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Cairns - South vs Townsville

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

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 289 km apart · Cairns - South profile · Townsville profile

Cairns - South Townsville

Townsville and Cairns - South are both major Queensland hubs, but they differ in their layout and residents. Townsville is more likely to have separate houses (81.1% compared to 68.0% in Cairns - South) and larger homes with three or more bedrooms. In contrast, Cairns - South is far more walkable, with a much higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries (71.0% versus 50.5% in Townsville). Cairns - South also has a much larger First Nations presence, with 22.8% of residents speaking a First Nations language compared to 11.2% in Townsville.

The gap in the number of people born overseas has widened since 2011, with 21.5% of people in Cairns - South born abroad compared to 14.0% in Townsville. Despite this, the two areas share several common traits. They have nearly identical proportions of children and seniors, and the typical monthly home-loan payment is the same in both places at $1,517. Both areas also have similar rates of volunteering and people providing unpaid care.

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Where they differ most

Population: 87,331 larger in Townsville Separate houses: 13.0 pts higher in Townsville 3+ bedrooms: 11.2 pts higher in Townsville Other language: 8.0 pts higher in Cairns - South Full-time: 4.4 pts higher in Townsville

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns - South in Townsville +87,331 larger in Townsville gap steady

105,489 78th pct 192,820 91st pct

Median age in Cairns - South in Townsville +2 yrs older in Cairns - South gap widening

38 yrs 36th pct 36 yrs 21st pct

Age structure

28.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +0.6 pts 27.5%

25.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.0 pts 24.6%

19.0% Children (0–14) +0.2 pts ▸ 19.2%

15.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.0 pts 14.3%

12.1% Youth (15–24) +2.3 pts ▸ 14.5%

Marital status

44.1% Never married ◂ +2.5 pts 41.7%

36.7% Married +4.0 pts ▸ 40.7%

10.5% Divorced ◂ +1.0 pts 9.5%

4.7% Widowed ◂ +0.5 pts 4.2%

3.9% Separated ◂ +0.1 pts 3.9%

Age & sex structure

Cairns - South Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

68.3% Australia +10.4 pts ▸ 78.7%

2.8% England ◂ +0.3 pts 2.5%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.5 pts 2.1%

1.6% Philippines ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%

1.2% India ◂ +0.3 pts 0.9%

0.6% China ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.3% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.5% Nepal ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.4% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Ancestry

31.1% English +6.4 pts ▸ 37.6%

28.8% Australian +8.3 pts ▸ 37.1%

9.7% Irish +1.6 pts ▸ 11.3%

8.3% Scottish +2.1 pts ▸ 10.5%

4.7% German +0.6 pts ▸ 5.4%

5.0% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 4.8%

2.4% Filipino ◂ +0.8 pts 1.5%

2.2% Chinese ◂ +0.9 pts 1.3%

1.4% Dutch even 1.3%

1.3% Indian even 1.2%

0.5% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

73.3% English only +10.6 pts ▸ 83.9%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

0.6% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.4% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Hindi even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

43.7% Christianity +3.7 pts ▸ 47.4%

39.3% No religion +1.1 pts ▸ 40.4%

12.1% Not stated ◂ +2.6 pts 9.5%

1.8% Buddhism ◂ +1.0 pts 0.8%

1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

1.1% Hinduism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%

0.5% Islam even 0.5%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Cairns - South in Townsville +32 more in Townsville

32 61st pct 64 93rd pct

Schools/1k kids in Cairns - South in Townsville +0.13 more in Townsville

1.60 27th pct 1.73 35th pct

Students in Cairns - South in Townsville +9,448 more in Townsville

25,271 87th pct 34,719 90th pct

Avg size in Cairns - South in Townsville +247 larger in Cairns - South

790 89th pct 542 67th pct

ICSEA in Cairns - South in Townsville +8 higher in Townsville

965 23rd pct 973 27th pct

Highest year of school

52.0% Year 12 +2.0 pts ▸ 54.1%

19.9% Year 10 +2.1 pts ▸ 22.0%

8.5% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.5 pts 8.0%

7.5% Year 11 ◂ +0.3 pts 7.2%

Highest qualification level

32.2% Certificate III / IV +2.5 pts ▸ 34.7%

19.2% Bachelor degree +1.8 pts ▸ 21.0%

14.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.8 pts 13.7%

4.6% Postgraduate degree +1.2 pts ▸ 5.8%

3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%

2.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 2.5%

Field of qualification

14.1% Engineering & related +1.9 pts ▸ 16.0%

15.3% Management & commerce ◂ +0.6 pts 14.7%

10.4% Health +1.9 pts ▸ 12.4%

11.7% Society & culture +0.6 pts ▸ 12.3%

7.2% Education +0.6 pts ▸ 7.8%

6.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.1 pts 5.6%

5.3% Architecture & building even 5.3%

1.8% Natural & physical sciences +1.1 pts ▸ 2.9%

2.3% Creative arts ◂ +0.2 pts 2.0%

1.7% Agriculture & environment even 1.6%

1.4% Information technology +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Cairns - South in Townsville +$85 higher in Townsville gap widening

