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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/

State Electorate comparison ≈ 280 km apart · Cairns profile · Townsville profile

Cairns Townsville

Cairns and Townsville are two major North Queensland hubs with different urban layouts. Cairns is more compact, with a far higher number of street intersections and a larger share of people born overseas (25.9% compared to 16.2% in Townsville). It is also more walkable; 80.2% of Cairns homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school, compared to 66.2% in Townsville. In contrast, Townsville has a stronger military presence, with 7.4% of residents having served in the Defence Force, and a higher proportion of people working full-time (63.7% versus 57.5% in Cairns).

These two areas have tracked closely since 2011, with the gap in typical resident age narrowing from eight years to just one. They are very similar in their household makeup, with almost identical shares of people living alone and a similar typical monthly home loan payment of $1,517. While Townsville has more public transport stops per 1,000 people, both areas see very low rates of commuting by public transport, at around 1.1% to 1.2%.

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Where they differ most

People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Cairns Full-time: 6.3 pts higher in Townsville Born overseas: 9.8 pts higher in Cairns Other language: 8.8 pts higher in Cairns Limited English: 2.0 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Townsville +8,564 larger in Cairns gap narrowing

58,940 55th pct 50,376 40th pct

Median age in Cairns in Townsville +1 yrs older in Cairns gap narrowing

39 yrs 50th pct 38 yrs 43rd pct

Age structure

28.9% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +0.7 pts 28.2%

26.7% Older adults (45–64) +0.2 pts ▸ 26.9%

16.3% Children (0–14) +0.2 pts ▸ 16.6%

16.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +0.8 pts 15.5%

11.8% Youth (15–24) +1.1 pts ▸ 12.8%

Marital status

46.0% Never married ◂ +1.2 pts 44.8%

33.4% Married +2.2 pts ▸ 35.6%

11.5% Divorced ◂ +0.3 pts 11.2%

4.9% Widowed ◂ +0.7 pts 4.3%

4.1% Separated even 4.1%

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

62.6% Australia +13.5 pts ▸ 76.1%

3.3% England ◂ +0.3 pts 3.0%

2.8% New Zealand ◂ +0.4 pts 2.4%

1.7% Philippines ◂ +0.5 pts 1.2%

1.5% India ◂ +0.8 pts 0.7%

0.9% China ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.7% Nepal ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.3% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.4% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

30.4% English +6.1 pts ▸ 36.5%

25.1% Australian +7.2 pts ▸ 32.3%

10.2% Irish +2.0 pts ▸ 12.3%

8.4% Scottish +2.6 pts ▸ 10.9%

4.7% German +0.8 pts ▸ 5.5%

4.2% Italian +0.9 pts ▸ 5.1%

2.8% Chinese ◂ +1.4 pts 1.4%

2.3% Filipino ◂ +0.8 pts 1.5%

1.5% Indian ◂ +0.6 pts 0.9%

1.4% Dutch even 1.4%

0.6% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

69.3% English only +12.9 pts ▸ 82.1%

1.1% Mandarin ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

0.6% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.5% Cantonese ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.1% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Arabic even 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

41.1% Christianity +6.2 pts ▸ 47.3%

39.4% No religion +1.1 pts ▸ 40.5%

13.3% Not stated ◂ +3.9 pts 9.4%

2.4% Buddhism ◂ +1.4 pts 1.0%

1.7% Hinduism ◂ +1.1 pts 0.7%

1.2% Other religions ◂ +0.6 pts 0.6%

0.7% Islam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Cairns in Townsville +0.85 more in Townsville

1.66 36th pct 2.52 69th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Cairns in Townsville +5 more in Townsville

16 36th pct 21 54th pct

Students in Cairns in Townsville +5,953 more in Cairns

15,500 87th pct 9,547 51st pct

Avg size in Cairns in Townsville +514 larger in Cairns

969 98th pct 455 43rd pct

ICSEA in Cairns in Townsville +6 higher in Townsville

988 31st pct 994 34th pct

Highest year of school

53.9% Year 12 +2.9 pts ▸ 56.8%

17.5% Year 10 +1.7 pts ▸ 19.2%

8.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.3 pts 7.8%

6.9% Year 11 +0.2 pts ▸ 7.1%

Highest qualification level

26.6% Certificate III / IV +2.9 pts ▸ 29.5%

22.1% Bachelor degree +2.7 pts ▸ 24.8%

14.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.8 pts 13.4%

6.1% Postgraduate degree +1.9 pts ▸ 8.0%

3.3% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.3 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.5% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.3 pts 2.2%

