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Cairns vs Cook

State Electorate comparison ≈ 222 km apart · Cairns profile · Cook profile

Cairns Cook

Cairns and Cook are both in Far North Queensland but offer very different lifestyles. Cairns is a very walkable urban hub where 81% of homes are in a 15-minute-city walkshed, compared to just 24% in Cook, which is mostly car-dependent. The two areas differ sharply in their populations; Cook has a far higher share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at 34.3%, while Cairns has a much higher share of people born overseas at 25.9%. Housing also varies, with typical weekly rents far higher in Cairns at $300 compared to $179 in Cook, and separate houses being far more common in Cook.

These two areas share a very similar typical weekly household income of around $1,350 to $1,400. They also have nearly identical rates of unemployment and a similar share of people who have served in the Defence Force. While they share these economic basics, the gap in some areas is widening. For example, the difference in the proportion of people born overseas and the gap in typical rents have both grown since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 26.2 pts higher in Cook First Nations: 23.1 pts higher in Cook Household size: 0.4 larger in Cook Under 15: 4.9 pts higher in Cook Recent movers: 10.3 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairnsin Cook +6,397 larger in Cairns gap widening
58,940 55th pct 52,543 44th pct
Median age in Cairnsin Cook +2 yrs older in Cairns gap steady
39 yrs 50th pct 37 yrs 36th pct
First Nations in Cairnsin Cook +23.1 pts higher in Cook gap widening
11.2% 88th pct 34.3% 100th pct
Aged 65+ in Cairnsin Cook +1.2 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
16.3% 43rd pct 15.1% 36th pct
Under 15 in Cairnsin Cook +4.9 pts higher in Cook gap widening
16.3% 28th pct 21.3% 83rd pct
De facto in Cairnsin Cook +6.6 pts higher in Cook gap widening
14.3% 80th pct 20.8% 100th pct

Age structure

28.9% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.9 pts 26.0%
26.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.9 pts 25.8%
16.3% Children (0–14) +4.9 pts ▸ 21.3%
16.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.2 pts 15.1%
11.8% Youth (15–24) even 11.8%

Marital status

46.0% Never married +3.8 pts ▸ 49.9%
33.4% Married +0.6 pts ▸ 34.1%
11.5% Divorced ◂ +3.1 pts 8.5%
4.9% Widowed ◂ +0.4 pts 4.5%
4.1% Separated ◂ +1.0 pts 3.1%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Cook

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Cairnsin Cook +13.0 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
25.9% 55th pct 12.9% 19th pct

Country of birth

62.6% Australia +13.2 pts ▸ 75.9%
3.3% England ◂ +1.0 pts 2.2%
2.8% New Zealand ◂ +0.9 pts 1.9%
1.7% Philippines ◂ +1.1 pts 0.5%
1.5% India ◂ +1.2 pts 0.3%
0.5% Italy +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.9% China ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%
0.7% Nepal ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%
0.4% Vietnam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.3% South Africa even 0.4%

Ancestry

30.4% English ◂ +6.4 pts 24.0%
25.1% Australian ◂ +1.5 pts 23.7%
10.2% Irish ◂ +3.1 pts 7.1%
8.4% Scottish ◂ +2.1 pts 6.3%
4.2% Italian +1.2 pts ▸ 5.5%
4.7% German ◂ +1.1 pts 3.6%
2.8% Chinese ◂ +2.0 pts 0.9%
2.3% Filipino ◂ +1.5 pts 0.8%
1.5% Indian ◂ +1.1 pts 0.4%
1.4% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%
0.6% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

Language

Other language in Cairnsin Cook +7.3 pts higher in Cook gap widening
18.7% 59th pct 26.1% 72nd pct
Limited English in Cairnsin Cook +0.7 pts higher in Cook gap steady
2.9% 65th pct 3.6% 72nd pct

Language used at home

69.3% English only ◂ +6.9 pts 62.4%
0.6% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 1.3%
1.1% Mandarin ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%
0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%
0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%
0.5% Cantonese ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.2% Hindi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Cairnsin Cook +5.1 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
39.4% 39th pct 34.3% 23rd pct

