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Cairns vs Mount Isa

Urban Area comparison ≈ 782 km apart · Cairns profile · Mount Isa profile

Cairns Mount Isa

Cairns and Mount Isa are two distinct regional hubs in Queensland. Cairns is a larger, somewhat walkable center where 23.3% of people were born overseas and 14.7% use a language other than English at home. In contrast, Mount Isa is mostly car-dependent and has a stronger connection to the land, with a far higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 21.4%. Mount Isa also has a much younger population, with a typical resident aged 31, compared to 39 in Cairns, and a higher share of high earners, with 29.9% of households making $3,000 or more a week.

Both areas are similar in how they live and move, with almost the same share of people living alone, one-parent families, and those who have moved in the last five years. They also both rely heavily on cars for commuting, as very few people in either place use public transport to get to work. While Cairns has more people born overseas, this gap has widened since 2011, just as the gap in Indigenous populations has grown larger.

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Where they differ most

Population: 135,108 larger in Cairns Work from home: 9.8 pts higher in Cairns Full-time: 15.0 pts higher in Mount Isa PT commute: 0.8 pts higher in Cairns Median age: 8 yrs older in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairnsin Mount Isa +135,108 larger in Cairns gap widening
153,425 77th pct 18,317 29th pct
Median age in Cairnsin Mount Isa +8 yrs older in Cairns gap widening
39 yrs 43rd pct 31 yrs 0th pct
First Nations in Cairnsin Mount Isa +11.7 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
9.6% 86th pct 21.4% 100th pct
Aged 65+ in Cairnsin Mount Isa +7.2 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
15.3% 18th pct 8.1% 2nd pct
Under 15 in Cairnsin Mount Isa +4.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
19.0% 67th pct 23.6% 97th pct
De facto in Cairnsin Mount Isa +4.0 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
15.2% 86th pct 19.1% 95th pct

Age structure

27.1% Young adults (25–44) +5.1 pts ▸ 32.3%
26.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.5 pts 22.4%
19.0% Children (0–14) +4.6 pts ▸ 23.6%
15.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +7.2 pts 8.1%
11.7% Youth (15–24) +1.9 pts ▸ 13.6%

Marital status

41.7% Never married +6.9 pts ▸ 48.6%
39.3% Married ◂ +2.3 pts 37.1%
10.8% Divorced ◂ +3.3 pts 7.5%
4.4% Widowed ◂ +1.0 pts 3.4%
3.8% Separated ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Mount Isa

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Cairnsin Mount Isa +6.8 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
23.3% 88th pct 16.5% 72nd pct

Country of birth

68.2% Australia +5.9 pts ▸ 74.1%
2.9% New Zealand +1.4 pts ▸ 4.3%
4.0% England ◂ +2.9 pts 1.2%
1.3% Philippines +1.4 pts ▸ 2.7%
1.2% India ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
0.5% South Africa +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.6% China ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.4% Italy ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%
0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

34.2% English ◂ +5.7 pts 28.5%
29.4% Australian +4.0 pts ▸ 33.4%
10.4% Irish ◂ +1.5 pts 8.9%
9.3% Scottish ◂ +2.1 pts 7.2%
5.2% German ◂ +0.8 pts 4.4%
4.7% Italian ◂ +2.1 pts 2.6%
2.0% Filipino +1.9 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.1% Chinese ◂ +0.8 pts 1.4%
1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%
1.3% Indian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%
0.6% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Cairnsin Mount Isa +4.9 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
14.7% 86th pct 9.8% 73rd pct
Limited English in Cairnsin Mount Isa +1.2 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
1.9% 84th pct 0.7% 49th pct

Language used at home

76.1% English only +4.4 pts ▸ 80.4%
0.5% Tagalog +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.6% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.4% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Hindi even 0.2%
0.1% Arabic even 0.1%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Cairnsin Mount Isa +1.5 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
42.4% 50th pct 40.9% 41st pct

Religious affiliation

42.5% Christianity +3.2 pts ▸ 45.7%
42.4% No religion ◂ +1.5 pts 40.9%
10.7% Not stated +0.5 pts ▸ 11.1%
1.7% Buddhism ◂ +1.2 pts 0.6%
1.1% Other religions ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%
1.0% Hinduism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%
0.5% Islam even 0.4%
0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Cairnsin Mount Isa +5.8 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
55.5% 86th pct 49.7% 73rd pct
Bachelor+ in Cairnsin Mount Isa +5.2 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
19.7% 73rd pct 14.5% 45th pct

Highest year of school

55.5% Year 12 ◂ +5.8 pts 49.7%
19.1% Year 10 +2.3 pts ▸ 21.4%
7.4% Year 9 or below +2.1 pts ▸ 9.5%
7.8% Year 11 ◂ +0.2 pts 7.5%

Highest qualification level

31.0% Certificate III / IV +8.1 pts ▸ 39.1%
21.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.8 pts 17.5%
15.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +5.5 pts 9.9%
5.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.4 pts 4.4%
3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.8 pts 2.6%
2.4% Certificate I / II +0.2 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

