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Cairns vs Not in any Significant Urban Area

Urban Area comparison ≈ 1,332 km apart · Cairns profile · Not in any Significant Urban Area profile

Cairns Not in any Significant Urban Area

Cairns and Not in any Significant Urban Area (NT) are two very different regions. Cairns has a much higher proportion of people born overseas (23.3%) and a far higher typical weekly personal income of $812. In contrast, Not in any Significant Urban Area (NT) is far more likely to be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, at 53.2%, and has a far higher share of people who use a language other than English at home (46.2%). Education levels also differ, with a far higher share of Cairns residents completing Year 12 (55.5%) compared to 31.9% in Not in any Significant Urban Area (NT).

Both areas share a very similar typical weekly household income, sitting around $1,600. They also have similar rates of people providing unpaid care and those who have served in the Defence Force. Over time, the gap in typical personal incomes has narrowed since 2011, though Cairns remains far higher. Meanwhile, the difference in walkability has stayed stark; Cairns is somewhat walkable, while Not in any Significant Urban Area (NT) is mostly car-dependent.

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Where they differ most

First Nations: 43.6 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area Other language: 31.5 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area Year 12: 23.6 pts higher in Cairns Born overseas: 14.9 pts higher in Cairns Recent movers: 16.1 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +73,950 larger in Cairns gap steady
153,425 77th pct 79,475 72nd pct
Median age in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +7 yrs older in Cairns gap widening
39 yrs 43rd pct 32 yrs 0th pct
First Nations in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +43.6 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
9.6% 86th pct 53.2% 100th pct
Aged 65+ in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +7.8 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
15.3% 18th pct 7.5% 1st pct
Under 15 in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +3.5 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap widening
19.0% 67th pct 22.5% 92nd pct
De facto in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +1.1 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
15.2% 86th pct 14.1% 79th pct

Age structure

27.1% Young adults (25–44) +4.4 pts ▸ 31.5%
26.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.3 pts 23.6%
19.0% Children (0–14) +3.5 pts ▸ 22.5%
15.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +7.8 pts 7.5%
11.7% Youth (15–24) +3.2 pts ▸ 14.9%

Marital status

41.7% Never married +3.4 pts ▸ 45.0%
39.3% Married +2.0 pts ▸ 41.4%
10.8% Divorced ◂ +4.7 pts 6.1%
4.4% Widowed ◂ +0.5 pts 3.9%
3.8% Separated ◂ +0.2 pts 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Not in any Significant Urban Area

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +14.9 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
23.3% 88th pct 8.4% 10th pct

Country of birth

68.2% Australia +13.0 pts ▸ 81.2%
4.0% England ◂ +2.7 pts 1.3%
2.9% New Zealand ◂ +1.6 pts 1.3%
1.3% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%
1.2% India ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%
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 ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.2% Vietnam even 0.3%

Ancestry

34.2% English ◂ +18.2 pts 16.0%
29.4% Australian ◂ +11.7 pts 17.8%
10.4% Irish ◂ +5.6 pts 4.8%
9.3% Scottish ◂ +5.0 pts 4.3%
5.2% German ◂ +2.8 pts 2.5%
4.7% Italian ◂ +3.7 pts 1.0%
2.1% Chinese ◂ +1.4 pts 0.7%
2.0% Filipino ◂ +1.0 pts 1.0%
1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.9 pts 0.8%
1.3% Indian ◂ +0.9 pts 0.4%
0.6% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.3% Vietnamese even 0.3%

Language

Other language in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +31.5 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
14.7% 86th pct 46.2% 100th pct
Limited English in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +4.6 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap steady
1.9% 84th pct 6.5% 100th pct

Language used at home

76.1% English only ◂ +34.7 pts 41.4%
0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%
0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.6% Italian ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.4% Cantonese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.3% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Arabic even 0.1%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +9.9 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
42.4% 50th pct 32.5% 8th pct

Religious affiliation

42.5% Christianity +3.0 pts ▸ 45.5%
42.4% No religion ◂ +9.9 pts 32.5%
10.7% Not stated +5.3 pts ▸ 15.9%
1.1% Other religions +3.3 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.7% Buddhism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.8%
1.0% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.5%
0.5% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +23.6 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
55.5% 86th pct 31.9% 0th pct
Bachelor+ in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +10.0 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
19.7% 73rd pct 9.7% 7th pct

