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Far North vs Outback - North

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 499 km apart · Far North profile · Outback - North profile

Far North Outback - North

Far North and Outback - North are both sparsely populated areas in Queensland, but they differ sharply in their cultural and economic profiles. Far North has a much larger First Nations population at 51.3% and a far higher share of people who speak a First Nations language (60.3%). In contrast, Outback - North sees far higher typical weekly personal incomes ($1,005 compared to $598) and a much higher share of adults working or looking for work (63.7% versus 50.5%).

These gaps in income and employment have widened since 2011, though the differences in First Nations population and language use have narrowed. Despite these trends, the two areas are very similar in other ways, such as having a nearly identical share of people aged 65 and over and similar average temperatures. Both areas also share a lack of public transport, with no recorded stops or departures per 1,000 people.

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Where they differ most

Other language: 26.5 pts higher in Far North First Nations: 24.3 pts higher in Far North Personal income: $407 higher in Outback - North Family income: $902 higher in Outback - North Limited English: 4.5 pts higher in Far North

Demographics & Identity

Population in Far Northin Outback - North +1,830 larger in Far North gap narrowing
32,207 24th pct 30,377 22nd pct
Median age in Far Northin Outback - North +1 yrs older in Far North gap widening
33 yrs 7th pct 32 yrs 4th pct
First Nations in Far Northin Outback - North +24.3 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
51.3% 100th pct 27.0% 95th pct
Aged 65+ in Far Northin Outback - North +0.8 pts higher in Far North gap steady
10.2% 10th pct 9.4% 8th pct
Under 15 in Far Northin Outback - North +1.1 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
23.7% 95th pct 22.6% 91st pct
De facto in Far Northin Outback - North +4.8 pts higher in Far North gap steady
24.8% 100th pct 20.1% 100th pct

Age structure

28.4% Young adults (25–44) +2.4 pts ▸ 30.8%
24.3% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.9 pts 23.3%
23.7% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.1 pts 22.6%
13.4% Youth (15–24) +0.4 pts ▸ 13.8%
10.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +0.8 pts 9.4%

Marital status

57.8% Never married ◂ +7.7 pts 50.1%
29.2% Married +6.6 pts ▸ 35.8%
6.5% Divorced +0.9 pts ▸ 7.4%
3.6% Widowed even 3.6%
3.1% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%

Age & sex structure

Far North Outback - North

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Far Northin Outback - North +4.5 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
7.9% 6th pct 12.3% 25th pct

Country of birth

81.3% Australia ◂ +4.8 pts 76.5%
1.4% New Zealand +1.7 pts ▸ 3.1%
0.4% Philippines +1.4 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.2% England ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%
0.4% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.2% India +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.1%
0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Ancestry

18.3% Australian +13.6 pts ▸ 31.9%
16.9% English +10.2 pts ▸ 27.0%
5.1% Irish +3.3 pts ▸ 8.4%
4.5% Scottish +2.5 pts ▸ 6.9%
2.5% German +1.5 pts ▸ 4.0%
0.7% Filipino +1.9 pts ▸ 2.6%
2.5% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 2.1%
0.7% Chinese +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.7% Dutch +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.3% Indian +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Language

Other language in Far Northin Outback - North +26.5 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
34.9% 84th pct 8.3% 41st pct
Limited English in Far Northin Outback - North +4.5 pts higher in Far North gap steady
5.0% 85th pct 0.5% 21st pct

Language used at home

49.9% English only +30.6 pts ▸ 80.5%
0.1% Tagalog +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.5% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.1% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.0% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Far Northin Outback - North +10.8 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
28.2% 13th pct 39.0% 38th pct

Religious affiliation

53.1% Christianity ◂ +7.7 pts 45.4%
28.2% No religion +10.8 pts ▸ 39.0%
17.5% Not stated ◂ +4.7 pts 12.8%
0.4% Other religions +1.0 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.2% Hinduism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.4% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Far Northin Outback - North +4.4 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
39.5% 18th pct 43.9% 31st pct
Bachelor+ in Far Northin Outback - North +3.5 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
8.8% 1st pct 12.3% 20th pct
Schools in Far Northin Outback - North +1 more in Far North
30 56th pct 29 54th pct
Schools/1k kids in Far Northin Outback - North +0.30 more in Outback - North
3.93 79th pct 4.22 83rd pct
Students in Far Northin Outback - North +148 more in Outback - North
5,157 20th pct 5,305 21st pct
Avg size in Far Northin Outback - North +11 larger in Outback - North
172 13th pct 183 14th pct
ICSEA in Far Northin Outback - North +73 higher in Outback - North
783 0th pct 855 5th pct