Religious affiliation

41.1% Christianity +9.0 pts ▸ 50.2%
39.4% No religion ◂ +5.1 pts 34.3%
13.3% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 13.6%
2.4% Buddhism ◂ +1.8 pts 0.6%
1.7% Hinduism ◂ +1.4 pts 0.3%
1.2% Other religions ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%
0.7% Islam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Cairnsin Cook +10.6 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
53.9% 45th pct 43.3% 21st pct
Bachelor+ in Cairnsin Cook +9.3 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
20.7% 49th pct 11.4% 12th pct
Schools/1k kids in Cairnsin Cook +1.38 more in Cook
1.66 36th pct 3.04 78th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Cairnsin Cook +18 more in Cook
16 36th pct 34 83rd pct
Students in Cairnsin Cook +6,634 more in Cairns
15,500 87th pct 8,866 45th pct
Avg size in Cairnsin Cook +708 larger in Cairns
969 98th pct 261 16th pct
ICSEA in Cairnsin Cook +138 higher in Cairns
988 31st pct 850 0th pct

Highest year of school

53.9% Year 12 ◂ +10.6 pts 43.3%
17.5% Year 10 +4.8 pts ▸ 22.3%
8.1% Year 9 or below +3.5 pts ▸ 11.7%
6.9% Year 11 +2.3 pts ▸ 9.2%

Highest qualification level

26.6% Certificate III / IV +8.2 pts ▸ 34.8%
22.1% Bachelor degree ◂ +7.8 pts 14.3%
14.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.1 pts 12.0%
6.1% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.2 pts 2.9%
2.5% Certificate I / II +1.4 pts ▸ 4.0%
3.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.1 pts 2.2%

Field of qualification

15.0% Management & commerce ◂ +3.0 pts 11.9%
12.2% Engineering & related +2.4 pts ▸ 14.6%
12.0% Society & culture ◂ +3.3 pts 8.7%
11.6% Health ◂ +3.2 pts 8.3%
6.7% Education +1.2 pts ▸ 7.9%
6.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.8 pts 5.9%
4.6% Architecture & building +1.8 pts ▸ 6.3%
1.7% Agriculture & environment +1.7 pts ▸ 3.4%
2.8% Creative arts ◂ +0.7 pts 2.1%
2.2% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.5 pts 1.7%
1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.8 pts 0.6%

Income

Personal income in Cairnsin Cook +$115 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$775 45th pct $660 14th pct
Household income in Cairnsin Cook +$55 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$1,396 21st pct $1,341 15th pct
Family income in Cairnsin Cook +$312 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$1,833 28th pct $1,521 9th pct
High earners in Cairnsin Cook +1.5 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
8.7% 36th pct 7.2% 24th pct
High-income homes in Cairnsin Cook +1.5 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
14.8% 24th pct 13.3% 18th pct

Household income distribution

30.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.7 pts 29.5%
27.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.6 pts 26.2%
19.2% Under $650 +0.2 pts ▸ 19.4%
7.5% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 7.2%
7.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 6.1%

Personal income distribution

37.0% Under $650 +5.4 pts ▸ 42.4%
32.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.3 pts 28.7%
14.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.3 pts 12.5%
3.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 2.2%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Cairnsin Cook +3.4 pts higher in Cairns
24.5% 29th pct 21.1% 12th pct
Mental health in Cairnsin Cook +2.9 pts higher in Cairns
7.8% 33rd pct 4.9% 8th pct
Needs assistance in Cairnsin Cook +1.5 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
5.8% 54th pct 4.3% 23rd pct

