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Central West vs Cairns

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,737 km apart · Central West profile · Cairns profile

Central West Cairns

Cairns and Central West are large regional areas located over 1,700km apart in Queensland and New South Wales. Cairns is far more diverse, with 20.0% of people born overseas compared to 8.4% in Central West. There is also a strong First Nations presence in Cairns, where 22.9% of people speak a First Nations language and 43.3% of First Nations residents have completed Year 12, figures far higher than the 3.2% and 29.2% seen in Central West. The environment and housing also differ; Cairns is much warmer and wetter, while Central West has a far higher share of separate houses at 89.2%.

These two areas are becoming more different in their language use, as the gap in people using a language other than English has widened since 2011. However, they share many similarities, including a typical resident age of 41 and almost identical typical weekly household incomes of around $1,440. They both have very similar proportions of children under 15 and the same average number of people per home.

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Where they differ most

Unemployment: 1.7 pts higher in Cairns Born overseas: 11.5 pts higher in Cairns Separate houses: 11.7 pts higher in Central West Other language: 8.4 pts higher in Cairns Limited English: 1.0 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Central West in Cairns +40,786 larger in Cairns gap widening

212,962 49th pct 253,748 59th pct

Median age in Central West in Cairns even gap narrowing

41 yrs 57th pct 41 yrs 57th pct

Age structure

25.4% Older adults (45–64) +2.0 pts ▸ 27.4%

23.0% Young adults (25–44) +2.1 pts ▸ 25.1%

21.0% Seniors (65+) ◂ +2.9 pts 18.0%

19.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.9 pts 18.5%

11.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.2 pts 11.0%

Marital status

45.9% Married ◂ +4.7 pts 41.1%

34.4% Never married +5.1 pts ▸ 39.5%

9.6% Divorced +1.1 pts ▸ 10.7%

6.4% Widowed ◂ +1.5 pts 4.9%

3.7% Separated even 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Central West Cairns

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

84.2% Australia ◂ +13.5 pts 70.7%

1.8% England +1.8 pts ▸ 3.6%

0.9% New Zealand +1.7 pts ▸ 2.6%

0.5% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.6% India +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.1% Italy +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% China +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Nepal even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

42.9% Australian ◂ +12.1 pts 30.8%

41.1% English ◂ +7.0 pts 34.1%

12.6% Irish ◂ +2.1 pts 10.5%

10.1% Scottish ◂ +0.9 pts 9.3%

1.7% Italian +4.3 pts ▸ 6.1%

3.7% German +1.6 pts ▸ 5.3%

0.8% Chinese +0.9 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.7% Filipino +0.9 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.2% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.7% Indian +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.4% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

88.1% English only ◂ +10.5 pts 77.6%

0.2% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Punjabi +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Hindi even 0.1%

0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

58.1% Christianity ◂ +13.8 pts 44.3%

31.0% No religion +9.7 pts ▸ 40.7%

8.7% Not stated +2.4 pts ▸ 11.1%

0.6% Buddhism +0.8 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.5% Other religions +0.8 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.6% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.4% Islam even 0.4%

0.0% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Central West in Cairns +42 more in Central West

151 86th pct 109 52nd pct

Schools/1k kids in Central West in Cairns +1.33 more in Central West

3.65 78th pct 2.32 55th pct

Students in Central West in Cairns +14,448 more in Cairns

34,548 41st pct 48,996 60th pct

Avg size in Central West in Cairns +219 larger in Cairns

230 19th pct 450 51st pct

ICSEA in Central West in Cairns even

966 17th pct 967 18th pct

Highest year of school

41.7% Year 12 +8.7 pts ▸ 50.4%

30.3% Year 10 ◂ +8.4 pts 21.9%

12.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +3.5 pts 9.0%

6.4% Year 11 +1.5 pts ▸ 7.9%

Highest qualification level

35.6% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.6 pts 32.9%

18.6% Bachelor degree +0.5 pts ▸ 19.1%

13.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.4 pts ▸ 14.7%

4.9% Postgraduate degree even 4.9%

2.8% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.1 pts 2.5%

Field of qualification

15.7% Engineering & related ◂ +0.7 pts 14.9%

15.3% Management & commerce ◂ +0.9 pts 14.4%

10.0% Society & culture +1.0 pts ▸ 11.0%

10.8% Health ◂ +0.2 pts 10.7%

9.1% Education ◂ +1.1 pts 8.0%

5.2% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.1 pts ▸ 6.4%

5.4% Architecture & building +0.3 pts ▸ 5.7%

4.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +2.0 pts 2.4%

2.3% Creative arts even 2.3%

1.7% Natural & physical sciences +0.5 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.3% Information technology ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Central West in Cairns +$10 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$738 33rd pct $748 38th pct