$779 47th pct $864 65th pct

Household income in Cairns - South in Townsville +$232 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,469 31st pct $1,701 51st pct

Family income in Cairns - South in Townsville +$245 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,837 34th pct $2,082 55th pct

Household income distribution

30.1% $1,500–$2,999 +1.8 pts ▸ 31.9%

29.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.5 pts 26.3%

17.0% Under $650 ◂ +2.7 pts 14.2%

8.1% $3,000–$3,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 10.1%

6.5% $4,000 or more +1.9 pts ▸ 8.4%

Personal income distribution

37.4% Under $650 ◂ +1.9 pts 35.4%

33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.4 pts 33.1%

14.7% $1,500–$2,999 +4.2 pts ▸ 18.9%

2.4% $3,000 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.0%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.9% Mental health +2.5 pts ▸ 10.3%

7.0% Arthritis +1.8 pts ▸ 8.8%

7.5% Other condition +0.8 pts ▸ 8.3%

6.5% Asthma +1.6 pts ▸ 8.1%

4.5% Diabetes +0.1 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.6% Heart disease +0.5 pts ▸ 4.0%

2.7% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.8% Lung condition +0.2 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.9% Stroke even 0.9%

0.7% Dementia even 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.4% None ◂ +2.0 pts 60.5%

16.8% One condition +2.3 pts ▸ 19.1%

5.2% Two conditions +1.0 pts ▸ 6.2%

2.6% Three or more +0.8 pts ▸ 3.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairns - South in Townsville +3,200 larger in Townsville

13,069 96th pct 16,269 100th pct

Median age in Cairns - South in Townsville +1 yrs older in Cairns - South

23 yrs 29th pct 22 yrs 21st pct

Median income in Cairns - South in Townsville +$37 higher in Townsville

$561 34th pct $598 46th pct

Household income in Cairns - South in Townsville +$207 higher in Townsville

$1,347 25th pct $1,554 46th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns - South in Townsville +0.1 larger in Townsville gap steady

2.4 29th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

50.6% Couples with children +2.9 pts ▸ 53.5%

26.9% Couples without children +0.9 pts ▸ 27.7%

21.0% One-parent families ◂ +3.6 pts 17.4%

1.5% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%

Household size

33.6% 2 people +1.6 pts ▸ 35.2%

29.6% 1 person ◂ +3.5 pts 26.1%

15.3% 3 people +0.8 pts ▸ 16.0%

12.5% 4 people +1.2 pts ▸ 13.8%

5.3% 5 people +0.5 pts ▸ 5.8%

3.7% 6 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns - South in Townsville +$10 higher in Cairns - South gap narrowing

$315 34th pct $305 30th pct

Mortgage in Cairns - South in Townsville even gap narrowing

$1,517 29th pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in Cairns - South in Townsville even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.1% Rented ◂ +2.5 pts 36.6%

32.8% Owned with a mortgage +2.9 pts ▸ 35.7%

24.5% Owned outright +0.2 pts ▸ 24.7%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%

1.5% Other tenure even 1.5%

Types of homes

68.0% Separate house +13.0 pts ▸ 81.1%

19.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +12.5 pts 7.0%

11.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +0.1 pts 10.9%

0.8% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

36.0% 3 bedrooms +3.3 pts ▸ 39.3%

25.1% 4 bedrooms +7.5 pts ▸ 32.7%

23.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +6.7 pts 16.4%

7.0% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.4 pts 3.6%

5.7% 5 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 6.1%

0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

42.1% $200–$349 +7.4 pts ▸ 49.5%

36.7% $350–$549 ◂ +3.7 pts 33.0%

14.1% Under $200 ◂ +2.1 pts 11.9%

3.2% $550–$749 ◂ +1.3 pts 1.9%

0.6% $750 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

44.6% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.5 pts 44.1%

23.9% $1,800–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 25.8%

19.4% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.9 pts 17.5%

6.4% $3,000 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 7.2%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns - South in Townsville +357 more in Townsville