Long-term health conditions reported

7.8% Mental health ◂ +2.9 pts 4.9%
7.5% Other condition ◂ +2.1 pts 5.4%
7.1% Arthritis ◂ +1.4 pts 5.7%
5.9% Asthma ◂ +0.9 pts 5.0%
4.4% Diabetes +0.9 pts ▸ 5.3%
3.8% Heart disease ◂ +0.1 pts 3.6%
2.8% Cancer ◂ +0.7 pts 2.1%
1.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.3 pts 1.5%
1.0% Stroke ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%
0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.7% None +3.0 pts ▸ 64.7%
16.6% One condition ◂ +1.8 pts 14.8%
5.2% Two conditions ◂ +1.0 pts 4.2%
2.6% Three or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.1%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Cairnsin Cook +0.2 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
14.0% 45th pct 14.2% 47th pct
Unpaid carers in Cairnsin Cook +0.4 pts higher in Cook gap steady
9.5% 13th pct 10.0% 17th pct
Unpaid child care in Cairnsin Cook +3.7 pts higher in Cook gap widening
21.2% 13th pct 24.8% 32nd pct
Defence service in Cairnsin Cook +0.3 pts higher in Cairns
3.9% 76th pct 3.6% 70th pct
Housework 15h+ in Cairnsin Cook +4.0 pts higher in Cook gap widening
15.5% 11th pct 19.5% 36th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairnsin Cook +0.4 larger in Cook gap widening
2.3 14th pct 2.7 71st pct
One-parent in Cairnsin Cook +0.6 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
21.7% 95th pct 21.1% 93rd pct
Living alone in Cairnsin Cook +8.7 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
35.2% 95th pct 26.5% 55th pct

Family composition

47.4% Couples with children +3.6 pts ▸ 51.0%
29.3% Couples without children ◂ +3.2 pts 26.0%
21.7% One-parent families ◂ +0.6 pts 21.1%
1.7% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.9%

Household size

35.2% 1 person ◂ +8.7 pts 26.5%
32.9% 2 people +1.0 pts ▸ 33.8%
14.5% 3 people ◂ +0.8 pts 13.6%
10.6% 4 people +1.8 pts ▸ 12.3%
4.0% 5 people +2.8 pts ▸ 6.9%
2.8% 6 or more +4.0 pts ▸ 6.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairnsin Cook +$121 higher in Cairns gap widening
$300 25th pct $179 0th pct
Mortgage in Cairnsin Cook even gap narrowing
$1,517 23rd pct $1,517 23rd pct
People / bedroom in Cairnsin Cook even gap steady
0.90 86th pct 0.90 86th pct
Renting in Cairnsin Cook +0.4 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
44.4% 88th pct 44.8% 88th pct
Owned outright in Cairnsin Cook +3.2 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
24.1% 21st pct 27.4% 34th pct
Separate houses in Cairnsin Cook +26.2 pts higher in Cook gap widening
54.3% 14th pct 80.5% 48th pct
3+ bedrooms in Cairnsin Cook +11.0 pts higher in Cook gap steady
54.9% 11th pct 66.0% 21st pct

How homes are owned or rented

44.4% Rented +0.4 pts ▸ 44.8%
27.5% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +7.0 pts 20.5%
24.1% Owned outright +3.2 pts ▸ 27.4%
1.7% Other tenure +2.2 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.3% Not stated +1.1 pts ▸ 3.4%

Types of homes

54.3% Separate house +26.2 pts ▸ 80.5%
28.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +22.6 pts 6.0%
15.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +6.0 pts 9.1%
1.2% Other dwelling +1.8 pts ▸ 3.1%

Bedrooms per home

31.7% 3 bedrooms +7.1 pts ▸ 38.8%
30.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +8.8 pts 21.9%
17.7% 4 bedrooms +4.4 pts ▸ 22.0%
10.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.4 pts 7.3%
5.6% 5 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 5.1%
1.3% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 1.6%

Weekly rent distribution

15.5% Under $200 +34.3 pts ▸ 49.8%
45.2% $200–$349 ◂ +21.3 pts 23.9%
31.0% $350–$549 ◂ +16.8 pts 14.2%
4.2% $550–$749 ◂ +0.1 pts 4.1%
0.7% $750 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 1.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.0% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.4 pts 38.5%
24.5% $1,800–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 26.3%
22.7% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.3 pts 21.3%
8.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 7.2%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Cairnsin Cook +2.4 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
11.2% 87th pct 13.6% 89th pct
Work from home in Cairnsin Cook +3.4 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
11.2% 42nd pct 7.7% 23rd pct
PT commute in Cairnsin Cook +0.6 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
1.2% 29th pct 1.8% 41st pct
PT stops in Cairnsin Cook +167 more in Cairns
167 26th pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Cairnsin Cook +2.83 more in Cairns
2.83 16th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Cairnsin Cook +975.6 more in Cairns
975.6 49th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Cairnsin Cook +20 more in Cairns
20 33rd pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

