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Cairns vs Townsville

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 243 km apart · Cairns profile · Townsville profile

Cairns Townsville

Cairns and Townsville are two major North Queensland hubs with distinct profiles. Cairns is much wetter, with an average annual rainfall of 1,542mm compared to 669mm in Townsville. Residents are noticeably older in Cairns, where the typical age is 41, while Townsville is younger at 37. Cairns is also more multicultural, with 20.0% of people born overseas and 12.9% using another language at home, which is well higher than the 12.9% and 7.7% seen in Townsville.

This gap in overseas births has widened since 2011. The two areas share many similarities, such as a nearly identical share of children under 15 and similar levels of university qualifications. Both areas also have roughly the same number of schools. However, Townsville has a much stronger connection to the Defence Force, with 8.1% of people having served compared to 4.1% in Cairns.

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Where they differ most

Full-time: 5.3 pts higher in Townsville Work from home: 5.5 pts higher in Cairns Born overseas: 7.0 pts higher in Cairns Median age: 4 yrs older in Cairns Household size: 0.1 larger in Townsville

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Townsville +19,465 larger in Cairns gap widening

253,748 59th pct 234,283 54th pct

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

41 yrs 57th pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

27.4% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.4 pts 25.0%

25.1% Young adults (25–44) +1.2 pts ▸ 26.3%

18.5% Children (0–14) +0.4 pts ▸ 18.9%

18.0% Seniors (65+) ◂ +2.1 pts 15.9%

11.0% Youth (15–24) +2.9 pts ▸ 13.9%

Marital status

41.1% Married +0.6 pts ▸ 41.7%

39.5% Never married +0.9 pts ▸ 40.4%

10.7% Divorced ◂ +1.3 pts 9.4%

4.9% Widowed ◂ +0.2 pts 4.7%

3.8% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

70.7% Australia +8.5 pts ▸ 79.2%

3.6% England ◂ +1.4 pts 2.3%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.6 pts 2.0%

1.1% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%

1.1% India ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.6% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

0.4% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.4% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%

Ancestry

34.1% English +2.8 pts ▸ 36.9%

30.8% Australian +6.1 pts ▸ 36.9%

10.5% Irish +0.5 pts ▸ 11.1%

9.3% Scottish +0.9 pts ▸ 10.2%

6.1% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 6.6%

5.3% German even 5.2%

1.7% Chinese ◂ +0.4 pts 1.2%

1.6% Filipino ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%

1.5% Dutch ◂ +0.3 pts 1.2%

1.1% Indian ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%

0.5% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +6.3 pts ▸ 83.9%

0.8% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.5% Mandarin ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.4% Tagalog even 0.4%

0.3% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

44.3% Christianity +5.8 pts ▸ 50.1%

40.7% No religion ◂ +3.1 pts 37.7%

11.1% Not stated ◂ +1.3 pts 9.8%

1.4% Buddhism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

1.3% Other religions ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

0.4% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Cairns in Townsville +3 more in Townsville

109 52nd pct 112 55th pct

Schools/1k kids in Cairns in Townsville +0.21 more in Townsville

2.32 55th pct 2.53 59th pct

Students in Cairns in Townsville +5,240 more in Cairns

48,996 60th pct 43,756 54th pct

Avg size in Cairns in Townsville +59 larger in Cairns

450 51st pct 391 42nd pct

ICSEA in Cairns in Townsville +4 higher in Cairns

967 18th pct 963 14th pct

Highest year of school

50.4% Year 12 +0.6 pts ▸ 51.0%

21.9% Year 10 +1.3 pts ▸ 23.2%

9.0% Year 9 or below +0.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

7.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.6 pts 7.3%

Highest qualification level

32.9% Certificate III / IV +2.8 pts ▸ 35.7%

19.1% Bachelor degree +0.7 pts ▸ 19.8%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.5 pts 13.2%

4.9% Postgraduate degree +0.3 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.1% Graduate diploma / certificate even 3.0%