Highest year of school

39.5% Year 12 +4.4 pts ▸ 43.9%
25.0% Year 10 ◂ +1.3 pts 23.7%
12.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.5 pts 11.5%
9.4% Year 11 ◂ +1.9 pts 7.4%

Highest qualification level

36.0% Certificate III / IV +1.4 pts ▸ 37.4%
11.8% Bachelor degree +4.2 pts ▸ 15.9%
10.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.7 pts 9.7%
5.2% Certificate I / II ◂ +2.6 pts 2.6%
2.2% Postgraduate degree +1.4 pts ▸ 3.7%
2.1% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 2.3%

Field of qualification

14.5% Engineering & related +7.5 pts ▸ 22.0%
10.7% Management & commerce +0.1 pts ▸ 10.8%
8.2% Health +0.6 pts ▸ 8.8%
8.7% Education ◂ +1.0 pts 7.7%
8.1% Society & culture ◂ +0.3 pts 7.8%
6.5% Architecture & building ◂ +2.1 pts 4.4%
4.1% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.3 pts ▸ 4.4%
3.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.5 pts 3.0%
1.5% Creative arts ◂ +0.5 pts 1.0%
1.2% Natural & physical sciences +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.4% Information technology +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Far Northin Outback - North +$407 higher in Outback - North gap widening
$598 8th pct $1,005 81st pct
Household income in Far Northin Outback - North +$641 higher in Outback - North gap steady
$1,365 22nd pct $2,006 72nd pct
Family income in Far Northin Outback - North +$902 higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
$1,426 6th pct $2,328 72nd pct
High earners in Far Northin Outback - North +8.8 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
7.9% 33rd pct 16.7% 77th pct
High-income homes in Far Northin Outback - North +10.0 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
14.7% 27th pct 24.6% 67th pct

Household income distribution

24.5% $1,500–$2,999 +5.9 pts ▸ 30.4%
27.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.0 pts 20.2%
19.5% Under $650 ◂ +6.4 pts 13.2%
7.6% $3,000–$3,999 +5.1 pts ▸ 12.6%
7.1% $4,000 or more +4.9 pts ▸ 12.0%

Personal income distribution

42.5% Under $650 ◂ +11.5 pts 31.0%
22.5% $650–$1,499 +3.7 pts ▸ 26.2%
12.9% $1,500–$2,999 +11.3 pts ▸ 24.2%
2.4% $3,000 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 4.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Far Northin Outback - North +3.5 pts higher in Outback - North
17.0% 4th pct 20.5% 12th pct
Mental health in Far Northin Outback - North +1.6 pts higher in Outback - North
3.3% 1st pct 4.9% 8th pct
Needs assistance in Far Northin Outback - North +0.2 pts higher in Far North gap steady
3.4% 10th pct 3.1% 8th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

3.9% Asthma +2.8 pts ▸ 6.7%
5.4% Diabetes ◂ +0.5 pts 5.0%
4.2% Other condition +0.8 pts ▸ 5.0%
3.3% Mental health +1.6 pts ▸ 4.9%
3.7% Arthritis +0.7 pts ▸ 4.5%
3.0% Heart disease +0.3 pts ▸ 3.3%
1.3% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.0% Lung condition +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.5% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.9% None +0.8 pts ▸ 65.6%
12.6% One condition +2.0 pts ▸ 14.6%
3.0% Two conditions +1.0 pts ▸ 4.0%
1.4% Three or more +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Far Northin Outback - North +1.5 pts higher in Outback - North gap steady
13.1% 31st pct 14.6% 45th pct
Unpaid carers in Far Northin Outback - North +1.6 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
8.9% 11th pct 7.3% 5th pct
Unpaid child care in Far Northin Outback - North +0.1 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
27.2% 60th pct 27.1% 60th pct
Defence service in Far Northin Outback - North +1.1 pts higher in Far North
3.8% 74th pct 2.7% 42nd pct
Housework 15h+ in Far Northin Outback - North +1.4 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
17.3% 15th pct 15.9% 12th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Far Northin Outback - North +8,324 larger in Far North
16,534 100th pct 8,210 90th pct
Median age in Far Northin Outback - North +1 yrs older in Far North
26 yrs 64th pct 25 yrs 57th pct
Year 12 in Far Northin Outback - North +9.3 pts higher in Far North
37.2% 39th pct 27.9% 14th pct
Unemployment in Far Northin Outback - North +1.5 pts higher in Far North
17.4% 87th pct 16.0% 86th pct
Median income in Far Northin Outback - North +$6 higher in Outback - North
$429 8th pct $435 9th pct
Household income in Far Northin Outback - North +$164 higher in Outback - North
$1,153 9th pct $1,317 22nd pct
Indigenous language in Far Northin Outback - North +52.7 pts higher in Far North
60.3% 100th pct 7.6% 71st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Far Northin Outback - North +0.3 larger in Far North gap steady
2.9 89th pct 2.6 71st pct
One-parent in Far Northin Outback - North +4.5 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
24.0% 100th pct 19.5% 91st pct
Living alone in Far Northin Outback - North +3.0 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
25.8% 44th pct 28.8% 67th pct

