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Cairns - South vs Outback - North

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

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 635 km apart · Cairns - South profile · Outback - North profile

Cairns - South Outback - North

Cairns - South and Outback - North are two very different Queensland regions. Cairns - South is more urban and walkable, with a typical resident age of 38 and a walkability score of 5.9 (somewhat walkable). In contrast, Outback - North is mostly car-dependent, with a younger typical resident age of 32 and a much higher proportion of First Nations people, at 27.0% compared to 12.4% in Cairns - South. Education also differs sharply; First Nations Year 12 completion is far higher in Cairns - South at 47.7%, while Outback - North has a much lower rate of 27.9%.

Everyday life shares some similarities, as both areas have nearly identical proportions of people living alone (around 29%) and a similar share of people with no religion (about 39%). However, the gaps between them are often growing. Since 2011, the gap in full-time employment has widened, with Outback - North now far higher at 72.8%. Similarly, the age difference has increased, as residents in Cairns - South are now six years older than those in Outback - North.

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Where they differ most

Population: 75,112 larger in Cairns - South First Nations: 14.6 pts higher in Outback - North People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Outback - North Full-time: 14.2 pts higher in Outback - North Limited English: 1.8 pts higher in Cairns - South

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns - South in Outback - North +75,112 larger in Cairns - South gap widening

105,489 78th pct 30,377 22nd pct

Median age in Cairns - South in Outback - North +6 yrs older in Cairns - South gap widening

38 yrs 36th pct 32 yrs 4th pct

Age structure

28.1% Young adults (25–44) +2.7 pts ▸ 30.8%

25.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.2 pts 23.3%

19.0% Children (0–14) +3.6 pts ▸ 22.6%

15.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +5.8 pts 9.4%

12.1% Youth (15–24) +1.7 pts ▸ 13.8%

Marital status

44.1% Never married +5.9 pts ▸ 50.1%

36.7% Married ◂ +0.9 pts 35.8%

10.5% Divorced ◂ +3.2 pts 7.4%

4.7% Widowed ◂ +1.2 pts 3.6%

3.9% Separated ◂ +0.7 pts 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Cairns - South Outback - North

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

68.3% Australia +8.2 pts ▸ 76.5%

2.6% New Zealand +0.4 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.8% England ◂ +1.7 pts 1.1%

1.6% Philippines +0.2 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.2% India ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

0.3% South Africa +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.6% China ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.5% Nepal ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.4% Italy ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

28.8% Australian +3.1 pts ▸ 31.9%

31.1% English ◂ +4.1 pts 27.0%

9.7% Irish ◂ +1.3 pts 8.4%

8.3% Scottish ◂ +1.4 pts 6.9%

5.0% Italian ◂ +2.9 pts 2.1%

4.7% German ◂ +0.7 pts 4.0%

2.4% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 2.6%

2.2% Chinese ◂ +1.0 pts 1.2%

1.4% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%

1.3% Indian ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

0.5% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

73.3% English only +7.2 pts ▸ 80.5%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%

0.7% Tagalog even 0.7%

0.6% Italian ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%

0.4% Cantonese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.2% Hindi even 0.1%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

43.7% Christianity +1.7 pts ▸ 45.4%

39.3% No religion ◂ +0.3 pts 39.0%

12.1% Not stated +0.7 pts ▸ 12.8%

1.8% Buddhism ◂ +1.3 pts 0.5%

1.3% Other religions even 1.4%

1.1% Hinduism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

0.5% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Cairns - South in Outback - North +3 more in Cairns - South

32 61st pct 29 54th pct

Schools/1k kids in Cairns - South in Outback - North +2.63 more in Outback - North

1.60 27th pct 4.22 83rd pct

Students in Cairns - South in Outback - North +19,966 more in Cairns - South

25,271 87th pct 5,305 21st pct

Avg size in Cairns - South in Outback - North +607 larger in Cairns - South

790 89th pct 183 14th pct

ICSEA in Cairns - South in Outback - North +110 higher in Cairns - South

965 23rd pct 855 5th pct

Highest year of school

52.0% Year 12 ◂ +8.1 pts 43.9%

19.9% Year 10 +3.8 pts ▸ 23.7%

8.5% Year 9 or below +2.9 pts ▸ 11.5%

7.5% Year 11 even 7.4%

Highest qualification level

32.2% Certificate III / IV +5.2 pts ▸ 37.4%

19.2% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.3 pts 15.9%

14.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +4.7 pts 9.7%

4.6% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.0 pts 3.7%

3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.7 pts 2.3%

2.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.1 pts 2.6%

Field of qualification

14.1% Engineering & related +7.8 pts ▸ 22.0%

15.3% Management & commerce ◂ +4.5 pts 10.8%

11.7% Society & culture ◂ +3.9 pts 7.8%

10.4% Health ◂ +1.7 pts 8.8%

7.2% Education +0.5 pts ▸ 7.7%

6.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.3 pts 4.4%

5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.9 pts 4.4%

1.7% Agriculture & environment +1.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.3% Creative arts ◂ +1.2 pts 1.0%

