Compare

Cairns vs Hervey Bay

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

Urban Area comparison ≈ 1,188 km apart · Cairns profile · Hervey Bay profile

Cairns Hervey Bay

Cairns and Hervey Bay are both regional Queensland hubs, but they differ sharply in age and layout. Hervey Bay is far older, with a typical resident aged 51 and 31.9% of people aged 65 and over, compared to a typical age of 39 and 15.3% of seniors in Cairns. This age gap is reflected in health and housing, as Hervey Bay has a far higher share of people with long-term health conditions (39.8%) and homes owned outright (43.3%). Cairns is more walkable (somewhat walkable) than Hervey Bay (mostly car-dependent), with 85.5% of Cairns homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport, while Hervey Bay has none.

Since 2011, the two areas have drifted further apart in several key ways. The age gap has widened, with Hervey Bay becoming significantly older than Cairns. Meanwhile, Cairns has seen its lead grow in terms of workforce activity and education, with far more adults working or looking for work (62.6%) and a higher share of people finishing Year 12. Despite these diverging paths, the two places remain similar in some daily realities, such as the typical weekly rent and the share of people living alone.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Median age: 12 yrs older in Hervey Bay Owned outright: 17.5 pts higher in Hervey Bay Participation: 19.0 pts higher in Cairns Aged 65+: 16.6 pts higher in Hervey Bay Needs assistance: 5.4 pts higher in Hervey Bay

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Hervey Bay +95,703 larger in Cairns gap widening

153,425 77th pct 57,722 65th pct

Median age in Cairns in Hervey Bay +12 yrs older in Hervey Bay gap widening

39 yrs 43rd pct 51 yrs 91st pct

Age structure

15.3% Seniors (65+) +16.6 pts ▸ 31.9%

27.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +9.2 pts 18.0%

26.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.2 pts 25.7%

19.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.6 pts 15.4%

11.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.8 pts 8.9%

Marital status

39.3% Married +8.5 pts ▸ 47.8%

41.7% Never married ◂ +14.5 pts 27.1%

10.8% Divorced +1.7 pts ▸ 12.5%

4.4% Widowed +3.9 pts ▸ 8.2%

3.8% Separated +0.5 pts ▸ 4.3%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Hervey Bay

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

68.2% Australia +7.3 pts ▸ 75.5%

4.0% England +1.7 pts ▸ 5.7%

2.9% New Zealand +0.6 pts ▸ 3.5%

1.3% Philippines ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%

1.2% India ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%

0.5% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.6% China ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.4% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

34.2% English +11.1 pts ▸ 45.3%

29.4% Australian +7.6 pts ▸ 37.0%

9.3% Scottish +1.8 pts ▸ 11.1%

10.4% Irish even 10.5%

5.2% German +1.8 pts ▸ 7.1%

4.7% Italian ◂ +2.7 pts 2.0%

2.1% Chinese ◂ +1.2 pts 0.9%

2.0% Filipino ◂ +0.9 pts 1.1%

1.6% Dutch even 1.6%

1.3% Indian ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

0.6% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

76.1% English only +13.0 pts ▸ 89.1%

0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%

0.6% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.4% Cantonese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.2% Hindi even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

