Compare
Cairns vs Northern Territory - Outback
Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,286 km apart · Cairns profile · Northern Territory - Outback profile
Cairns Northern Territory - Outback
Cairns and Northern Territory - Outback are far-apart regions with very different profiles. Northern Territory - Outback has a much higher First Nations population at 50.8%, compared to 10.6% in Cairns, and far more people speak a First Nations language (75.8% versus 22.9%). Residents in Cairns are far older, with a typical age of 41 and 18.0% aged 65 and over, while the typical resident in Northern Territory - Outback is just 31, with only 7.4% aged 65 and over. Language use also differs sharply, as 46.9% of people in Northern Territory - Outback use a language other than English at home, compared to 12.9% in Cairns.
Everyday life shares some common ground, as both areas have similar rates of people in de facto relationships and those providing unpaid care. They have also grown at a similar pace since 2021. However, some gaps are widening; for example, the age difference has grown to 10 years, and the gap in outright home ownership has increased to 18.3%. While both are far from the national figure for most things, Northern Territory - Outback is far more likely to have renters (55.1%) than Cairns (32.8%).
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 224,436
- First area, 2016: 240,190
- First area, 2021: 253,748
- Second area, 2011: 89,377
- Second area, 2016: 89,443
- Second area, 2021: 89,103
- First area, 2011: 37 yrs
- First area, 2016: 39 yrs
- First area, 2021: 41 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 29 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 30 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 31 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Cairns: 0.8% males, 1.0% females; 85+ in Northern Territory - Outback: 0.1% males, 0.2% females
- 80–84 in Cairns: 1.0% males, 1.0% females; 80–84 in Northern Territory - Outback: 0.3% males, 0.3% females
- 75–79 in Cairns: 1.7% males, 1.7% females; 75–79 in Northern Territory - Outback: 0.6% males, 0.5% females
- 70–74 in Cairns: 2.6% males, 2.4% females; 70–74 in Northern Territory - Outback: 1.1% males, 1.0% females
- 65–69 in Cairns: 3.0% males, 2.9% females; 65–69 in Northern Territory - Outback: 1.7% males, 1.6% females
- 60–64 in Cairns: 3.3% males, 3.3% females; 60–64 in Northern Territory - Outback: 2.3% males, 2.3% females
- 55–59 in Cairns: 3.4% males, 3.5% females; 55–59 in Northern Territory - Outback: 2.7% males, 2.7% females
- 50–54 in Cairns: 3.4% males, 3.5% females; 50–54 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.0% males, 3.2% females
- 45–49 in Cairns: 3.3% males, 3.6% females; 45–49 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.0% males, 3.0% females
- 40–44 in Cairns: 3.0% males, 3.4% females; 40–44 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.3% males, 3.3% females
- 35–39 in Cairns: 3.0% males, 3.3% females; 35–39 in Northern Territory - Outback: 4.0% males, 4.1% females
- 30–34 in Cairns: 3.0% males, 3.3% females; 30–34 in Northern Territory - Outback: 4.4% males, 4.8% females
- 25–29 in Cairns: 2.9% males, 3.1% females; 25–29 in Northern Territory - Outback: 4.4% males, 4.6% females
- 20–24 in Cairns: 2.6% males, 2.5% females; 20–24 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.7% males, 3.6% females
- 15–19 in Cairns: 3.1% males, 2.9% females; 15–19 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.8% males, 3.4% females
- 10–14 in Cairns: 3.6% males, 3.3% females; 10–14 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.9% males, 3.6% females
- 5–9 in Cairns: 3.2% males, 3.1% females; 5–9 in Northern Territory - Outback: 4.0% males, 3.7% females
- 0–4 in Cairns: 2.7% males, 2.6% females; 0–4 in Northern Territory - Outback: 3.9% males, 3.4% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $567
- First area, 2016: $642
- First area, 2021: $748
- Second area, 2011: $477
- Second area, 2016: $525
- Second area, 2021: $539
- First area, 2011: $1,057
- First area, 2016: $1,226
- First area, 2021: $1,445
- Second area, 2011: $1,450
- Second area, 2016: $1,561
- Second area, 2021: $1,706
- First area, 2011: $1,294
- First area, 2016: $1,475
- First area, 2021: $1,806
- Second area, 2011: $1,248
- Second area, 2016: $1,352
- Second area, 2021: $1,407
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 2.5
- First area, 2016: 2.5
- First area, 2021: 2.4
- Second area, 2011: 3.2
- Second area, 2016: 3.2
- Second area, 2021: 3.1
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $240
- First area, 2016: $280
- First area, 2021: $310
- Second area, 2011: $70
- Second area, 2016: $91
- Second area, 2021: $150
- First area, 2011: $1,647
- First area, 2016: $1,597
- First area, 2021: $1,517
- Second area, 2011: $1,777
- Second area, 2016: $1,816
- Second area, 2021: $1,733
- First area, 2011: 1.10
- First area, 2016: 0.80
- First area, 2021: 0.80
- Second area, 2011: 1.40
- Second area, 2016: 1.20
- Second area, 2021: 1.20
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Economy & Advantage
Environment & Climate
Walkability
Compare Cairns with nearby areas
Compare Northern Territory - Outback with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Northern Territory - Outback [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/306/cairns/vs/702/northern-territory-outback