pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +978 higher in Cairns - North

2,368 100th pct 1,389 86th pct

Max temp in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +0.6 higher in Cairns - North

29.9 91st pct 29.3 90th pct

Min temp in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +2.4 higher in Cairns - North

21.1 100th pct 18.7 94th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +2.0 higher in Cairns - North

4.8 47th pct 2.8 13th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +1.5 more in Cairns - North

4.5 43rd pct 3.0 13th pct

15-min city in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +16.9 pts higher in Cairns - North

55.7% 48th pct 38.7% 22nd pct

Walk to shops in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +8.6 pts higher in Cairns - North

55.9% 47th pct 47.3% 35th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +77.7 pts higher in Cairns - North

77.7% 47th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +1.1 pts higher in Whitsunday

41.2% 19th pct 42.3% 20th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +20.1 pts higher in Cairns - North

93.2% 55th pct 73.1% 31st pct

Walk to health in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +1.8 pts higher in Whitsunday

30.0% 25th pct 31.8% 28th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +9.3 more in Whitsunday

12.7 29th pct 21.9 80th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +39 higher in Cairns - North

40 52nd pct 1 19th pct

Mean slope in Cairns - North in Whitsunday +4.9 pts higher in Whitsunday

6.6% 70th pct 11.5% 100th pct

Compare Cairns - North with nearby areas

Cairns - South Port Douglas - Daintree Innisfail - Cassowary Coast Tablelands (East) - Kuranda Far North Townsville Charters Towers - Ayr - Ingham Whitsunday

Compare Whitsunday with nearby areas

Mackay Bowen Basin - North Townsville Charters Towers - Ayr - Ingham Rockhampton Innisfail - Cassowary Coast Central Highlands Tablelands (East) - Kuranda

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns - North vs Whitsunday [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/30601/cairns-north/vs/31203/whitsunday