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Cairns vs Toowoomba

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,265 km apart · Cairns profile · Toowoomba profile

Cairns Toowoomba

Cairns and Toowoomba are both large Queensland hubs, but they differ sharply in their demographics and environments. Cairns has a much stronger First Nations presence, with 22.9% of residents speaking a First Nations language and 10.6% of the population being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. It is also a much wetter place, with an average annual rainfall of 1,542mm compared to 707mm in Toowoomba. In contrast, Toowoomba has a much higher proportion of recent overseas arrivals at 26.4%, while Cairns ever since 2011 has seen its typical resident become noticeably older, now 41 compared to 37 in Toowoomba.

Everyday life shares many similarities in both places, as they have almost identical typical weekly household incomes and a similar share of people living alone. They also both have about 18% of their population aged 65 or over. However, the gap in overseas arrivals has widened since 2011, while the difference in the share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has narrowed. Toowoomba remains more walkable, with 58.5% of homes within a 15-minute walk of amenities, which is far higher than the 47.7% seen in Cairns.

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Where they differ most

De facto: 4.2 pts higher in Cairns Recent arrivals: 13.8 pts higher in Toowoomba 3+ bedrooms: 9.7 pts higher in Toowoomba Needs assistance: 1.3 pts higher in Toowoomba Population: 91,689 larger in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Toowoomba +91,689 larger in Cairns gap steady

253,748 59th pct 162,059 37th pct

Median age in Cairns in Toowoomba +4 yrs older in Cairns gap widening

41 yrs 57th pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

27.4% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.1 pts 23.3%

25.1% Young adults (25–44) +0.4 pts ▸ 25.5%

18.5% Children (0–14) +1.1 pts ▸ 19.6%

18.0% Seniors (65+) +0.4 pts ▸ 18.4%

11.0% Youth (15–24) +2.2 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

41.1% Married +6.2 pts ▸ 47.4%

39.5% Never married ◂ +4.9 pts 34.6%

10.7% Divorced ◂ +1.8 pts 8.9%

4.9% Widowed +0.7 pts ▸ 5.6%

3.8% Separated ◂ +0.2 pts 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Toowoomba

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

70.7% Australia +9.0 pts ▸ 79.8%

3.6% England ◂ +1.8 pts 1.9%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +1.1 pts 1.5%

1.1% India +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.1% Philippines ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

0.4% South Africa +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.6% Italy ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%

0.4% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

34.1% English +4.5 pts ▸ 38.6%

30.8% Australian +6.9 pts ▸ 37.7%

10.5% Irish +2.0 pts ▸ 12.6%

5.3% German +5.7 pts ▸ 11.0%

9.3% Scottish +1.6 pts ▸ 10.8%

6.1% Italian ◂ +4.4 pts 1.7%

1.7% Chinese ◂ +0.1 pts 1.6%

1.6% Filipino ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%

1.5% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.4%

1.1% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.5% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +7.0 pts ▸ 84.6%

0.5% Mandarin +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.8% Italian ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

0.1% Arabic +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.3% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

44.3% Christianity +10.4 pts ▸ 54.7%

40.7% No religion ◂ +7.8 pts 32.9%

11.1% Not stated ◂ +4.6 pts 6.6%

1.3% Other religions +0.8 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.7% Hinduism +0.8 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.4% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

0.4% Islam +0.8 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Cairns in Toowoomba +39 more in Cairns

109 52nd pct 70 16th pct

Schools/1k kids in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.12 more in Cairns

2.32 55th pct 2.20 51st pct

Students in Cairns in Toowoomba +18,460 more in Cairns

48,996 60th pct 30,536 30th pct

Avg size in Cairns in Toowoomba +13 larger in Cairns

450 51st pct 436 49th pct

ICSEA in Cairns in Toowoomba +40 higher in Toowoomba

967 18th pct 1,007 46th pct

Highest year of school

50.4% Year 12 +2.9 pts ▸ 53.3%

21.9% Year 10 +2.0 pts ▸ 23.8%

9.0% Year 9 or below +1.8 pts ▸ 10.8%

7.9% Year 11 ◂ +2.0 pts 5.9%

Highest qualification level

32.9% Certificate III / IV +0.4 pts ▸ 33.3%

19.1% Bachelor degree +3.8 pts ▸ 22.9%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma even 14.7%