Household income in Central West in Cairns +$11 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,434 29th pct $1,445 30th pct

Family income in Central West in Cairns +$92 higher in Central West gap widening

$1,898 41st pct $1,806 29th pct

Household income distribution

28.7% $650–$1,499 +1.1 pts ▸ 29.8%

27.9% $1,500–$2,999 +1.2 pts ▸ 29.1%

19.2% Under $650 ◂ +1.7 pts 17.5%

8.4% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 8.2%

7.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.3 pts 6.6%

Personal income distribution

40.9% Under $650 ◂ +1.6 pts 39.3%

30.8% $650–$1,499 +1.8 pts ▸ 32.6%

15.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 14.5%

3.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.5%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.1% Arthritis ◂ +3.1 pts 8.0%

10.3% Mental health ◂ +2.6 pts 7.7%

10.1% Asthma ◂ +3.6 pts 6.4%

7.9% Other condition ◂ +0.4 pts 7.5%

5.4% Diabetes ◂ +1.0 pts 4.4%

4.6% Heart disease ◂ +0.6 pts 4.0%

3.3% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 3.0%

2.5% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 1.9%

1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%

0.9% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.1% None +5.4 pts ▸ 62.5%

21.1% One condition ◂ +3.6 pts 17.5%

7.5% Two conditions ◂ +2.0 pts 5.5%

4.1% Three or more ◂ +1.3 pts 2.8%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Central West in Cairns +9,781 larger in Cairns

17,154 87th pct 26,935 91st pct

Median age in Central West in Cairns +2 yrs older in Cairns

22 yrs 14th pct 24 yrs 43rd pct

Median income in Central West in Cairns +$75 higher in Central West

$583 47th pct $508 23rd pct

Household income in Central West in Cairns +$83 higher in Central West

$1,430 37th pct $1,347 23rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Central West in Cairns even gap narrowing

2.4 29th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

53.3% Couples with children ◂ +2.7 pts 50.6%

29.8% Couples without children +0.4 pts ▸ 30.1%

15.9% One-parent families +2.2 pts ▸ 18.0%

1.0% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

35.3% 2 people +1.1 pts ▸ 36.4%

29.4% 1 person ◂ +1.9 pts 27.5%

13.5% 3 people +1.1 pts ▸ 14.7%

12.3% 4 people +0.4 pts ▸ 12.7%

6.4% 5 people ◂ +1.1 pts 5.3%

3.0% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 3.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Central West in Cairns +$20 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$290 28th pct $310 35th pct

Mortgage in Central West in Cairns even gap narrowing

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

People / bedroom in Central West in Cairns +0.10 higher in Cairns gap widening

0.70 0th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

37.8% Owned outright ◂ +6.7 pts 31.1%

26.6% Rented +6.2 pts ▸ 32.8%

31.5% Owned with a mortgage +0.9 pts ▸ 32.4%

2.4% Other tenure ◂ +0.7 pts 1.7%

1.8% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 2.1%

Types of homes

89.2% Separate house ◂ +11.7 pts 77.5%

2.8% Flat or apartment +9.3 pts ▸ 12.1%

6.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.5 pts ▸ 8.4%

0.8% Other dwelling +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

40.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +2.3 pts 38.2%

31.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.1 pts 26.9%

14.8% 2 bedrooms +5.7 pts ▸ 20.6%

8.0% 5 or more ◂ +2.3 pts 5.7%

3.3% 1 bedroom +2.3 pts ▸ 5.6%

0.4% Studio / none +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%

Weekly rent distribution

44.6% $200–$349 ◂ +2.5 pts 42.1%

28.3% $350–$549 +6.3 pts ▸ 34.6%

20.4% Under $200 ◂ +5.2 pts 15.2%

1.7% $550–$749 +2.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

0.4% $750 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.6% $1,000–$1,799 +3.8 pts ▸ 41.4%

26.2% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +0.5 pts 25.6%

21.3% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.5 pts 19.9%

9.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 7.3%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Central West in Cairns +715 more in Central West

