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Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains vs Cairns

Name: Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains vs Cairns — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,831 km apart · Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains profile · Cairns profile

Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Cairns

Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains and Cairns are distinct regional hubs with very different social and urban profiles. Cairns has a much stronger First Nations presence, with 22.9% of people speaking a First Nations language compared to 3.8% in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains. The two areas also differ in how people work and live; 28.3% of residents in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains work from home, which is far higher than the 11.1% in Cairns. Additionally, Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains has more larger homes, with 82.5% of dwellings having three or more bedrooms compared to 70.8% in Cairns.

Everyday life shares several similarities across both places, such as having roughly the same share of people born overseas and almost identical rates of full-time employment. While both are growing, the gap in typical household income has widened since 2011, with Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains now well higher at $1,854 per week compared to $1,445 in Cairns. This income gap is consistent with the higher share of people in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains who hold a bachelor degree or higher.

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Where they differ most

Work from home: 17.2 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Household size: 0.3 larger in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains De facto: 3.3 pts higher in Cairns 3+ bedrooms: 11.7 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Mortgage: $650 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

Demographics & Identity

Population in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +78,308 larger in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

332,056 74th pct 253,748 59th pct

Median age in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +4 yrs older in Cairns gap widening

37 yrs 29th pct 41 yrs 57th pct

Age structure

27.6% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.5 pts 25.1%

24.4% Older adults (45–64) +3.0 pts ▸ 27.4%

20.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.6 pts 18.5%

15.6% Seniors (65+) +2.5 pts ▸ 18.0%

12.3% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.4 pts 11.0%

Marital status

46.0% Married ◂ +4.8 pts 41.1%

36.6% Never married +2.9 pts ▸ 39.5%

9.2% Divorced +1.5 pts ▸ 10.7%

4.6% Widowed +0.3 pts ▸ 4.9%

3.6% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Cairns

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

74.3% Australia ◂ +3.6 pts 70.7%

3.3% England +0.3 pts ▸ 3.6%

1.8% New Zealand +0.8 pts ▸ 2.6%

2.3% India ◂ +1.2 pts 1.1%

1.7% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 1.1%

0.3% Italy +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.6% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

0.4% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%

Ancestry

35.3% Australian ◂ +4.6 pts 30.8%

34.5% English ◂ +0.4 pts 34.1%

10.3% Irish +0.3 pts ▸ 10.5%

8.6% Scottish +0.7 pts ▸ 9.3%

3.5% Italian +2.6 pts ▸ 6.1%

3.4% German +1.8 pts ▸ 5.3%

2.9% Indian ◂ +1.8 pts 1.1%

2.6% Filipino ◂ +1.1 pts 1.6%

1.8% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 1.7%

1.7% Dutch ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%

1.1% Greek ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

79.4% English only ◂ +1.8 pts 77.6%

1.3% Arabic ◂ +1.2 pts 0.1%

1.0% Punjabi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%

0.9% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

0.4% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.8% Hindi ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.6% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.4% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.3% Cantonese even 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

52.1% Christianity ◂ +7.7 pts 44.3%

34.1% No religion +6.6 pts ▸ 40.7%

6.8% Not stated +4.4 pts ▸ 11.1%

2.4% Hinduism ◂ +1.7 pts 0.7%

2.1% Islam ◂ +1.7 pts 0.4%

1.1% Buddhism +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.3% Other religions even 1.3%

0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +20 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

129 71st pct 109 52nd pct

Schools/1k kids in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +0.39 more in Cairns

1.93 44th pct 2.32 55th pct

Students in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +5,874 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

54,870 68th pct 48,996 60th pct

Avg size in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +21 larger in Cairns

429 48th pct 450 51st pct

ICSEA in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +45 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