42.5% Christianity +5.9 pts ▸ 48.4%

42.4% No religion ◂ +1.1 pts 41.3%

10.7% Not stated ◂ +2.7 pts 8.0%

1.7% Buddhism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.9%

1.1% Other religions ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

1.0% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.5%

0.5% Islam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

55.5% Year 12 ◂ +14.8 pts 40.7%

19.1% Year 10 +10.8 pts ▸ 29.9%

7.4% Year 9 or below +6.0 pts ▸ 13.4%

7.8% Year 11 +0.4 pts ▸ 8.2%

Highest qualification level

31.0% Certificate III / IV +7.0 pts ▸ 38.0%

21.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.1 pts 16.2%

15.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.2 pts 15.2%

5.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.9 pts 3.9%

3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.6 pts 2.8%

2.4% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.7%

Field of qualification

15.8% Management & commerce ◂ +1.4 pts 14.4%

14.0% Engineering & related +1.0 pts ▸ 15.0%

12.1% Society & culture +0.4 pts ▸ 12.5%

11.7% Health +0.8 pts ▸ 12.5%

7.8% Education +1.0 pts ▸ 8.8%

6.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.2 pts ▸ 6.8%

5.4% Architecture & building +0.7 pts ▸ 6.1%

2.5% Creative arts ◂ +0.6 pts 1.9%

2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.0 pts 1.3%

1.7% Agriculture & environment even 1.7%

1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Hervey Bay +$260 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$812 76th pct $552 2nd pct

Household income in Cairns in Hervey Bay +$492 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,575 65th pct $1,083 5th pct

Family income in Cairns in Hervey Bay +$639 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,951 63rd pct $1,312 2nd pct

Household income distribution

28.4% $650–$1,499 +9.0 pts ▸ 37.4%

30.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +8.5 pts 22.4%

15.6% Under $650 +7.3 pts ▸ 22.9%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +4.0 pts 5.1%

7.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 4.0%

Personal income distribution

36.7% Under $650 +15.9 pts ▸ 52.5%

33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.9 pts 27.6%

16.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +6.8 pts 9.9%

2.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 1.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Arthritis +9.0 pts ▸ 16.2%

7.9% Mental health +4.4 pts ▸ 12.3%

7.7% Other condition +3.0 pts ▸ 10.7%

6.3% Asthma +3.4 pts ▸ 9.8%

3.5% Heart disease +4.0 pts ▸ 7.5%

4.0% Diabetes +2.8 pts ▸ 6.8%

2.8% Cancer +2.3 pts ▸ 5.1%

1.7% Lung condition +3.3 pts ▸ 5.0%

0.9% Stroke +1.0 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.7% Dementia +0.6 pts ▸ 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.1% None ◂ +12.5 pts 51.6%

17.1% One condition +5.9 pts ▸ 23.0%

5.1% Two conditions +4.8 pts ▸ 9.9%

2.4% Three or more +4.5 pts ▸ 7.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns in Hervey Bay +0.2 larger in Cairns gap widening

2.5 71st pct 2.3 14th pct

Family composition

52.2% Couples with children ◂ +10.9 pts 41.3%

27.7% Couples without children +11.8 pts ▸ 39.5%

18.8% One-parent families ◂ +0.6 pts 18.1%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.1%

Household size

34.8% 2 people +8.2 pts ▸ 42.9%

27.5% 1 person +0.2 pts ▸ 27.6%

15.7% 3 people ◂ +3.1 pts 12.6%

13.6% 4 people ◂ +3.9 pts 9.7%

5.3% 5 people ◂ +0.8 pts 4.5%

3.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 2.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Hervey Bay +$5 higher in Cairns gap steady

$340 68th pct $335 66th pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Hervey Bay +$187 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,595 59th pct $1,408 36th pct

People / bedroom in Cairns in Hervey Bay +0.10 higher in Cairns gap widening

0.80 57th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

25.7% Owned outright +17.5 pts ▸ 43.3%

36.1% Rented ◂ +8.4 pts 27.7%

35.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +10.6 pts 24.6%

1.2% Other tenure +1.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

1.7% Not stated +0.2 pts ▸ 1.9%

Types of homes

71.0% Separate house +11.2 pts ▸ 82.2%

17.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +14.0 pts 3.0%

10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.8 pts ▸ 12.5%

0.8% Other dwelling +1.0 pts ▸ 1.8%

Bedrooms per home

35.2% 3 bedrooms +3.9 pts ▸ 39.0%

29.1% 4 bedrooms +5.1 pts ▸ 34.3%

21.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +5.3 pts 16.2%

6.2% 5 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 5.1%

5.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +2.4 pts 3.1%

0.7% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Weekly rent distribution