Family composition

54.1% Couples with children +1.9 pts ▸ 56.0%
24.0% One-parent families ◂ +4.5 pts 19.5%
19.6% Couples without children +3.3 pts ▸ 22.9%
2.3% Other families ◂ +0.6 pts 1.6%

Household size

28.2% 2 people +2.5 pts ▸ 30.6%
25.8% 1 person +3.0 pts ▸ 28.8%
14.2% 3 people ◂ +0.4 pts 13.8%
13.1% 4 people +0.2 pts ▸ 13.4%
10.3% 6 or more ◂ +4.4 pts 6.0%
8.4% 5 people ◂ +1.1 pts 7.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Far Northin Outback - North +$80 higher in Outback - North gap steady
$140 0th pct $220 10th pct
Mortgage in Far Northin Outback - North +$17 higher in Far North gap narrowing
$1,517 29th pct $1,500 27th pct
People / bedroom in Far Northin Outback - North +0.10 higher in Far North gap steady
1.00 93rd pct 0.90 86th pct
Renting in Far Northin Outback - North +10.4 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
56.3% 95th pct 45.8% 89th pct
Owned outright in Far Northin Outback - North +1.0 pts higher in Far North gap steady
20.6% 13th pct 19.6% 12th pct
Separate houses in Far Northin Outback - North +5.3 pts higher in Far North gap widening
80.9% 46th pct 75.6% 35th pct
3+ bedrooms in Far Northin Outback - North +7.0 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
62.6% 15th pct 69.6% 26th pct

How homes are owned or rented

56.3% Rented ◂ +10.4 pts 45.8%
12.7% Owned with a mortgage +11.6 pts ▸ 24.3%
20.6% Owned outright ◂ +1.0 pts 19.6%
6.3% Other tenure ◂ +0.3 pts 6.0%
4.1% Not stated +0.1 pts ▸ 4.3%

Types of homes

80.9% Separate house ◂ +5.3 pts 75.6%
10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +2.3 pts ▸ 12.9%
2.5% Flat or apartment +2.2 pts ▸ 4.6%
4.2% Other dwelling +0.5 pts ▸ 4.6%

Bedrooms per home

36.7% 3 bedrooms +8.9 pts ▸ 45.6%
22.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +4.9 pts 17.8%
19.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +0.4 pts 18.8%
8.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.1 pts 7.5%
6.7% 5 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 5.2%
2.2% Studio / none ◂ +1.3 pts 1.0%

Weekly rent distribution

65.6% Under $200 ◂ +25.9 pts 39.7%
13.7% $200–$349 +14.1 pts ▸ 27.8%
5.8% $350–$549 +15.2 pts ▸ 21.0%
4.9% $550–$749 ◂ +1.7 pts 3.2%
2.0% $750 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

28.4% $1,000–$1,799 +9.6 pts ▸ 38.0%
26.8% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +2.4 pts 24.4%
25.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +2.5 pts 23.0%
10.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.4 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Far Northin Outback - North +10.5 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
20.3% 99th pct 9.8% 85th pct
Work from home in Far Northin Outback - North +1.6 pts higher in Far North gap narrowing
7.6% 16th pct 6.1% 10th pct
PT commute in Far Northin Outback - North +0.9 pts higher in Far North gap steady
2.1% 52nd pct 1.1% 37th pct
PT stops in Far Northin Outback - North even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Far Northin Outback - North even
0.00 0th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Far Northin Outback - North even
0.0 0th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Far Northin Outback - North even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