14.0% Engineering & related +10.7 pts ▸ 24.7%
15.8% Management & commerce ◂ +4.1 pts 11.7%
12.1% Society & culture ◂ +3.3 pts 8.8%
11.7% Health ◂ +1.9 pts 9.8%
7.8% Education ◂ +0.1 pts 7.8%
6.6% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.0 pts 4.6%
5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +1.4 pts 4.0%
2.5% Creative arts ◂ +1.4 pts 1.0%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.6 pts 1.6%
1.7% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.5 pts 1.2%
1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

Income

Personal income in Cairnsin Mount Isa +$346 higher in Mount Isa gap widening
$812 76th pct $1,158 98th pct
Household income in Cairnsin Mount Isa +$661 higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
$1,575 65th pct $2,236 92nd pct
Family income in Cairnsin Mount Isa +$701 higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
$1,951 63rd pct $2,652 93rd pct
High earners in Cairnsin Mount Isa +11.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
9.2% 57th pct 20.8% 98th pct
High-income homes in Cairnsin Mount Isa +13.0 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
16.8% 61st pct 29.9% 91st pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $1,500–$2,999 +0.9 pts ▸ 31.8%
28.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +11.2 pts 17.2%
15.6% Under $650 ◂ +4.5 pts 11.1%
9.1% $3,000–$3,999 +5.9 pts ▸ 15.0%
7.7% $4,000 or more +7.1 pts ▸ 14.8%

Personal income distribution

36.7% Under $650 ◂ +8.4 pts 28.2%
33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.6 pts 25.9%
16.6% $1,500–$2,999 +12.6 pts ▸ 29.3%
2.9% $3,000 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 5.3%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Cairnsin Mount Isa +4.0 pts higher in Cairns
24.6% 12th pct 20.7% 5th pct
Mental health in Cairnsin Mount Isa +2.4 pts higher in Cairns
7.9% 15th pct 5.5% 3rd pct
Needs assistance in Cairnsin Mount Isa +2.1 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
5.4% 23rd pct 3.3% 5th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

7.9% Mental health ◂ +2.4 pts 5.5%
7.7% Other condition ◂ +2.4 pts 5.3%
7.1% Arthritis ◂ +2.8 pts 4.4%
6.3% Asthma +0.7 pts ▸ 7.0%
4.0% Diabetes +0.7 pts ▸ 4.7%
3.5% Heart disease ◂ +0.4 pts 3.0%
2.8% Cancer ◂ +1.3 pts 1.5%
1.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.5 pts 1.2%
0.9% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%
0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.1% None +2.5 pts ▸ 66.5%
17.1% One condition ◂ +2.3 pts 14.8%
5.1% Two conditions ◂ +1.1 pts 4.0%
2.4% Three or more ◂ +0.6 pts 1.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.1 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
13.9% 30th pct 13.8% 28th pct
Unpaid carers in Cairnsin Mount Isa +3.1 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
10.3% 13th pct 7.2% 2nd pct
Unpaid child care in Cairnsin Mount Isa +3.7 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
25.4% 45th pct 29.1% 88th pct
Defence service in Cairnsin Mount Isa +1.4 pts higher in Cairns
4.2% 79th pct 2.8% 27th pct
Housework 15h+ in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.7 pts higher in Cairns gap steady
18.2% 11th pct 17.5% 8th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.1 larger in Mount Isa gap narrowing
2.5 71st pct 2.6 86th pct
One-parent in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.1 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
18.8% 77th pct 18.9% 79th pct
Living alone in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
27.5% 36th pct 28.1% 45th pct

Family composition

52.2% Couples with children +5.3 pts ▸ 57.5%
27.7% Couples without children ◂ +5.5 pts 22.2%
18.8% One-parent families +0.1 pts ▸ 18.9%
1.2% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.4%

Household size

34.8% 2 people ◂ +3.9 pts 30.8%
27.5% 1 person +0.6 pts ▸ 28.1%
15.7% 3 people ◂ +1.0 pts 14.7%
13.6% 4 people +0.7 pts ▸ 14.3%
5.3% 5 people +1.9 pts ▸ 7.2%
3.2% 6 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 4.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairnsin Mount Isa +$65 higher in Cairns gap widening
$340 68th pct $275 31st pct
Mortgage in Cairnsin Mount Isa +$49 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$1,595 59th pct $1,546 52nd pct
People / bedroom in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.10 higher in Mount Isa gap steady
0.80 57th pct 0.90 100th pct
Renting in Cairnsin Mount Isa +9.4 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
36.1% 81st pct 45.6% 94th pct
Owned outright in Cairnsin Mount Isa +9.5 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
25.7% 13th pct 16.2% 2nd pct
Separate houses in Cairnsin Mount Isa +4.1 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
71.0% 13th pct 75.1% 19th pct
3+ bedrooms in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.9 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
70.5% 12th pct 71.4% 14th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.1% Rented +9.4 pts ▸ 45.6%
35.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +5.2 pts 30.0%
25.7% Owned outright ◂ +9.5 pts 16.2%
1.7% Not stated +2.7 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.2% Other tenure +2.5 pts ▸ 3.7%

