Compare

Cairns vs Sunshine Coast

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,231 km apart · Cairns profile · Sunshine Coast profile

Cairns Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast and Cairns are both major Queensland regions, but they differ sharply in their social and physical makeup. Cairns has a much stronger First Nations presence, with 10.6% of the population identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 22.9% speaking a First Nations language. This is far higher than the Sunshine Coast, where 2.3% identify as First Nations and 4.0% speak such a language. The Sunshine Coast is more accessible for pedestrians, with 68.5% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and street connectivity far higher than in Cairns.

Since 2011, the gap in the typical age of residents has narrowed, though the Sunshine Coast remains noticeably older at 44 compared to 41 in Cairns. Both areas are very similar in other ways, such as having almost identical typical weekly personal incomes of around $750 and similar average maximum temperatures. While the Sunshine Coast has a higher share of adults with a bachelor degree (21.7% versus 16.9%), both regions sit well below the national figure for this qualification.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 145,092 larger in Sunshine Coast One-parent: 4.4 pts higher in Cairns No car: 2.3 pts higher in Cairns Rent: $130 higher in Sunshine Coast First Nations: 8.3 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +145,092 larger in Sunshine Coast gap widening

253,748 59th pct 398,840 83rd pct

Median age in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +3 yrs older in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

41 yrs 57th pct 44 yrs 79th pct

Age structure

27.4% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.2 pts 27.2%

25.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.5 pts 22.6%

18.0% Seniors (65+) +4.5 pts ▸ 22.5%

18.5% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.5 pts 17.0%

11.0% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.4 pts 10.6%

Marital status

41.1% Married +7.7 pts ▸ 48.9%

39.5% Never married ◂ +8.3 pts 31.2%

10.7% Divorced +0.4 pts ▸ 11.1%

4.9% Widowed +0.6 pts ▸ 5.5%

3.8% Separated ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Sunshine Coast

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

70.7% Australia +3.1 pts ▸ 73.9%

3.6% England +2.5 pts ▸ 6.1%

2.6% New Zealand +1.6 pts ▸ 4.2%

0.4% South Africa +0.8 pts ▸ 1.2%

1.1% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

1.1% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

0.6% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.4% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.2% Nepal even 0.2%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

34.1% English +11.6 pts ▸ 45.7%

30.8% Australian +4.4 pts ▸ 35.1%

10.5% Irish +2.1 pts ▸ 12.6%

9.3% Scottish +3.2 pts ▸ 12.5%

5.3% German +1.3 pts ▸ 6.5%

6.1% Italian ◂ +3.4 pts 2.6%

1.5% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.7% Chinese ◂ +0.7 pts 1.0%

1.6% Filipino ◂ +0.9 pts 0.7%

1.1% Indian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.5% Greek even 0.5%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +11.1 pts ▸ 88.7%

0.8% Italian ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.5% Mandarin ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.4% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.3% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Hindi even 0.1%

0.1% Greek even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

40.7% No religion +6.3 pts ▸ 47.0%

44.3% Christianity ◂ +1.1 pts 43.2%

11.1% Not stated ◂ +3.8 pts 7.3%

1.4% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%

0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

0.4% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +12 more in Cairns

109 52nd pct 97 40th pct

Schools/1k kids in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.89 more in Cairns

2.32 55th pct 1.43 13th pct

Students in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +15,538 more in Sunshine Coast

48,996 60th pct 64,534 76th pct

Avg size in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +216 larger in Sunshine Coast

450 51st pct 665 89th pct

ICSEA in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +83 higher in Sunshine Coast

967 18th pct 1,050 72nd pct

Highest year of school

50.4% Year 12 +6.1 pts ▸ 56.5%

21.9% Year 10 +0.7 pts ▸ 22.5%

9.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +2.1 pts 6.8%

7.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.3 pts 7.6%

Highest qualification level

32.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +1.5 pts 31.5%

19.1% Bachelor degree +4.2 pts ▸ 23.3%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.3 pts ▸ 16.9%