1.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$226 higher in Outback - North gap widening

$779 47th pct $1,005 81st pct

Household income in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$537 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing

$1,469 31st pct $2,006 72nd pct

Family income in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$491 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing

$1,837 34th pct $2,328 72nd pct

Household income distribution

30.1% $1,500–$2,999 +0.3 pts ▸ 30.4%

29.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +9.6 pts 20.2%

17.0% Under $650 ◂ +3.8 pts 13.2%

8.1% $3,000–$3,999 +4.5 pts ▸ 12.6%

6.5% $4,000 or more +5.5 pts ▸ 12.0%

Personal income distribution

37.4% Under $650 ◂ +6.4 pts 31.0%

33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.4 pts 26.2%

14.7% $1,500–$2,999 +9.5 pts ▸ 24.2%

2.4% $3,000 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 4.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.9% Mental health ◂ +3.0 pts 4.9%

7.5% Other condition ◂ +2.5 pts 5.0%

7.0% Arthritis ◂ +2.5 pts 4.5%

6.5% Asthma +0.2 pts ▸ 6.7%

4.5% Diabetes +0.5 pts ▸ 5.0%

3.6% Heart disease ◂ +0.3 pts 3.3%

2.7% Cancer ◂ +1.1 pts 1.6%

1.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.5 pts 1.2%

0.9% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.4% None +3.2 pts ▸ 65.6%

16.8% One condition ◂ +2.2 pts 14.6%

5.2% Two conditions ◂ +1.2 pts 4.0%

2.6% Three or more ◂ +0.8 pts 1.8%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairns - South in Outback - North +4,859 larger in Cairns - South

13,069 96th pct 8,210 90th pct

Median age in Cairns - South in Outback - North +2 yrs older in Outback - North

23 yrs 29th pct 25 yrs 57th pct

Median income in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$126 higher in Cairns - South

$561 34th pct $435 9th pct

Household income in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$30 higher in Cairns - South

$1,347 25th pct $1,317 22nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns - South in Outback - North +0.2 larger in Outback - North gap steady

2.4 29th pct 2.6 71st pct

Family composition

50.6% Couples with children +5.3 pts ▸ 56.0%

26.9% Couples without children ◂ +4.0 pts 22.9%

21.0% One-parent families ◂ +1.5 pts 19.5%

1.5% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.6%

Household size

33.6% 2 people ◂ +3.0 pts 30.6%

29.6% 1 person ◂ +0.8 pts 28.8%

15.3% 3 people ◂ +1.4 pts 13.8%

12.5% 4 people +0.8 pts ▸ 13.4%

5.3% 5 people +2.0 pts ▸ 7.3%

3.7% 6 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 6.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$95 higher in Cairns - South gap steady

$315 34th pct $220 10th pct

Mortgage in Cairns - South in Outback - North +$17 higher in Cairns - South gap narrowing

$1,517 29th pct $1,500 27th pct

People / bedroom in Cairns - South in Outback - North +0.10 higher in Outback - North gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.90 86th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.1% Rented +6.7 pts ▸ 45.8%

32.8% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +8.5 pts 24.3%

24.5% Owned outright ◂ +5.0 pts 19.6%

1.5% Other tenure +4.5 pts ▸ 6.0%

2.1% Not stated +2.2 pts ▸ 4.3%

Types of homes

68.0% Separate house +7.5 pts ▸ 75.6%

19.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +14.9 pts 4.6%

11.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.8 pts ▸ 12.9%

0.8% Other dwelling +3.8 pts ▸ 4.6%

Bedrooms per home

36.0% 3 bedrooms +9.6 pts ▸ 45.6%

25.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +6.4 pts 18.8%

23.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +5.3 pts 17.8%

7.0% 1 bedroom +0.5 pts ▸ 7.5%

5.7% 5 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 5.2%

0.9% Studio / none even 1.0%

Weekly rent distribution

42.1% $200–$349 ◂ +14.3 pts 27.8%

14.1% Under $200 +25.7 pts ▸ 39.7%

36.7% $350–$549 ◂ +15.7 pts 21.0%

3.2% $550–$749 ◂ +0.1 pts 3.2%

0.6% $750 or more even 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

44.6% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +6.6 pts 38.0%

23.9% $1,800–$2,999 +0.4 pts ▸ 24.4%

19.4% Under $1,000 +3.6 pts ▸ 23.0%

6.4% $3,000 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns - South in Outback - North +279 more in Cairns - South