4.9% Postgraduate degree +2.1 pts ▸ 7.0%

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

2.5% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

14.4% Management & commerce +2.2 pts ▸ 16.6%

14.9% Engineering & related ◂ +0.6 pts 14.4%

10.7% Health +2.3 pts ▸ 13.0%

11.0% Society & culture +1.1 pts ▸ 12.1%

8.0% Education +1.9 pts ▸ 9.9%

6.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.6 pts 5.8%

5.7% Architecture & building ◂ +0.4 pts 5.3%

2.4% Agriculture & environment +0.7 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.3% Creative arts +0.1 pts ▸ 2.4%

2.2% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.2 pts 2.0%

1.2% Information technology +0.7 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Toowoomba +$10 higher in Toowoomba gap steady

$748 38th pct $758 43rd pct

Household income in Cairns in Toowoomba +$57 higher in Toowoomba gap widening

$1,445 30th pct $1,502 35th pct

Family income in Cairns in Toowoomba +$86 higher in Toowoomba gap widening

$1,806 29th pct $1,892 40th pct

Household income distribution

29.1% $1,500–$2,999 +1.5 pts ▸ 30.5%

29.8% $650–$1,499 even 29.7%

17.5% Under $650 ◂ +1.0 pts 16.5%

8.2% $3,000–$3,999 +0.3 pts ▸ 8.5%

6.6% $4,000 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 7.3%

Personal income distribution

39.3% Under $650 +1.8 pts ▸ 41.1%

32.6% $650–$1,499 +1.4 pts ▸ 34.0%

14.5% $1,500–$2,999 +1.3 pts ▸ 15.9%

2.5% $3,000 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.7% Mental health +3.4 pts ▸ 11.1%

8.0% Arthritis +2.4 pts ▸ 10.4%

6.4% Asthma +3.3 pts ▸ 9.7%

7.5% Other condition +1.3 pts ▸ 8.9%

4.4% Diabetes +0.7 pts ▸ 5.1%

4.0% Heart disease +0.6 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.0% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.9% Lung condition even 2.0%

1.0% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.7% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.5% None ◂ +2.2 pts 60.3%

17.5% One condition +3.3 pts ▸ 20.8%

5.5% Two conditions +1.7 pts ▸ 7.2%

2.8% Three or more +1.2 pts ▸ 4.0%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairns in Toowoomba +19,196 larger in Cairns

26,935 91st pct 7,739 63rd pct

Median age in Cairns in Toowoomba +4 yrs older in Cairns

24 yrs 43rd pct 20 yrs 0th pct

Median income in Cairns in Toowoomba +$87 higher in Toowoomba

$508 23rd pct $595 52nd pct

Household income in Cairns in Toowoomba +$145 higher in Toowoomba

$1,347 23rd pct $1,492 45th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.1 larger in Toowoomba gap widening

2.4 29th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

50.6% Couples with children +3.7 pts ▸ 54.3%

30.1% Couples without children ◂ +1.3 pts 28.8%

18.0% One-parent families ◂ +2.3 pts 15.8%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Household size

36.4% 2 people ◂ +0.9 pts 35.5%

27.5% 1 person ◂ +0.4 pts 27.1%

14.7% 3 people ◂ +0.2 pts 14.4%

12.7% 4 people +0.4 pts ▸ 13.1%

5.3% 5 people +0.9 pts ▸ 6.2%

3.4% 6 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 3.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Toowoomba even gap steady

$310 35th pct $310 35th pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Toowoomba even gap narrowing

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

People / bedroom in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.10 higher in Cairns gap widening

0.80 29th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.4% Owned with a mortgage +0.6 pts ▸ 33.0%

32.8% Rented +0.1 pts ▸ 32.9%

31.1% Owned outright +0.1 pts ▸ 31.1%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 1.3%

1.7% Other tenure even 1.7%

Types of homes

77.5% Separate house +3.8 pts ▸ 81.3%

8.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.7 pts ▸ 14.1%

12.1% Flat or apartment ◂ +8.0 pts 4.1%

1.3% Other dwelling ◂ +1.0 pts 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

38.2% 3 bedrooms +1.8 pts ▸ 40.0%

26.9% 4 bedrooms +6.2 pts ▸ 33.1%

20.6% 2 bedrooms ◂ +5.1 pts 15.5%

5.7% 5 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 7.4%

5.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.1 pts 2.5%

0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

42.1% $200–$349 +13.6 pts ▸ 55.7%

34.6% $350–$549 ◂ +5.6 pts 29.0%

15.2% Under $200 ◂ +4.7 pts 10.6%

3.8% $550–$749 ◂ +2.3 pts 1.5%

0.7% $750 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.4% $1,000–$1,799 +3.0 pts ▸ 44.4%

