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Cairns vs Maryborough

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

Urban Area comparison ≈ 1,202 km apart · Cairns profile · Maryborough profile

Cairns Maryborough

Cairns and Maryborough are two very different Queensland hubs separated by over 1,200km. Cairns is more multicultural and youthful, with 23.3% of people born overseas and a typical resident aged 39. In contrast, Maryborough has a much older population, with a typical age of 47 and a far higher share of people aged 65 and over (26.8% compared to 15.3% in Cairns). This difference extends to education and income; adults in Cairns are far more likely to have completed Year 12 (55.5% vs 35.1%) and earn a typical weekly personal income of $812, which is well higher than the $528 usually earned in Maryborough.

Both areas sit close to the national figure for the share of people who served in the Defence Force. Aside from this, they have diverged significantly since 2011. The gap in typical incomes has widened, and the difference in age has grown from just one year to eight years. Cairns is also much more walkable (somewhat walkable) than Maryborough (mostly car-dependent), with a far higher share of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport (85.5% compared to 0.0% in Maryborough).

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Where they differ most

Unpaid carers: 4.6 pts higher in Maryborough Other language: 12.3 pts higher in Cairns Population: 125,936 larger in Cairns Year 12: 20.4 pts higher in Cairns Limited English: 1.6 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Maryborough +125,936 larger in Cairns gap widening

153,425 77th pct 27,489 46th pct

Median age in Cairns in Maryborough +8 yrs older in Maryborough gap widening

39 yrs 43rd pct 47 yrs 86th pct

Age structure

27.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +6.9 pts 20.3%

26.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.5 pts 26.4%

15.3% Seniors (65+) +11.5 pts ▸ 26.8%

19.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.4 pts 15.6%

11.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.8 pts 10.9%

Marital status

39.3% Married +3.8 pts ▸ 43.2%

41.7% Never married ◂ +8.8 pts 32.9%

10.8% Divorced +0.8 pts ▸ 11.6%

4.4% Widowed +3.2 pts ▸ 7.6%

3.8% Separated +0.9 pts ▸ 4.8%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Maryborough

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

68.2% Australia +15.8 pts ▸ 84.0%

4.0% England ◂ +1.3 pts 2.7%

2.9% New Zealand ◂ +1.0 pts 1.9%

1.3% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%

1.2% India ◂ +1.0 pts 0.2%

0.6% China ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.4% Italy ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

34.2% English +9.5 pts ▸ 43.7%

29.4% Australian +11.7 pts ▸ 41.1%

9.3% Scottish +1.4 pts ▸ 10.7%

10.4% Irish ◂ +0.2 pts 10.3%

5.2% German +4.0 pts ▸ 9.2%

4.7% Italian ◂ +3.2 pts 1.5%

2.1% Chinese ◂ +1.6 pts 0.5%

2.0% Filipino ◂ +1.0 pts 1.0%

1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%

1.3% Indian ◂ +1.0 pts 0.3%

0.6% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

76.1% English only +12.9 pts ▸ 89.0%

0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.6 pts 0.1%

0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.1%

0.6% Italian ◂ +0.5 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 ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

42.5% Christianity +4.5 pts ▸ 47.0%

42.4% No religion ◂ +1.4 pts 41.0%

10.7% Not stated even 10.6%

1.7% Buddhism ◂ +1.2 pts 0.5%

1.1% Other religions ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

1.0% Hinduism ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

0.5% Islam ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

55.5% Year 12 ◂ +20.4 pts 35.1%

19.1% Year 10 +15.5 pts ▸ 34.6%

7.4% Year 9 or below +7.8 pts ▸ 15.2%

7.8% Year 11 ◂ +0.6 pts 7.2%

Highest qualification level

31.0% Certificate III / IV +13.0 pts ▸ 44.0%

21.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +9.2 pts 12.1%

15.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.5 pts 13.9%

5.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.6 pts 2.1%

2.4% Certificate I / II +1.5 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.3 pts 2.1%

Field of qualification

14.0% Engineering & related +3.8 pts ▸ 17.9%

15.8% Management & commerce ◂ +1.6 pts 14.2%

12.1% Society & culture +0.8 pts ▸ 12.9%

11.7% Health ◂ +2.4 pts 9.3%

7.8% Education +0.6 pts ▸ 8.4%

6.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.1 pts ▸ 6.7%

5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +0.2 pts 5.2%

2.5% Creative arts ◂ +0.9 pts 1.5%

1.7% Agriculture & environment +0.5 pts ▸ 2.3%

2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.5 pts 0.8%

1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Maryborough +$284 higher in Cairns gap widening

$812 76th pct $528 0th pct

Household income in Cairns in Maryborough +$541 higher in Cairns gap widening

$1,575 65th pct $1,034 0th pct

Family income in Cairns in Maryborough +$644 higher in Cairns gap widening

$1,951 63rd pct $1,307 2nd pct

Household income distribution

28.4% $650–$1,499 +8.8 pts ▸ 37.2%

30.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +9.0 pts 21.9%

15.6% Under $650 +9.3 pts ▸ 24.9%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +4.4 pts 4.8%

7.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +4.5 pts 3.2%

Personal income distribution

36.7% Under $650 +15.9 pts ▸ 52.6%

33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +6.5 pts 27.0%

16.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +7.8 pts 8.8%

2.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 1.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Arthritis +8.8 pts ▸ 15.9%