Highest year of school

55.5% Year 12 ◂ +23.6 pts 31.9%
19.1% Year 10 +2.4 pts ▸ 21.6%
7.4% Year 9 or below +11.4 pts ▸ 18.8%
7.8% Year 11 +5.0 pts ▸ 12.7%

Highest qualification level

31.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.9 pts 28.2%
21.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +8.2 pts 13.1%
15.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +5.4 pts 9.9%
5.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.7 pts 4.0%
2.4% Certificate I / II +1.9 pts ▸ 4.3%
3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.8 pts 2.6%

Field of qualification

15.8% Management & commerce ◂ +5.4 pts 10.4%
14.0% Engineering & related ◂ +1.0 pts 13.0%
12.1% Society & culture ◂ +3.1 pts 9.0%
11.7% Health ◂ +4.3 pts 7.4%
7.8% Education ◂ +0.3 pts 7.5%
6.6% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.9 pts 3.8%
5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +0.8 pts 4.6%
1.7% Agriculture & environment +2.6 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.5% Creative arts ◂ +1.0 pts 1.5%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.0 pts 1.3%
1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.7 pts 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +$366 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$812 76th pct $446 0th pct
Household income in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +$44 higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
$1,575 65th pct $1,619 69th pct
Family income in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +$728 higher in Cairns gap narrowing
$1,951 63rd pct $1,223 0th pct
High earners in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +1.2 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
9.2% 57th pct 8.0% 44th pct
High-income homes in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +1.5 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
16.8% 61st pct 18.4% 71st pct

Household income distribution

30.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.1 pts 27.8%
28.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.5 pts 25.8%
15.6% Under $650 ◂ +0.7 pts 14.9%
9.1% $3,000–$3,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 9.7%
7.7% $4,000 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 8.7%

Personal income distribution

36.7% Under $650 +13.8 pts ▸ 50.5%
33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +14.8 pts 18.6%
16.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.3 pts 13.3%
2.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 2.2%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +6.2 pts higher in Cairns
24.6% 12th pct 18.5% 2nd pct
Mental health in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +4.2 pts higher in Cairns
7.9% 15th pct 3.7% 0th pct
Needs assistance in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +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 ◂ +4.2 pts 3.7%
7.7% Other condition ◂ +2.6 pts 5.2%
7.1% Arthritis ◂ +4.0 pts 3.1%
6.3% Asthma ◂ +1.7 pts 4.6%
4.0% Diabetes +1.1 pts ▸ 5.1%
3.5% Heart disease +0.7 pts ▸ 4.2%
2.8% Cancer ◂ +1.7 pts 1.1%
1.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.5 pts 1.2%
0.9% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%
0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.1% None +2.9 pts ▸ 66.9%
17.1% One condition ◂ +3.2 pts 13.9%
5.1% Two conditions ◂ +1.9 pts 3.2%
2.4% Three or more ◂ +1.1 pts 1.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +4.0 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
13.9% 30th pct 9.9% 0th pct
Unpaid carers in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.2 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
10.3% 13th pct 10.5% 14th pct
Unpaid child care in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +11.0 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap widening
25.4% 45th pct 36.4% 100th pct
Defence service in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.9 pts higher in Cairns
4.2% 79th pct 3.3% 57th pct
Housework 15h+ in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.2 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
18.2% 11th pct 18.4% 12th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.8 larger in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap widening
2.5 71st pct 3.3 100th pct
One-parent in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +2.8 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
18.8% 77th pct 21.5% 92nd pct
Living alone in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +5.3 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
27.5% 36th pct 22.2% 7th pct

Family composition

52.2% Couples with children +5.7 pts ▸ 57.9%
27.7% Couples without children ◂ +9.2 pts 18.5%
18.8% One-parent families +2.8 pts ▸ 21.5%
1.2% Other families +0.8 pts ▸ 2.0%

Household size

34.8% 2 people ◂ +9.0 pts 25.8%
27.5% 1 person ◂ +5.3 pts 22.2%
3.2% 6 or more +14.1 pts ▸ 17.2%
15.7% 3 people ◂ +2.9 pts 12.8%
13.6% 4 people ◂ +0.4 pts 13.2%
5.3% 5 people +3.5 pts ▸ 8.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +$240 higher in Cairns gap widening
$340 68th pct $100 0th pct
Mortgage in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +$355 higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap widening
$1,595 59th pct $1,950 86th pct
People / bedroom in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.40 higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap steady
0.80 57th pct 1.20 100th pct
Renting in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +16.1 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
36.1% 81st pct 52.3% 100th pct
Owned outright in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +11.7 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
25.7% 13th pct 14.1% 0th pct
Separate houses in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +12.5 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap widening
71.0% 13th pct 83.5% 45th pct
3+ bedrooms in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +5.9 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
70.5% 12th pct 64.6% 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.1% Rented +16.1 pts ▸ 52.3%
35.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +16.5 pts 18.7%
25.7% Owned outright ◂ +11.7 pts 14.1%
1.2% Other tenure +10.5 pts ▸ 11.7%
1.7% Not stated +1.5 pts ▸ 3.2%