279 51st pct 636 85th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns - South in Townsville +0.65 more in Townsville

2.64 21st pct 3.30 29th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns - South in Townsville +157.8 more in Cairns - South

750.7 49th pct 592.8 44th pct

PT routes in Cairns - South in Townsville +4 more in Cairns - South

20 38th pct 16 32nd pct

Stop walk in Cairns - South in Townsville

31 85th pct —

How people get to work

58.1% Car (driver) +12.5 pts ▸ 70.6%

10.5% Worked at home ◂ +5.4 pts 5.1%

5.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.2 pts 5.4%

3.0% Walked ◂ +0.8 pts 2.2%

1.4% Bicycle ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

1.1% Bus ◂ +0.3 pts 0.9%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

35.5% 2 vehicles +4.5 pts ▸ 39.9%

39.4% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.4 pts 35.0%

11.1% 3 vehicles +2.1 pts ▸ 13.2%

8.5% No vehicle ◂ +3.1 pts 5.4%

5.5% 4 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.9% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.3 pts 17.5%

7.1% Public administration & safety +5.4 pts ▸ 12.6%

10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.9 pts 7.4%

10.0% Retail trade ◂ +0.8 pts 9.2%

8.2% Education & training +1.2 pts ▸ 9.4%

8.5% Construction +0.1 pts ▸ 8.5%

5.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.3 pts 4.3%

4.9% Other services ◂ +1.0 pts 3.9%

4.4% Professional & technical +0.1 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.8% Manufacturing +0.7 pts ▸ 4.5%

3.8% Administrative & support ◂ +1.1 pts 2.7%

1.5% Mining +1.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

Occupations people work in

18.6% Professionals +1.1 pts ▸ 19.7%

15.4% Community & personal service +0.7 pts ▸ 16.1%

15.3% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.8 pts 14.6%

12.1% Clerical & administrative +0.3 pts ▸ 12.3%

10.8% Labourers ◂ +1.5 pts 9.3%

10.1% Managers +0.1 pts ▸ 10.1%

9.6% Sales workers ◂ +1.1 pts 8.6%

6.2% Machinery operators & drivers +1.3 pts ▸ 7.5%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Cairns - South in Townsville +94,074 higher in Townsville

112,192 75th pct 206,266 90th pct

Growth in Cairns - South in Townsville +0.6 pts higher in Townsville

4.9% 42nd pct 5.5% 49th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairns - South in Townsville +1,101 higher in Cairns - South

2,274 100th pct 1,173 74th pct

Max temp in Cairns - South in Townsville +0.8 higher in Townsville

29.8 91st pct 30.5 92nd pct

Min temp in Cairns - South in Townsville +0.2 higher in Cairns - South

20.4 99th pct 20.2 99th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns - South in Townsville +1.2 higher in Cairns - South

5.9 62nd pct 4.7 44th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns - South in Townsville +1.0 more in Cairns - South

5.6 61st pct 4.6 44th pct

15-min city in Cairns - South in Townsville +14.0 pts higher in Cairns - South

68.3% 61st pct 54.3% 46th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns - South in Townsville +20.5 pts higher in Cairns - South

71.0% 63rd pct 50.5% 40th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns - South in Townsville +11.6 pts higher in Cairns - South

85.7% 54th pct 74.2% 44th pct

Walk to school in Cairns - South in Townsville +17.3 pts higher in Cairns - South

73.8% 60th pct 56.5% 38th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns - South in Townsville +7.6 pts higher in Cairns - South

94.1% 56th pct 86.5% 45th pct

Walk to health in Cairns - South in Townsville +8.7 pts higher in Cairns - South

50.1% 59th pct 41.4% 48th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns - South in Townsville +3.0 more in Cairns - South

12.8 30th pct 9.8 8th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns - South in Townsville +12 higher in Cairns - South

18 44th pct 6 34th pct

Mean slope in Cairns - South in Townsville +1.1 pts higher in Cairns - South

5.1% 42nd pct 4.0% 22nd 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 Townsville with nearby areas

Charters Towers - Ayr - Ingham Innisfail - Cassowary Coast Whitsunday Tablelands (East) - Kuranda Bowen Basin - North Mackay Cairns - South Cairns - North

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns - South vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/30602/cairns-south/vs/31802/townsville