7.9% Mental health +6.1 pts ▸ 14.1%

6.3% Asthma +5.1 pts ▸ 11.4%

7.7% Other condition +3.3 pts ▸ 11.0%

3.5% Heart disease +3.7 pts ▸ 7.1%

4.0% Diabetes +3.1 pts ▸ 7.1%

2.8% Cancer +1.8 pts ▸ 4.6%

1.7% Lung condition +2.6 pts ▸ 4.3%

0.9% Stroke +0.7 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.7% Dementia +0.6 pts ▸ 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.1% None ◂ +16.4 pts 47.7%

17.1% One condition +6.8 pts ▸ 23.9%

5.1% Two conditions +5.2 pts ▸ 10.3%

2.4% Three or more +4.5 pts ▸ 6.9%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Cairns in Maryborough +0.2 larger in Cairns gap steady

2.5 71st pct 2.3 14th pct

Family composition

52.2% Couples with children ◂ +8.2 pts 44.1%

27.7% Couples without children +6.5 pts ▸ 34.2%

18.8% One-parent families +1.8 pts ▸ 20.6%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Household size

34.8% 2 people +4.2 pts ▸ 39.0%

27.5% 1 person +3.2 pts ▸ 30.7%

15.7% 3 people ◂ +3.1 pts 12.6%

13.6% 4 people ◂ +3.3 pts 10.3%

5.3% 5 people ◂ +0.9 pts 4.4%

3.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 3.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Maryborough +$85 higher in Cairns gap widening

$340 68th pct $255 19th pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Maryborough +$470 higher in Cairns gap widening

$1,595 59th pct $1,125 3rd pct

People / bedroom in Cairns in Maryborough even gap steady

0.80 57th pct 0.80 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

25.7% Owned outright +15.5 pts ▸ 41.2%

36.1% Rented ◂ +8.8 pts 27.3%

35.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +7.5 pts 27.7%

1.7% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.2% Other tenure +0.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

Types of homes

71.0% Separate house +17.4 pts ▸ 88.4%

17.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +13.4 pts 3.6%

10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +4.2 pts 6.5%

0.8% Other dwelling +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

35.2% 3 bedrooms +10.0 pts ▸ 45.2%

29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +7.5 pts 21.7%

21.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.6 pts 20.8%

6.2% 5 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 5.0%

5.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.0 pts 4.5%

0.7% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

37.9% $200–$349 +28.3 pts ▸ 66.2%

41.8% $350–$549 ◂ +32.0 pts 9.7%

11.3% Under $200 +8.3 pts ▸ 19.6%

5.0% $550–$749 ◂ +4.7 pts 0.3%

0.9% $750 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.2% $1,000–$1,799 +2.1 pts ▸ 43.3%

17.9% Under $1,000 +18.7 pts ▸ 36.6%

27.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +15.2 pts 12.4%

7.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +5.4 pts 2.5%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

57.9% Car (driver) +11.1 pts ▸ 68.9%

11.8% Worked at home ◂ +6.7 pts 5.1%

5.1% Car (passenger) +1.0 pts ▸ 6.1%

2.4% Walked +0.9 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%

1.0% Bus ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.4% 1 vehicle +0.2 pts ▸ 38.6%

37.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +4.7 pts 33.2%

11.6% 3 vehicles +0.8 pts ▸ 12.3%

6.7% No vehicle +2.1 pts ▸ 8.8%

5.5% 4 or more +1.6 pts ▸ 7.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.4% Health care & social assistance +0.7 pts ▸ 19.1%

9.8% Retail trade +1.3 pts ▸ 11.1%

10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +3.7 pts 6.6%

8.8% Education & training +0.9 pts ▸ 9.7%

3.4% Manufacturing +5.4 pts ▸ 8.8%

8.4% Construction ◂ +1.1 pts 7.3%

7.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.3 pts 7.1%

5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 4.8%

4.8% Professional & technical ◂ +2.3 pts 2.5%

4.5% Other services even 4.6%

3.7% Administrative & support ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

1.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +1.3 pts ▸ 2.4%

Occupations people work in

20.9% Professionals ◂ +7.8 pts 13.1%

15.1% Community & personal service +1.5 pts ▸ 16.7%

14.7% Technicians & trades +0.1 pts ▸ 14.8%

11.9% Clerical & administrative +1.6 pts ▸ 13.5%

9.8% Labourers +3.6 pts ▸ 13.3%

10.9% Managers ◂ +2.7 pts 8.2%

9.6% Sales workers +1.0 pts ▸ 10.5%

5.4% Machinery operators & drivers +2.5 pts ▸ 7.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Maryborough +2.1 higher in Cairns

5.7 77th pct 3.6 18th pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Maryborough +1.3 more in Cairns

5.4 74th pct 4.0 26th pct

15-min city in Cairns in Maryborough +18.9 pts higher in Cairns

66.5% 76th pct 47.6% 34th pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Maryborough +19.7 pts higher in Cairns

68.3% 81st pct 48.5% 33rd pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Maryborough +85.5 pts higher in Cairns

85.5% 60th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Maryborough +0.7 pts higher in Cairns

64.0% 50th pct 63.3% 48th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Maryborough +18.5 pts higher in Cairns

96.3% 90th pct 77.8% 21st pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Maryborough +2.9 pts higher in Cairns

44.2% 62nd pct 41.2% 55th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Maryborough +4.1 more in Cairns

13.0 30th pct 8.9 8th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Maryborough +51 higher in Cairns

66 93rd pct 15 37th pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Maryborough +1.7 pts higher in Cairns

5.6% 59th pct 3.9% 26th 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 Maryborough with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Maryborough [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3004/cairns/vs/3012/maryborough