279 51st pct 0 0th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns - South in Outback - North +2.64 more in Cairns - South

2.64 21st pct 0.00 0th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns - South in Outback - North +750.7 more in Cairns - South

750.7 49th pct 0.0 0th pct

PT routes in Cairns - South in Outback - North +20 more in Cairns - South

20 38th pct 0 0th pct

Stop walk in Cairns - South in Outback - North

31 85th pct —

How people get to work

58.1% Car (driver) +2.6 pts ▸ 60.6%

10.5% Worked at home ◂ +4.4 pts 6.1%

3.0% Walked +6.1 pts ▸ 9.1%

5.5% Car (passenger) +1.6 pts ▸ 7.1%

1.4% Bicycle ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%

1.1% Bus even 1.1%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.4% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.5 pts 34.9%

35.5% 2 vehicles even 35.5%

11.1% 3 vehicles +1.0 pts ▸ 12.1%

8.5% No vehicle +1.3 pts ▸ 9.8%

5.5% 4 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 7.8%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

1.5% Mining +21.8 pts ▸ 23.3%

17.9% Health care & social assistance ◂ +7.4 pts 10.5%

10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +4.8 pts 5.5%

10.0% Retail trade ◂ +3.1 pts 6.9%

7.1% Public administration & safety +1.6 pts ▸ 8.7%

1.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +7.3 pts ▸ 8.6%

8.5% Construction ◂ +3.4 pts 5.1%

8.2% Education & training even 8.2%

5.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.6 pts 4.1%

4.9% Other services ◂ +1.2 pts 3.7%

4.4% Professional & technical ◂ +2.9 pts 1.5%

3.8% Administrative & support ◂ +1.2 pts 2.6%

Occupations people work in

18.6% Professionals ◂ +3.2 pts 15.4%

15.3% Technicians & trades +3.1 pts ▸ 18.4%

15.4% Community & personal service ◂ +5.6 pts 9.8%

6.2% Machinery operators & drivers +8.0 pts ▸ 14.2%

10.8% Labourers +1.5 pts ▸ 12.4%

12.1% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.6 pts 10.5%

10.1% Managers +1.2 pts ▸ 11.3%

9.6% Sales workers ◂ +4.0 pts 5.7%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Cairns - South in Outback - North +81,238 higher in Cairns - South

112,192 75th pct 30,954 17th pct

Growth in Cairns - South in Outback - North +5.4 pts higher in Cairns - South

4.9% 42nd pct -0.6% 2nd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairns - South in Outback - North +1,725 higher in Cairns - South

2,274 100th pct 548 17th pct

Max temp in Cairns - South in Outback - North +5.1 higher in Outback - North

29.8 91st pct 34.8 100th pct

Min temp in Cairns - South in Outback - North +1.2 higher in Cairns - South

20.4 99th pct 19.2 96th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns - South in Outback - North +3.0 higher in Cairns - South

5.9 62nd pct 2.8 14th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns - South in Outback - North +2.3 more in Cairns - South

5.6 61st pct 3.3 17th pct

15-min city in Cairns - South in Outback - North +33.7 pts higher in Cairns - South

68.3% 61st pct 34.6% 15th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns - South in Outback - North +31.4 pts higher in Cairns - South

71.0% 63rd pct 39.6% 22nd pct

Walk to transit in Cairns - South in Outback - North +85.7 pts higher in Cairns - South

85.7% 54th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Cairns - South in Outback - North +8.0 pts higher in Cairns - South

73.8% 60th pct 65.8% 50th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns - South in Outback - North +22.4 pts higher in Cairns - South

94.1% 56th pct 71.7% 29th pct

Walk to health in Cairns - South in Outback - North +14.5 pts higher in Cairns - South

50.1% 59th pct 35.7% 37th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns - South in Outback - North +1.6 more in Outback - North

12.8 30th pct 14.5 44th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns - South in Outback - North +18 higher in Cairns - South

18 44th pct 0 0th pct

Mean slope in Cairns - South in Outback - North +1.9 pts higher in Cairns - South

5.1% 42nd pct 3.2% 9th pct

Compare Cairns - South with nearby areas

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

Compare Outback - North with nearby areas

Far North Charters Towers - Ayr - Ingham Tablelands (East) - Kuranda Outback - South Innisfail - Cassowary Coast Barkly Cairns - South Cairns - North

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns - South vs Outback - North [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/30602/cairns-south/vs/31502/outback-north