1,177 54th pct 462 14th pct

Stops/1k in Central West in Cairns +3.71 more in Central West

5.53 77th pct 1.82 9th pct

Departures/1k in Central West in Cairns +154.8 more in Cairns

292.0 27th pct 446.8 36th pct

PT routes in Central West in Cairns +105 more in Central West

127 86th pct 22 14th pct

How people get to work

65.1% Car (driver) ◂ +6.2 pts 58.9%

11.9% Worked at home ◂ +0.8 pts 11.1%

5.0% Car (passenger) +0.5 pts ▸ 5.5%

3.7% Walked ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

0.4% Bus +0.9 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.3% Bicycle +0.8 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.4% 2 vehicles +0.6 pts ▸ 38.0%

33.7% 1 vehicle +3.6 pts ▸ 37.3%

14.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.1 pts 12.4%

8.9% 4 or more ◂ +2.7 pts 6.2%

5.6% No vehicle +0.5 pts ▸ 6.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

14.9% Health care & social assistance +1.3 pts ▸ 16.2%

6.7% Accommodation & food +2.9 pts ▸ 9.6%

8.9% Retail trade +0.6 pts ▸ 9.5%

9.3% Education & training ◂ +0.6 pts 8.7%

8.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +3.1 pts 5.5%

7.8% Construction +0.5 pts ▸ 8.3%

7.3% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.4 pts 7.0%

6.0% Mining ◂ +4.0 pts 2.0%

5.7% Manufacturing ◂ +1.6 pts 4.1%

3.6% Transport & warehousing +1.5 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.9% Other services +0.4 pts ▸ 4.3%

3.6% Professional & technical +0.7 pts ▸ 4.3%

Occupations people work in

17.0% Professionals +1.3 pts ▸ 18.3%

15.1% Managers ◂ +3.1 pts 12.0%

14.6% Technicians & trades +0.1 pts ▸ 14.7%

12.5% Community & personal service +1.8 pts ▸ 14.3%

11.2% Labourers +0.9 pts ▸ 12.1%

11.3% Clerical & administrative +0.1 pts ▸ 11.4%

7.8% Sales workers +1.3 pts ▸ 9.1%

8.8% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.6 pts 6.2%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Central West in Cairns +54,429 higher in Cairns

216,979 36th pct 271,408 48th pct

Growth in Central West in Cairns +4.0 pts higher in Cairns

1.6% 8th pct 5.6% 45th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Central West in Cairns +872 higher in Cairns

669 33rd pct 1,542 93rd pct

Max temp in Central West in Cairns +2.4 higher in Cairns

24.3 57th pct 26.8 78th pct

Min temp in Central West in Cairns +7.6 higher in Cairns

8.9 15th pct 16.5 91st pct

Walkability

Walk score in Central West in Cairns +0.1 higher in Central West

4.2 30th pct 4.1 28th pct

Types ≤15 min in Central West in Cairns +0.2 more in Central West

4.2 30th pct 4.0 25th pct

15-min city in Central West in Cairns +1.0 pts higher in Central West

48.7% 30th pct 47.7% 28th pct

Walk to shops in Central West in Cairns +6.2 pts higher in Cairns

43.5% 20th pct 49.6% 35th pct

Walk to transit in Central West in Cairns +11.8 pts higher in Central West

60.4% 31st pct 48.7% 21st pct

Walk to school in Central West in Cairns +8.1 pts higher in Central West

56.8% 36th pct 48.7% 17th pct

Walk to a park in Central West in Cairns +7.8 pts higher in Cairns

70.0% 17th pct 77.8% 35th pct

Walk to health in Central West in Cairns +1.4 pts higher in Central West

35.8% 26th pct 34.4% 23rd pct

Amenities/1k in Central West in Cairns +6.4 more in Central West

19.5 77th pct 13.1 25th pct

Intersections/km² in Central West in Cairns even

1 17th pct 1 29th pct

Mean slope in Central West in Cairns +0.3 pts higher in Cairns

5.6% 50th pct 5.9% 57th pct

Compare Central West with nearby areas

Riverina Australian Capital Territory Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Sydney - Outer South West Sydney - Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury Sydney - Blacktown Sydney - South West Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven Illawarra Sydney - Parramatta Sydney - Sutherland Sydney - Ryde

Compare Cairns with nearby areas

Townsville Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Queensland - Outback Central Queensland Wide Bay Darling Downs - Maranoa Moreton Bay - North Sunshine Coast Toowoomba Moreton Bay - South Ipswich Brisbane - North

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Central West vs Cairns [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/103/central-west/vs/306/cairns