1,012 49th pct 967 18th pct

Highest year of school

52.3% Year 12 ◂ +1.9 pts 50.4%

26.0% Year 10 ◂ +4.2 pts 21.9%

9.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.3 pts 9.0%

5.9% Year 11 +2.0 pts ▸ 7.9%

Highest qualification level

31.7% Certificate III / IV +1.2 pts ▸ 32.9%

22.0% Bachelor degree ◂ +2.9 pts 19.1%

15.6% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.9 pts 14.7%

8.5% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.6 pts 4.9%

3.2% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.1 pts 3.1%

2.2% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

Field of qualification

18.8% Management & commerce ◂ +4.4 pts 14.4%

14.2% Engineering & related +0.7 pts ▸ 14.9%

12.6% Society & culture ◂ +1.6 pts 11.0%

9.4% Health +1.3 pts ▸ 10.7%

9.1% Education ◂ +1.0 pts 8.0%

5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.4 pts ▸ 6.4%

6.0% Architecture & building ◂ +0.3 pts 5.7%

4.1% Creative arts ◂ +1.8 pts 2.3%

2.9% Information technology ◂ +1.7 pts 1.2%

2.5% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.3 pts 2.2%

1.9% Agriculture & environment +0.6 pts ▸ 2.4%

Income

Personal income in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$105 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

$853 67th pct $748 38th pct

Household income in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$409 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

$1,854 68th pct $1,445 30th pct

Family income in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$388 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

$2,194 68th pct $1,806 29th pct

Household income distribution

32.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.4 pts 29.1%

25.0% $650–$1,499 +4.8 pts ▸ 29.8%

13.8% Under $650 +3.6 pts ▸ 17.5%

11.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.7 pts 8.2%

11.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +4.6 pts 6.6%

Personal income distribution

37.3% Under $650 +2.0 pts ▸ 39.3%

33.3% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.7 pts 32.6%

19.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.9 pts 14.5%

3.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.5%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.7% Mental health ◂ +2.0 pts 7.7%

9.2% Asthma ◂ +2.7 pts 6.4%

8.7% Arthritis ◂ +0.7 pts 8.0%

8.7% Other condition ◂ +1.2 pts 7.5%

5.3% Diabetes ◂ +0.9 pts 4.4%

4.0% Heart disease even 4.0%

2.7% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.8% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.9% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.2% None +0.3 pts ▸ 62.5%

20.1% One condition ◂ +2.6 pts 17.5%

6.2% Two conditions ◂ +0.7 pts 5.5%

3.2% Three or more ◂ +0.4 pts 2.8%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +11,673 larger in Cairns

15,262 85th pct 26,935 91st pct

Median age in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +2 yrs older in Cairns

22 yrs 14th pct 24 yrs 43rd pct

Median income in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$208 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

$716 79th pct $508 23rd pct

Household income in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$539 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

$1,886 82nd pct $1,347 23rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +0.3 larger in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

2.7 86th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

60.0% Couples with children ◂ +9.4 pts 50.6%

23.0% Couples without children +7.1 pts ▸ 30.1%

16.1% One-parent families +2.0 pts ▸ 18.0%

1.0% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

31.5% 2 people +4.9 pts ▸ 36.4%

23.5% 1 person +4.1 pts ▸ 27.5%

16.9% 3 people ◂ +2.3 pts 14.7%

16.5% 4 people ◂ +3.8 pts 12.7%

7.5% 5 people ◂ +2.2 pts 5.3%

4.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 3.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$90 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

$400 71st pct $310 35th pct

Mortgage in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +$650 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains gap widening

$2,167 82nd pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +6.7 pts 32.4%

29.2% Rented +3.5 pts ▸ 32.8%

29.1% Owned outright +1.9 pts ▸ 31.1%

1.2% Not stated +0.9 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.4% Other tenure +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

Types of homes

82.1% Separate house ◂ +4.6 pts 77.5%

6.9% Flat or apartment +5.2 pts ▸ 12.1%

10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +2.2 pts 8.4%

0.2% Other dwelling +1.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

41.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +3.3 pts 38.2%

31.3% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.4 pts 26.9%

13.1% 2 bedrooms +7.4 pts ▸ 20.6%

9.6% 5 or more ◂ +3.9 pts 5.7%

2.9% 1 bedroom +2.8 pts ▸ 5.6%

0.3% Studio / none +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%

Weekly rent distribution

57.0% $350–$549 ◂ +22.5 pts 34.6%

21.0% $200–$349 +21.1 pts ▸ 42.1%

8.5% Under $200 +6.7 pts ▸ 15.2%

9.1% $550–$749 ◂ +5.2 pts 3.8%

1.1% $750 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

22.7% $1,000–$1,799 +18.7 pts ▸ 41.4%

41.1% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +15.5 pts 25.6%

11.3% Under $1,000 +8.5 pts ▸ 19.9%

19.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +12.0 pts 7.3%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +1,858 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