4.9% Postgraduate degree +1.4 pts ▸ 6.3%

3.1% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.6 pts ▸ 3.7%

2.5% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%

Field of qualification

14.4% Management & commerce +2.6 pts ▸ 17.0%

14.9% Engineering & related ◂ +1.8 pts 13.2%

10.7% Health +1.9 pts ▸ 12.6%

11.0% Society & culture +0.5 pts ▸ 11.5%

8.0% Education +1.2 pts ▸ 9.3%

5.7% Architecture & building +1.7 pts ▸ 7.5%

6.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.3 pts 6.1%

2.3% Creative arts +1.3 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.2 pts 2.2%

2.2% Natural & physical sciences even 2.2%

1.2% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$2 higher in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

$748 38th pct $750 39th pct

Household income in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$129 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,445 30th pct $1,574 43rd pct

Family income in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$97 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,806 29th pct $1,903 42nd pct

Household income distribution

29.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.0 pts 28.8%

29.1% $1,500–$2,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 29.6%

17.5% Under $650 ◂ +1.8 pts 15.7%

6.6% $4,000 or more +2.7 pts ▸ 9.2%

8.2% $3,000–$3,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 9.0%

Personal income distribution

39.3% Under $650 +1.7 pts ▸ 41.1%

32.6% $650–$1,499 +0.3 pts ▸ 32.9%

14.5% $1,500–$2,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 15.3%

2.5% $3,000 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 3.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

8.0% Arthritis +2.5 pts ▸ 10.5%

7.7% Mental health +1.5 pts ▸ 9.2%

7.5% Other condition +1.1 pts ▸ 8.6%

6.4% Asthma +1.6 pts ▸ 8.0%

4.0% Heart disease +0.7 pts ▸ 4.7%

4.4% Diabetes ◂ +0.8 pts 3.6%

3.0% Cancer +0.8 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.9% Lung condition +0.3 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.0% Stroke +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.7% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.5% None ◂ +0.9 pts 61.6%

17.5% One condition +2.6 pts ▸ 20.1%

5.5% Two conditions +1.1 pts ▸ 6.5%

2.8% Three or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.4%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +17,668 larger in Cairns

26,935 91st pct 9,267 69th pct

Median age in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +1 yrs older in Cairns

24 yrs 43rd pct 23 yrs 29th pct

Median income in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$139 higher in Sunshine Coast

$508 23rd pct $647 66th pct

Household income in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$435 higher in Sunshine Coast

$1,347 23rd pct $1,782 71st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.1 larger in Sunshine Coast gap widening

2.4 29th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

50.6% Couples with children +1.9 pts ▸ 52.5%

30.1% Couples without children +2.9 pts ▸ 33.1%

18.0% One-parent families ◂ +4.4 pts 13.6%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%

Household size

36.4% 2 people +2.4 pts ▸ 38.9%

27.5% 1 person ◂ +3.9 pts 23.6%

14.7% 3 people +0.2 pts ▸ 14.9%

12.7% 4 people +1.8 pts ▸ 14.4%

5.3% 5 people +0.4 pts ▸ 5.7%

3.4% 6 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 2.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$130 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$310 35th pct $440 86th pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +$390 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,517 29th pct $1,907 58th pct

People / bedroom in Cairns in Sunshine Coast even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

31.1% Owned outright +4.3 pts ▸ 35.4%

32.4% Owned with a mortgage +1.6 pts ▸ 34.0%

32.8% Rented ◂ +6.4 pts 26.3%

1.7% Other tenure +1.2 pts ▸ 2.8%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

77.5% Separate house ◂ +3.5 pts 74.0%

8.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +4.5 pts ▸ 12.9%

12.1% Flat or apartment ◂ +0.1 pts 12.1%

1.3% Other dwelling ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%

Bedrooms per home

38.2% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.3 pts 37.9%

26.9% 4 bedrooms +5.0 pts ▸ 31.9%

20.6% 2 bedrooms ◂ +3.0 pts 17.5%

5.7% 5 or more +1.6 pts ▸ 7.3%

5.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +2.1 pts 3.5%

0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

34.6% $350–$549 +18.2 pts ▸ 52.8%

42.1% $200–$349 ◂ +26.1 pts 16.0%

3.8% $550–$749 +12.8 pts ▸ 16.7%

15.2% Under $200 ◂ +7.7 pts 7.5%

0.7% $750 or more +3.3 pts ▸ 4.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.4% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +13.3 pts 28.1%