25.6% $1,800–$2,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 26.1%

19.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +2.3 pts 17.6%

7.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 7.0%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns in Toowoomba +150 more in Toowoomba

462 14th pct 612 24th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns in Toowoomba +1.96 more in Toowoomba

1.82 9th pct 3.78 26th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns in Toowoomba +100.6 more in Cairns

446.8 36th pct 346.2 31st pct

PT routes in Cairns in Toowoomba +13 more in Cairns

22 14th pct 9 6th pct

How people get to work

58.9% Car (driver) +11.0 pts ▸ 69.9%

11.1% Worked at home ◂ +3.8 pts 7.3%

5.5% Car (passenger) +0.6 pts ▸ 6.1%

3.2% Walked ◂ +0.9 pts 2.3%

1.3% Bus ◂ +0.9 pts 0.4%

1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.5%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.2 pts 37.8%

37.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +1.4 pts 35.8%

12.4% 3 vehicles +0.7 pts ▸ 13.1%

6.2% 4 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 7.5%

6.1% No vehicle ◂ +0.5 pts 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

16.2% Health care & social assistance +2.4 pts ▸ 18.7%

8.7% Education & training +2.3 pts ▸ 11.0%

9.6% Accommodation & food ◂ +3.4 pts 6.2%

9.5% Retail trade ◂ +0.1 pts 9.4%

8.3% Construction +0.1 pts ▸ 8.4%

7.0% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.1 pts 5.9%

4.1% Manufacturing +2.6 pts ▸ 6.7%

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

5.2% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.3 pts 3.9%

4.3% Professional & technical +0.5 pts ▸ 4.8%

4.3% Other services ◂ +0.1 pts 4.2%

3.6% Administrative & support ◂ +1.1 pts 2.5%

Occupations people work in

18.3% Professionals +2.1 pts ▸ 20.4%

14.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.5 pts 14.2%

14.3% Community & personal service ◂ +0.8 pts 13.5%

11.4% Clerical & administrative +1.1 pts ▸ 12.5%

12.1% Labourers even 12.1%

12.0% Managers ◂ +1.3 pts 10.7%

9.1% Sales workers ◂ +0.3 pts 8.7%

6.2% Machinery operators & drivers even 6.2%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Cairns in Toowoomba +95,701 higher in Cairns

271,408 48th pct 175,707 25th pct

Growth in Cairns in Toowoomba +1.5 pts higher in Toowoomba

5.6% 45th pct 7.1% 63rd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairns in Toowoomba +834 higher in Cairns

1,542 93rd pct 707 38th pct

Max temp in Cairns in Toowoomba +1.4 higher in Toowoomba

26.8 78th pct 28.1 87th pct

Min temp in Cairns in Toowoomba +3.9 higher in Cairns

16.5 91st pct 12.6 64th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.7 higher in Toowoomba

4.1 28th pct 4.8 46th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.7 more in Toowoomba

4.0 25th pct 4.7 47th pct

15-min city in Cairns in Toowoomba +10.8 pts higher in Toowoomba

47.7% 28th pct 58.5% 50th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Toowoomba +7.7 pts higher in Toowoomba

49.6% 35th pct 57.3% 50th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Toowoomba +14.5 pts higher in Toowoomba

48.7% 21st pct 63.1% 36th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Toowoomba +15.3 pts higher in Toowoomba

48.7% 17th pct 64.1% 50th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Toowoomba +6.9 pts higher in Toowoomba

77.8% 35th pct 84.7% 46th pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Toowoomba +6.4 pts higher in Toowoomba

34.4% 23rd pct 40.9% 46th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.2 more in Toowoomba

13.1 25th pct 13.3 27th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Toowoomba +8 higher in Toowoomba

1 29th pct 9 45th pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Toowoomba +0.8 pts higher in Toowoomba

5.9% 57th pct 6.7% 75th 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 Toowoomba with nearby areas

Ipswich Brisbane - West Moreton Bay - North Moreton Bay - South Brisbane Inner City Brisbane - South Brisbane - North Logan - Beaudesert Brisbane - East Sunshine Coast Gold Coast Richmond - Tweed

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Toowoomba [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/306/cairns/vs/317/toowoomba