37.9% $200–$349 +5.2 pts ▸ 43.1%

41.8% $350–$549 +0.3 pts ▸ 42.1%

11.3% Under $200 ◂ +1.5 pts 9.7%

5.0% $550–$749 ◂ +3.3 pts 1.7%

0.9% $750 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.2% $1,000–$1,799 +4.9 pts ▸ 46.1%

27.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +6.8 pts 20.7%

17.9% Under $1,000 +4.1 pts ▸ 22.0%

7.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.8 pts 5.0%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

57.9% Car (driver) +11.1 pts ▸ 69.0%

11.8% Worked at home ◂ +4.9 pts 6.9%

5.1% Car (passenger) +0.8 pts ▸ 5.8%

2.4% Walked ◂ +0.2 pts 2.2%

1.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.3 pts 0.9%

1.0% Bus ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.4% 1 vehicle +4.8 pts ▸ 43.3%

37.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.3 pts 34.5%

11.6% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.9 pts 10.7%

6.7% No vehicle ◂ +0.4 pts 6.3%

5.5% 4 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 5.3%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.4% Health care & social assistance +5.6 pts ▸ 24.0%

9.8% Retail trade +1.8 pts ▸ 11.6%

10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.8 pts 9.4%

8.8% Education & training +0.3 pts ▸ 9.1%

8.4% Construction +0.7 pts ▸ 9.1%

7.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.7 pts 5.7%

5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.7 pts 3.1%

4.8% Professional & technical ◂ +1.3 pts 3.5%

4.5% Other services ◂ +0.2 pts 4.3%

3.7% Administrative & support ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

3.4% Manufacturing +0.2 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.0% Wholesale trade ◂ +0.7 pts 1.3%

Occupations people work in

20.9% Professionals ◂ +1.8 pts 19.0%

15.1% Community & personal service +2.9 pts ▸ 18.0%

14.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.0 pts 13.7%

11.9% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.1 pts 10.8%

9.8% Labourers +1.3 pts ▸ 11.1%

10.9% Managers ◂ +1.6 pts 9.3%

9.6% Sales workers +1.1 pts ▸ 10.7%

5.4% Machinery operators & drivers even 5.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Hervey Bay +2.7 higher in Cairns

5.7 77th pct 3.0 10th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Hervey Bay +2.1 more in Cairns

5.4 74th pct 3.3 11th pct

15-min city in Cairns in Hervey Bay +34.1 pts higher in Cairns

66.5% 76th pct 32.4% 9th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Hervey Bay +14.3 pts higher in Cairns

68.3% 81st pct 54.0% 49th pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Hervey Bay +85.5 pts higher in Cairns

85.5% 60th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Hervey Bay +13.1 pts higher in Cairns

64.0% 50th pct 50.9% 24th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Hervey Bay +10.2 pts higher in Cairns

96.3% 90th pct 86.1% 39th pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Hervey Bay +25.9 pts higher in Cairns

44.2% 62nd pct 18.3% 9th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Hervey Bay +8.1 more in Cairns

13.0 30th pct 4.9 0th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Hervey Bay +9 higher in Cairns

66 93rd pct 56 89th pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Hervey Bay +1.3 pts higher in Cairns

5.6% 59th pct 4.3% 33rd pct

Compare Cairns with nearby areas

Townsville Airlie Beach - Cannonvale Mackay Emerald Not in any Significant Urban Area Mount Isa Rockhampton Yeppoon Gladstone Bundaberg Hervey Bay Maryborough

Compare Hervey Bay with nearby areas

Maryborough Bundaberg Gympie Sunshine Coast Kingaroy Gladstone Brisbane Toowoomba Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Yeppoon Warwick Rockhampton

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Hervey Bay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3004/cairns/vs/3009/hervey-bay