54.2% Car (driver) ◂ +1.0 pts 53.2%
4.3% Walked +7.3 pts ▸ 11.6%
11.2% Worked at home ◂ +3.4 pts 7.7%
5.6% Car (passenger) +1.7 pts ▸ 7.3%
2.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.8 pts 1.4%
1.1% Bus +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

44.1% 1 vehicle ◂ +7.7 pts 36.4%
31.4% 2 vehicles +0.7 pts ▸ 32.2%
11.2% No vehicle +2.4 pts ▸ 13.6%
9.0% 3 vehicles +2.4 pts ▸ 11.4%
4.3% 4 or more +2.1 pts ▸ 6.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Cairnsin Cook +10.3 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
44.3% 75th pct 34.0% 21st pct
Recent arrivals in Cairnsin Cook +0.2 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
17.2% 73rd pct 17.1% 72nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Cairnsin Cook +0.5 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
6.7% 84th pct 7.2% 86th pct
Participation in Cairnsin Cook +4.4 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
58.7% 35th pct 54.4% 17th pct
Full-time in Cairnsin Cook +2.2 pts higher in Cook gap narrowing
57.5% 39th pct 59.6% 58th pct

Industries people work in

19.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +7.1 pts 12.5%
12.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.7 pts 10.8%
6.9% Public administration & safety +3.7 pts ▸ 10.6%
9.2% Retail trade ◂ +1.2 pts 8.0%
7.9% Education & training +1.2 pts ▸ 9.1%
1.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +7.3 pts ▸ 8.3%
7.0% Construction ◂ +0.1 pts 6.8%
1.3% Mining +5.2 pts ▸ 6.5%
6.0% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.9 pts 4.1%
4.9% Professional & technical ◂ +2.6 pts 2.3%
4.3% Other services ◂ +1.1 pts 3.2%
4.2% Administrative & support ◂ +0.2 pts 4.1%

Occupations people work in

22.3% Professionals ◂ +7.5 pts 14.8%
16.0% Community & personal service ◂ +1.8 pts 14.2%
13.5% Technicians & trades +1.0 pts ▸ 14.5%
10.6% Labourers +3.9 pts ▸ 14.5%
10.8% Managers +2.4 pts ▸ 13.2%
11.1% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.5 pts 10.6%
8.9% Sales workers ◂ +1.5 pts 7.4%
5.1% Machinery operators & drivers +2.8 pts ▸ 7.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairnsin Cook +4.5 higher in Cairns
6.7 68th pct 2.2 4th pct
Types ≤15 min in Cairnsin Cook +3.9 more in Cairns
6.4 66th pct 2.4 6th pct
15-min city in Cairnsin Cook +56.3 pts higher in Cairns
80.8% 64th pct 24.4% 6th pct
Walk to shops in Cairnsin Cook +50.5 pts higher in Cairns
81.3% 69th pct 30.8% 9th pct
Walk to transit in Cairnsin Cook +92.1 pts higher in Cairns
92.1% 55th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Cairnsin Cook +50.9 pts higher in Cairns
80.2% 56th pct 29.4% 7th pct
Walk to a park in Cairnsin Cook +43.0 pts higher in Cairns
98.5% 58th pct 55.5% 8th pct
Walk to health in Cairnsin Cook +33.9 pts higher in Cairns
58.6% 61st pct 24.7% 13th pct
Amenities/1k in Cairnsin Cook +1.8 more in Cairns
16.9 67th pct 15.1 56th pct
Intersections/km² in Cairnsin Cook +127 higher in Cairns
127 60th pct 0 0th pct
Mean slope in Cairnsin Cook +0.8 pts higher in Cook
4.8% 39th pct 5.6% 56th pct

Compare Cairns with nearby areas

Mulgrave Barron River Hill Hinchinbrook Cook Townsville Mundingburra Thuringowa

Compare Cook with nearby areas

Barron River Cairns Mulgrave Hill Hinchinbrook Traeger Townsville Thuringowa

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Cook [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED30014/cairns/vs/SED30021/cook