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

Field of qualification

14.9% Engineering & related +1.9 pts ▸ 16.9%

14.4% Management & commerce ◂ +0.4 pts 14.0%

10.7% Health +1.1 pts ▸ 11.7%

11.0% Society & culture +0.6 pts ▸ 11.6%

8.0% Education even 8.0%

6.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.9 pts 5.5%

5.7% Architecture & building ◂ +0.5 pts 5.3%

2.2% Natural & physical sciences +0.5 pts ▸ 2.7%

2.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.6 pts 1.9%

2.3% Creative arts ◂ +0.4 pts 1.9%

1.2% Information technology +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Townsville +$78 higher in Townsville gap widening

$748 38th pct $826 61st pct

Household income in Cairns in Townsville +$176 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,445 30th pct $1,621 47th pct

Family income in Cairns in Townsville +$210 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,806 29th pct $2,016 53rd pct

Household income distribution

29.1% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 30.9%

29.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.7 pts 27.1%

17.5% Under $650 ◂ +2.0 pts 15.4%

8.2% $3,000–$3,999 +1.4 pts ▸ 9.6%

6.6% $4,000 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 7.8%

Personal income distribution

39.3% Under $650 ◂ +2.5 pts 36.8%

32.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.2 pts 32.4%

14.5% $1,500–$2,999 +3.3 pts ▸ 17.9%

2.5% $3,000 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.7% Mental health +2.2 pts ▸ 9.9%

8.0% Arthritis +1.1 pts ▸ 9.1%

7.5% Other condition +0.5 pts ▸ 8.0%

6.4% Asthma +1.5 pts ▸ 8.0%

4.4% Diabetes +0.5 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.0% Heart disease +0.4 pts ▸ 4.4%

3.0% Cancer even 3.0%

1.9% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.0% Stroke even 0.9%

0.7% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.5% None ◂ +2.5 pts 60.0%

17.5% One condition +1.6 pts ▸ 19.1%

5.5% Two conditions +0.8 pts ▸ 6.3%

2.8% Three or more +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Cairns in Townsville +5,755 larger in Cairns

26,935 91st pct 21,180 88th pct

Median age in Cairns in Townsville +2 yrs older in Cairns

24 yrs 43rd pct 22 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Cairns in Townsville +$44 higher in Townsville

$508 23rd pct $552 33rd pct

Household income in Cairns in Townsville +$114 higher in Townsville

$1,347 23rd pct $1,461 42nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns in Townsville +0.1 larger in Townsville gap steady

2.4 29th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

50.6% Couples with children +2.0 pts ▸ 52.6%

30.1% Couples without children ◂ +1.3 pts 28.8%

18.0% One-parent families ◂ +0.8 pts 17.3%

1.2% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

36.4% 2 people ◂ +0.6 pts 35.8%

27.5% 1 person ◂ +0.7 pts 26.8%

14.7% 3 people +0.7 pts ▸ 15.3%

12.7% 4 people +0.5 pts ▸ 13.2%

5.3% 5 people +0.4 pts ▸ 5.7%

3.4% 6 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Townsville +$10 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$310 35th pct $300 31st pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Townsville even gap narrowing

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

People / bedroom in Cairns in Townsville even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.8% Rented +2.2 pts ▸ 35.0%

32.4% Owned with a mortgage +1.4 pts ▸ 33.8%

31.1% Owned outright ◂ +3.3 pts 27.8%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 1.7%

1.7% Other tenure +0.1 pts ▸ 1.8%

Types of homes

77.5% Separate house +5.0 pts ▸ 82.5%

12.1% Flat or apartment ◂ +6.1 pts 6.0%

8.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.9 pts ▸ 10.3%

1.3% Other dwelling ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

38.2% 3 bedrooms +2.5 pts ▸ 40.7%

26.9% 4 bedrooms +3.8 pts ▸ 30.7%

20.6% 2 bedrooms ◂ +3.7 pts 16.8%

5.7% 5 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 5.8%

5.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.9 pts 3.7%

0.9% Studio / none ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

42.1% $200–$349 +7.3 pts ▸ 49.4%

34.6% $350–$549 ◂ +5.4 pts 29.2%

15.2% Under $200 +0.7 pts ▸ 16.0%

3.8% $550–$749 ◂ +2.1 pts 1.7%

0.7% $750 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.4% $1,000–$1,799 +2.1 pts ▸ 43.5%