46.6% Car (driver) +14.0 pts ▸ 60.6%
17.6% Walked ◂ +8.5 pts 9.1%
7.8% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.7 pts 7.1%
7.6% Worked at home ◂ +1.6 pts 6.1%
1.4% Bus ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%
1.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

27.8% 2 vehicles +7.7 pts ▸ 35.5%
34.5% 1 vehicle +0.4 pts ▸ 34.9%
20.3% No vehicle ◂ +10.5 pts 9.8%
10.7% 3 vehicles +1.5 pts ▸ 12.1%
6.9% 4 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 7.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Far Northin Outback - North +11.1 pts higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
28.6% 6th pct 39.7% 56th pct
Recent arrivals in Far Northin Outback - North +5.2 pts higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
13.3% 54th pct 18.5% 77th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Far Northin Outback - North +4.7 pts higher in Far North gap widening
9.1% 89th pct 4.4% 38th pct
Participation in Far Northin Outback - North +13.2 pts higher in Outback - North gap widening
50.5% 13th pct 63.7% 68th pct
Full-time in Far Northin Outback - North +9.3 pts higher in Outback - North gap narrowing
63.5% 84th pct 72.8% 100th pct

Industries people work in

9.8% Mining +13.5 pts ▸ 23.3%
14.7% Public administration & safety ◂ +6.0 pts 8.7%
13.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.0 pts 10.5%
11.3% Education & training ◂ +3.1 pts 8.2%
10.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +1.8 pts 8.6%
6.6% Retail trade +0.3 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.1% Construction ◂ +1.0 pts 5.1%
6.0% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.5 pts 5.5%
3.3% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 4.1%
2.4% Other services +1.3 pts ▸ 3.7%
3.0% Administrative & support ◂ +0.4 pts 2.6%
2.5% Manufacturing +0.2 pts ▸ 2.6%

Occupations people work in

13.4% Technicians & trades +5.0 pts ▸ 18.4%
16.3% Professionals ◂ +0.9 pts 15.4%
15.0% Managers ◂ +3.7 pts 11.3%
9.7% Machinery operators & drivers +4.5 pts ▸ 14.2%
13.3% Community & personal service ◂ +3.5 pts 9.8%
12.9% Labourers ◂ +0.5 pts 12.4%
10.7% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.2 pts 10.5%
5.3% Sales workers +0.4 pts ▸ 5.7%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Far Northin Outback - North +2,980 higher in Far North
33,934 19th pct 30,954 17th pct
Growth in Far Northin Outback - North +3.2 pts higher in Far North
2.7% 20th pct -0.6% 2nd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Far Northin Outback - North +521 higher in Far North
1,069 66th pct 548 17th pct
Max temp in Far Northin Outback - North +1.2 higher in Outback - North
33.6 99th pct 34.8 100th pct
Min temp in Far Northin Outback - North +0.4 higher in Far North
19.6 97th pct 19.2 96th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Far Northin Outback - North +1.0 higher in Outback - North
1.8 5th pct 2.8 14th pct
Types ≤15 min in Far Northin Outback - North +1.0 more in Outback - North
2.3 8th pct 3.3 17th pct
15-min city in Far Northin Outback - North +11.2 pts higher in Outback - North
23.4% 8th pct 34.6% 15th pct
Walk to shops in Far Northin Outback - North +8.4 pts higher in Outback - North
31.3% 12th pct 39.6% 22nd pct
Walk to transit in Far Northin Outback - North even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Far Northin Outback - North +26.2 pts higher in Outback - North
39.6% 17th pct 65.8% 50th pct
Walk to a park in Far Northin Outback - North +30.9 pts higher in Outback - North
40.7% 4th pct 71.7% 29th pct
Walk to health in Far Northin Outback - North +12.9 pts higher in Outback - North
22.8% 14th pct 35.7% 37th pct
Amenities/1k in Far Northin Outback - North +2.9 more in Far North
17.4 63rd pct 14.5 44th pct
Intersections/km² in Far Northin Outback - North even
0 0th pct 0 0th pct
Mean slope in Far Northin Outback - North +2.6 pts higher in Far North
5.9% 57th pct 3.2% 9th pct

Compare Far North with nearby areas

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

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). Far North vs Outback - North [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/31501/far-north/vs/31502/outback-north