Field of qualification

15.0% Management & commerce ◂ +0.4 pts 14.6%

12.2% Engineering & related +2.0 pts ▸ 14.2%

12.0% Society & culture +0.9 pts ▸ 12.9%

11.6% Health +1.3 pts ▸ 12.8%

6.7% Education +0.9 pts ▸ 7.6%

6.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.3 pts 5.3%

4.6% Architecture & building +0.9 pts ▸ 5.4%

2.2% Natural & physical sciences +1.7 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.8% Creative arts ◂ +0.1 pts 2.7%

1.7% Agriculture & environment +0.1 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.4% Information technology +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Townsville +$101 higher in Townsville gap widening

$775 45th pct $876 68th pct

Household income in Cairns in Townsville +$130 higher in Townsville gap widening

$1,396 21st pct $1,526 33rd pct

Family income in Cairns in Townsville +$262 higher in Townsville gap widening

$1,833 28th pct $2,095 53rd pct

Household income distribution

30.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.4 pts 27.8%

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 +0.7 pts ▸ 28.5%

19.2% Under $650 ◂ +1.5 pts 17.7%

7.2% $4,000 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 9.5%

7.5% $3,000–$3,999 +1.3 pts ▸ 8.8%

Personal income distribution

37.0% Under $650 ◂ +1.9 pts 35.1%

32.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.2 pts 31.7%

14.8% $1,500–$2,999 +4.9 pts ▸ 19.7%

3.0% $3,000 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.8% Mental health +2.1 pts ▸ 9.9%

7.1% Arthritis +1.1 pts ▸ 8.2%

7.5% Other condition +0.3 pts ▸ 7.8%

5.9% Asthma +1.6 pts ▸ 7.5%

4.4% Diabetes even 4.4%

3.8% Heart disease +0.5 pts ▸ 4.3%

2.8% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.1%

1.8% Lung condition +0.4 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.0% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.7% None ◂ +0.1 pts 61.6%

16.6% One condition +2.1 pts ▸ 18.8%

5.2% Two conditions +0.7 pts ▸ 5.9%

2.6% Three or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.3%

Community Participation

Family & Households

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

2.3 14th pct 2.2 10th pct

Family composition

47.4% Couples with children +0.9 pts ▸ 48.3%

29.3% Couples without children +1.9 pts ▸ 31.1%

21.7% One-parent families ◂ +3.0 pts 18.7%

1.7% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.9%

Household size

35.2% 1 person +0.6 pts ▸ 35.8%

32.9% 2 people +1.9 pts ▸ 34.7%

14.5% 3 people ◂ +1.3 pts 13.2%

10.6% 4 people ◂ +0.3 pts 10.3%

4.0% 5 people ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%

2.8% 6 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 2.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Townsville +$20 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$300 25th pct $280 17th pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Townsville even gap narrowing

$1,517 23rd pct $1,517 23rd pct

People / bedroom in Cairns in Townsville +0.10 higher in Cairns gap steady

0.90 86th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

44.4% Rented +1.4 pts ▸ 45.8%

27.5% Owned with a mortgage +0.5 pts ▸ 28.0%

24.1% Owned outright ◂ +0.9 pts 23.3%

2.3% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 1.7%

1.7% Other tenure ◂ +0.4 pts 1.3%

Types of homes

54.3% Separate house +5.5 pts ▸ 59.8%

28.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +10.6 pts 18.0%

15.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.7 pts ▸ 20.8%

1.2% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%

Bedrooms per home

31.7% 3 bedrooms +2.5 pts ▸ 34.2%

30.7% 2 bedrooms +2.3 pts ▸ 33.1%

17.7% 4 bedrooms +1.3 pts ▸ 19.0%

10.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +4.3 pts 6.4%

5.6% 5 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 4.9%

1.3% Studio / none ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

Weekly rent distribution

45.2% $200–$349 +5.8 pts ▸ 51.0%

31.0% $350–$549 ◂ +6.0 pts 25.0%

15.5% Under $200 +2.3 pts ▸ 17.7%

4.2% $550–$749 ◂ +1.6 pts 2.6%

0.7% $750 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.0% $1,000–$1,799 +2.7 pts ▸ 41.7%