25.6% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.1 pts 24.6%

19.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +0.3 pts 19.6%

7.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns in Townsville +174 more in Townsville

462 14th pct 636 26th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns in Townsville +0.89 more in Townsville

1.82 9th pct 2.71 14th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns in Townsville +41.1 more in Townsville

446.8 36th pct 487.9 38th pct

PT routes in Cairns in Townsville +6 more in Cairns

22 14th pct 16 10th pct

How people get to work

58.9% Car (driver) +10.7 pts ▸ 69.6%

11.1% Worked at home ◂ +5.5 pts 5.6%

5.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.1 pts 5.4%

3.2% Walked ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%

1.3% Bus ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%

1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.0% 2 vehicles +1.4 pts ▸ 39.4%

37.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.5 pts 34.8%

12.4% 3 vehicles +1.0 pts ▸ 13.4%

6.2% 4 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 6.8%

6.1% No vehicle ◂ +0.5 pts 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

16.2% Health care & social assistance +0.4 pts ▸ 16.7%

7.0% Public administration & safety +4.5 pts ▸ 11.4%

9.6% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.4 pts 7.2%

9.5% Retail trade ◂ +0.4 pts 9.1%

8.7% Education & training +0.8 pts ▸ 9.5%

8.3% Construction ◂ +0.2 pts 8.1%

5.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +2.3 pts 3.2%

4.1% Manufacturing +1.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

5.2% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.0 pts 4.1%

4.3% Other services ◂ +0.4 pts 3.9%

4.3% Professional & technical even 4.2%

3.6% Administrative & support ◂ +1.0 pts 2.6%

Occupations people work in

18.3% Professionals +0.3 pts ▸ 18.5%

14.3% Community & personal service +1.0 pts ▸ 15.4%

14.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.1 pts 14.7%

12.1% Labourers ◂ +1.9 pts 10.2%

12.0% Managers ◂ +1.1 pts 10.9%

11.4% Clerical & administrative +0.6 pts ▸ 12.0%

9.1% Sales workers ◂ +0.6 pts 8.5%

6.2% Machinery operators & drivers +1.9 pts ▸ 8.1%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Cairns in Townsville +22,311 higher in Cairns

271,408 48th pct 249,097 44th pct

Growth in Cairns in Townsville +0.6 pts higher in Cairns

5.6% 45th pct 4.9% 38th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cairns in Townsville +872 higher in Cairns

1,542 93rd pct 669 33rd pct

Max temp in Cairns in Townsville +4.8 higher in Townsville

26.8 78th pct 31.6 94th pct

Min temp in Cairns in Townsville +0.5 higher in Townsville

16.5 91st pct 17.0 92nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Townsville even

4.1 28th pct 4.1 27th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Townsville +0.1 more in Townsville

4.0 25th pct 4.1 27th pct

15-min city in Cairns in Townsville +0.7 pts higher in Townsville

47.7% 28th pct 48.4% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Townsville +3.0 pts higher in Cairns

49.6% 35th pct 46.6% 27th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Townsville +7.1 pts higher in Townsville

48.7% 21st pct 55.7% 26th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Townsville +5.1 pts higher in Townsville

48.7% 17th pct 53.8% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Townsville +0.3 pts higher in Cairns

77.8% 35th pct 77.5% 34th pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Townsville +4.2 pts higher in Townsville

34.4% 23rd pct 38.6% 39th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Townsville +3.1 more in Cairns

13.1 25th pct 10.0 1st pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Townsville +1 higher in Cairns

1 29th pct 0 12th pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Townsville +2.0 pts higher in Cairns

5.9% 57th pct 3.9% 14th 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 Townsville with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/306/cairns/vs/318/townsville