25.6% $1,800–$2,999 +11.7 pts ▸ 37.3%

19.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.4 pts 14.5%

7.3% $3,000 or more +6.3 pts ▸ 13.6%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +534 more in Sunshine Coast

462 14th pct 996 45th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.68 more in Sunshine Coast

1.82 9th pct 2.50 13th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +115.0 more in Sunshine Coast

446.8 36th pct 561.7 42nd pct

PT routes in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +34 more in Sunshine Coast

22 14th pct 56 30th pct

How people get to work

58.9% Car (driver) +3.0 pts ▸ 61.9%

11.1% Worked at home +4.1 pts ▸ 15.2%

5.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.6 pts 3.9%

3.2% Walked ◂ +1.2 pts 2.1%

1.3% Bus ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.0% Train +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

38.0% 2 vehicles +1.8 pts ▸ 39.8%

37.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.1 pts 35.2%

12.4% 3 vehicles +1.0 pts ▸ 13.4%

6.2% 4 or more +1.5 pts ▸ 7.7%

6.1% No vehicle ◂ +2.3 pts 3.9%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

16.2% Health care & social assistance +1.2 pts ▸ 17.5%

8.3% Construction +3.7 pts ▸ 12.0%

9.5% Retail trade +0.4 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.6% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.9 pts 8.7%

8.7% Education & training +0.1 pts ▸ 8.7%

7.0% Public administration & safety ◂ +3.1 pts 3.9%

4.3% Professional & technical +2.1 pts ▸ 6.3%

5.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +3.9 pts 1.5%

5.2% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.1 pts 3.0%

4.1% Manufacturing +0.4 pts ▸ 4.6%

4.3% Other services ◂ +0.3 pts 4.0%

3.6% Administrative & support even 3.6%

Occupations people work in

18.3% Professionals +2.8 pts ▸ 21.0%

14.7% Technicians & trades +0.4 pts ▸ 15.1%

14.3% Community & personal service ◂ +1.0 pts 13.4%

12.0% Managers +0.7 pts ▸ 12.7%

12.1% Labourers ◂ +2.3 pts 9.8%

11.4% Clerical & administrative +0.5 pts ▸ 11.9%

9.1% Sales workers +0.5 pts ▸ 9.6%

6.2% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.4 pts 4.8%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +170,100 higher in Sunshine Coast

271,408 48th pct 441,508 80th pct

Growth in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +3.8 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

5.6% 45th pct 9.4% 78th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +110 higher in Sunshine Coast

1,542 93rd pct 1,651 98th pct

Max temp in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.9 higher in Cairns

26.8 78th pct 25.8 69th pct

Min temp in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +1.5 higher in Cairns

16.5 91st pct 14.9 86th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.7 higher in Sunshine Coast

4.1 28th pct 4.8 45th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.5 more in Sunshine Coast

4.0 25th pct 4.5 42nd pct

15-min city in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +4.7 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

47.7% 28th pct 52.4% 41st pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +6.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

49.6% 35th pct 56.0% 48th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +19.8 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

48.7% 21st pct 68.5% 44th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.5 pts higher in Cairns

48.7% 17th pct 48.3% 16th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +8.1 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

77.8% 35th pct 85.9% 48th pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +11.2 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

34.4% 23rd pct 45.7% 55th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.3 more in Cairns

13.1 25th pct 12.9 23rd pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +14 higher in Sunshine Coast

1 29th pct 16 52nd pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Sunshine Coast +0.7 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

5.9% 57th pct 6.6% 74th pct

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

Compare Sunshine Coast with nearby areas

Moreton Bay - North Moreton Bay - South Brisbane - North Brisbane Inner City Brisbane - West Brisbane - South Brisbane - East Ipswich Toowoomba Logan - Beaudesert Gold Coast Wide Bay

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Sunshine Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/306/cairns/vs/316/sunshine-coast