Types of homes

71.0% Separate house +4.1 pts ▸ 75.1%
17.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +12.7 pts 4.2%
10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.2 pts ▸ 15.9%
0.8% Other dwelling +3.4 pts ▸ 4.1%

Bedrooms per home

35.2% 3 bedrooms +12.6 pts ▸ 47.8%
29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +9.8 pts 19.4%
21.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +4.7 pts 16.8%
5.6% 1 bedroom +1.3 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.2% 5 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 4.2%
0.7% Studio / none ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

41.8% $350–$549 ◂ +12.3 pts 29.4%
37.9% $200–$349 ◂ +6.6 pts 31.3%
11.3% Under $200 +17.6 pts ▸ 28.8%
5.0% $550–$749 ◂ +0.1 pts 4.9%
0.9% $750 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.2% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.1 pts 41.1%
27.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +0.2 pts 27.4%
17.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +0.9 pts 17.0%
7.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.9 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
6.7% 61st pct 7.6% 83rd pct
Work from home in Cairnsin Mount Isa +9.8 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
11.8% 73rd pct 2.0% 0th pct
PT commute in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.8 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
1.1% 69th pct 0.2% 11th pct

How people get to work

57.9% Car (driver) +12.7 pts ▸ 70.5%
11.8% Worked at home ◂ +9.8 pts 2.0%
5.1% Car (passenger) +2.6 pts ▸ 7.7%
2.4% Walked +1.8 pts ▸ 4.2%
1.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
1.0% Bus ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.9% 2 vehicles +1.3 pts ▸ 39.1%
38.4% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.3 pts 34.1%
11.6% 3 vehicles +1.0 pts ▸ 12.6%
6.7% No vehicle +0.9 pts ▸ 7.6%
5.5% 4 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Cairnsin Mount Isa +0.7 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
44.2% 78th pct 43.5% 74th pct
Recent arrivals in Cairnsin Mount Isa +6.3 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
12.2% 46th pct 18.5% 77th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Cairnsin Mount Isa +1.6 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
5.8% 77th pct 4.2% 31st pct
Participation in Cairnsin Mount Isa +5.9 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
62.6% 78th pct 68.5% 97th pct
Full-time in Cairnsin Mount Isa +15.0 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
58.2% 55th pct 73.2% 100th pct

Industries people work in

1.7% Mining +28.9 pts ▸ 30.5%
18.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.8 pts 12.6%
10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +4.3 pts 6.0%
9.8% Retail trade ◂ +2.3 pts 7.5%
8.8% Education & training ◂ +0.4 pts 8.4%
8.4% Construction ◂ +4.3 pts 4.2%
7.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.6 pts 6.8%
5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.5 pts 3.3%
4.8% Professional & technical ◂ +3.2 pts 1.6%
4.5% Other services ◂ +0.5 pts 4.0%
3.7% Administrative & support ◂ +1.0 pts 2.7%
3.4% Manufacturing ◂ +0.5 pts 2.9%

Occupations people work in

14.7% Technicians & trades +6.3 pts ▸ 21.0%
20.9% Professionals ◂ +3.6 pts 17.3%
5.4% Machinery operators & drivers +9.9 pts ▸ 15.3%
15.1% Community & personal service ◂ +4.9 pts 10.2%
11.9% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.9 pts 11.0%
10.9% Managers ◂ +3.3 pts 7.6%
9.8% Labourers ◂ +0.9 pts 8.9%
9.6% Sales workers ◂ +3.1 pts 6.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairnsin Mount Isa +3.0 higher in Cairns
5.7 77th pct 2.7 6th pct
Types ≤15 min in Cairnsin Mount Isa +2.3 more in Cairns
5.4 74th pct 3.0 7th pct
15-min city in Cairnsin Mount Isa +42.8 pts higher in Cairns
66.5% 76th pct 23.7% 0th pct
Walk to shops in Cairnsin Mount Isa +41.8 pts higher in Cairns
68.3% 81st pct 26.5% 0th pct
Walk to transit in Cairnsin Mount Isa +85.5 pts higher in Cairns
85.5% 60th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Cairnsin Mount Isa +18.4 pts higher in Mount Isa
64.0% 50th pct 82.4% 92nd pct
Walk to a park in Cairnsin Mount Isa +3.4 pts higher in Cairns
96.3% 90th pct 92.9% 71st pct
Walk to health in Cairnsin Mount Isa +21.8 pts higher in Cairns
44.2% 62nd pct 22.4% 11th pct
Amenities/1k in Cairnsin Mount Isa +7.4 more in Cairns
13.0 30th pct 5.6 0th pct
Intersections/km² in Cairnsin Mount Isa +39 higher in Cairns
66 93rd pct 27 64th pct
Mean slope in Cairnsin Mount Isa +1.8 pts higher in Cairns
5.6% 59th pct 3.8% 24th 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 Mount Isa with nearby areas

Not in any Significant Urban Area Alice Springs Not in any Significant Urban Area Cairns Townsville Emerald Airlie Beach - Cannonvale Not in any Significant Urban Area Mackay Rockhampton Broken Hill Yeppoon

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Mount Isa [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3004/cairns/vs/3013/mount-isa