2,320 84th pct 462 14th pct

Stops/1k in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +5.17 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

6.99 97th pct 1.82 9th pct

Departures/1k in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +743.0 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

1,189.8 61st pct 446.8 36th pct

PT routes in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +70 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

92 67th pct 22 14th pct

How people get to work

46.4% Car (driver) +12.5 pts ▸ 58.9%

28.3% Worked at home ◂ +17.2 pts 11.1%

3.1% Car (passenger) +2.3 pts ▸ 5.5%

1.3% Walked +1.9 pts ▸ 3.2%

0.3% Bus +1.0 pts ▸ 1.3%

1.3% Train ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Bicycle +0.9 pts ▸ 1.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.2% 2 vehicles +0.8 pts ▸ 38.0%

34.9% 1 vehicle +2.4 pts ▸ 37.3%

13.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.7 pts 12.4%

8.5% 4 or more ◂ +2.3 pts 6.2%

6.3% No vehicle ◂ +0.2 pts 6.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

13.8% Health care & social assistance +2.5 pts ▸ 16.2%

11.5% Construction ◂ +3.2 pts 8.3%

9.8% Education & training ◂ +1.1 pts 8.7%

5.4% Accommodation & food +4.2 pts ▸ 9.6%

9.5% Retail trade even 9.5%

7.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.5 pts 7.0%

6.8% Manufacturing ◂ +2.7 pts 4.1%

6.3% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.1 pts 5.2%

0.9% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +4.6 pts ▸ 5.5%

5.2% Professional & technical ◂ +1.0 pts 4.3%

3.7% Other services +0.6 pts ▸ 4.3%

2.9% Administrative & support +0.7 pts ▸ 3.6%

Occupations people work in

19.9% Professionals ◂ +1.6 pts 18.3%

15.1% Clerical & administrative ◂ +3.7 pts 11.4%

14.0% Technicians & trades +0.7 pts ▸ 14.7%

11.3% Community & personal service +3.0 pts ▸ 14.3%

8.7% Labourers +3.4 pts ▸ 12.1%

11.9% Managers +0.1 pts ▸ 12.0%

9.3% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.2 pts 6.2%

7.9% Sales workers +1.2 pts ▸ 9.1%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +79,241 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

350,649 67th pct 271,408 48th pct

Growth in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +0.6 pts higher in Cairns

4.9% 38th pct 5.6% 45th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +113 higher in Cairns

1,429 88th pct 1,542 93rd pct

Max temp in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +5.3 higher in Cairns

21.4 24th pct 26.8 78th pct

Min temp in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +8.0 higher in Cairns

8.5 13th pct 16.5 91st pct

Walkability

Walk score in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +1.9 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

6.0 70th pct 4.1 28th pct

Types ≤15 min in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +1.8 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

5.8 70th pct 4.0 25th pct

15-min city in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +23.1 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

70.8% 67th pct 47.7% 28th pct

Walk to shops in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +14.5 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

64.2% 61st pct 49.6% 35th pct

Walk to transit in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +41.6 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

90.3% 69th pct 48.7% 21st pct

Walk to school in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +28.9 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

77.6% 68th pct 48.7% 17th pct

Walk to a park in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +14.4 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

92.1% 58th pct 77.8% 35th pct

Walk to health in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +18.1 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

52.5% 68th pct 34.4% 23rd pct

Amenities/1k in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +6.3 more in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

19.4 76th pct 13.1 25th pct

Intersections/km² in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +9 higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

11 47th pct 1 29th pct

Mean slope in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains in Cairns +0.3 pts higher in Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains

6.2% 66th pct 5.9% 57th pct

Compare Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains with nearby areas

Sydney - Outer South West Sydney - South West Sydney - Blacktown Sydney - Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury Sydney - Parramatta Illawarra Sydney - Sutherland Sydney - Inner South West Sydney - Ryde Sydney - Inner West Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby Sydney - City and Inner South

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). Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains vs Cairns [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/124/sydney-outer-west-and-blue-mountains/vs/306/cairns