24.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 24.2%

22.7% Under $1,000 ◂ +3.2 pts 19.5%

8.1% $3,000 or more +1.5 pts ▸ 9.6%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Cairns in Townsville +77 more in Townsville

167 26th pct 244 45th pct

Stops/1k in Cairns in Townsville +2.01 more in Townsville

2.83 16th pct 4.84 55th pct

Departures/1k in Cairns in Townsville +2.5 more in Townsville

975.6 49th pct 978.1 49th pct

PT routes in Cairns in Townsville +6 more in Cairns

20 33rd pct 14 21st pct

How people get to work

54.2% Car (driver) +12.7 pts ▸ 66.9%

11.2% Worked at home ◂ +5.1 pts 6.0%

5.6% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.3 pts 5.3%

4.3% Walked ◂ +0.1 pts 4.2%

2.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.7 pts 1.5%

1.1% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

44.1% 1 vehicle ◂ +1.6 pts 42.4%

31.4% 2 vehicles +3.1 pts ▸ 34.6%

11.2% No vehicle ◂ +1.9 pts 9.3%

9.0% 3 vehicles +0.3 pts ▸ 9.4%

4.3% 4 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 4.3%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

19.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +1.5 pts 18.1%

12.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +3.8 pts 8.7%

6.9% Public administration & safety +4.4 pts ▸ 11.4%

7.9% Education & training +2.0 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.2% Retail trade ◂ +0.8 pts 8.4%

7.0% Construction +1.0 pts ▸ 8.0%

6.0% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.9 pts 4.1%

4.9% Professional & technical +1.1 pts ▸ 6.0%

4.3% Other services ◂ +0.7 pts 3.6%

4.2% Administrative & support ◂ +1.6 pts 2.6%

3.0% Manufacturing +0.9 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.3% Mining +1.2 pts ▸ 2.5%

Occupations people work in

22.3% Professionals +2.2 pts ▸ 24.5%

16.0% Community & personal service ◂ +0.9 pts 15.1%

13.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.1 pts 13.4%

10.8% Managers +1.1 pts ▸ 11.9%

11.1% Clerical & administrative +0.4 pts ▸ 11.5%

10.6% Labourers ◂ +2.1 pts 8.5%

8.9% Sales workers ◂ +1.2 pts 7.6%

5.1% Machinery operators & drivers +0.7 pts ▸ 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Townsville +0.8 higher in Cairns

6.7 68th pct 5.9 56th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Townsville +0.6 more in Cairns

6.4 66th pct 5.8 55th pct

15-min city in Cairns in Townsville +5.4 pts higher in Cairns

80.8% 64th pct 75.4% 58th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Townsville +9.9 pts higher in Cairns

81.3% 69th pct 71.4% 57th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Townsville +11.4 pts higher in Cairns

92.1% 55th pct 80.7% 39th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Townsville +14.1 pts higher in Cairns

80.2% 56th pct 66.2% 38th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Townsville +4.8 pts higher in Cairns

98.5% 58th pct 93.7% 42nd pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Townsville +3.9 pts higher in Cairns

58.6% 61st pct 54.7% 57th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Townsville +0.5 more in Cairns

16.9 67th pct 16.4 64th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Townsville +96 higher in Cairns

127 60th pct 31 36th pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Townsville +0.5 pts higher in Townsville

4.8% 39th pct 5.4% 50th pct

Compare Cairns with nearby areas

Mulgrave Barron River Hill Hinchinbrook Cook Townsville Mundingburra Thuringowa

Compare Townsville with nearby areas

Mundingburra Thuringowa Hinchinbrook Hill Whitsunday Mulgrave Cairns Barron River

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/sed/SED30014/cairns/vs/SED30088/townsville