Types of homes

71.0% Separate house +12.5 pts ▸ 83.5%
17.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +14.5 pts 2.4%
10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +2.0 pts 8.6%
0.8% Other dwelling +2.7 pts ▸ 3.4%

Bedrooms per home

35.2% 3 bedrooms +8.6 pts ▸ 43.7%
29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +13.1 pts 16.1%
21.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.1 pts 20.4%
5.6% 1 bedroom +4.4 pts ▸ 9.9%
6.2% 5 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 4.8%
0.7% Studio / none +1.2 pts ▸ 1.9%

Weekly rent distribution

11.3% Under $200 +51.5 pts ▸ 62.7%
41.8% $350–$549 ◂ +32.3 pts 9.5%
37.9% $200–$349 ◂ +23.9 pts 14.0%
5.0% $550–$749 ◂ +2.9 pts 2.1%
0.9% $750 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.2% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +13.3 pts 27.9%
27.5% $1,800–$2,999 +7.1 pts ▸ 34.7%
7.8% $3,000 or more +10.2 pts ▸ 18.1%
17.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +4.8 pts 13.1%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +17.9 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
6.7% 61st pct 24.6% 100th pct
Work from home in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +6.5 pts higher in Cairns gap widening
11.8% 73rd pct 5.3% 26th pct
PT commute in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.7 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
1.1% 69th pct 1.8% 86th pct

How people get to work

57.9% Car (driver) ◂ +7.5 pts 50.4%
2.4% Walked +16.8 pts ▸ 19.1%
11.8% Worked at home ◂ +6.5 pts 5.3%
5.1% Car (passenger) +2.6 pts ▸ 7.6%
1.0% Bus +0.7 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.2% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.4% 1 vehicle ◂ +5.8 pts 32.6%
37.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +12.6 pts 25.3%
6.7% No vehicle +17.9 pts ▸ 24.6%
11.6% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.4 pts 10.2%
5.5% 4 or more +1.9 pts ▸ 7.3%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +16.1 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
44.2% 78th pct 28.1% 0th pct
Recent arrivals in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +7.3 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
12.2% 46th pct 19.5% 79th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +4.7 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap narrowing
5.8% 77th pct 10.5% 100th pct
Participation in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +17.0 pts higher in Cairns gap narrowing
62.6% 78th pct 45.6% 6th pct
Full-time in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +9.6 pts higher in Not in any Significant Urban Area gap widening
58.2% 55th pct 67.8% 93rd pct

Industries people work in

18.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.8 pts 12.6%
7.4% Public administration & safety +8.6 pts ▸ 16.0%
8.8% Education & training +3.1 pts ▸ 12.0%
10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +3.7 pts 6.6%
9.8% Retail trade ◂ +3.3 pts 6.5%
8.4% Construction ◂ +0.1 pts 8.3%
1.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +6.3 pts ▸ 7.4%
5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.4 pts 3.4%
1.7% Mining +3.1 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.8% Professional & technical ◂ +2.3 pts 2.5%
4.5% Other services ◂ +0.8 pts 3.8%
3.7% Administrative & support ◂ +0.9 pts 2.8%

Occupations people work in

20.9% Professionals ◂ +1.8 pts 19.0%
15.1% Community & personal service +1.0 pts ▸ 16.1%
14.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.5 pts 14.2%
10.9% Managers +2.8 pts ▸ 13.7%
11.9% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.8 pts 11.1%
9.8% Labourers +1.8 pts ▸ 11.6%
9.6% Sales workers ◂ +4.6 pts 5.0%
5.4% Machinery operators & drivers +1.0 pts ▸ 6.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +3.5 higher in Cairns
5.7 77th pct 2.2 0th pct
Types ≤15 min in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +2.8 more in Cairns
5.4 74th pct 2.5 0th pct
15-min city in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +40.5 pts higher in Cairns
66.5% 76th pct 26.0% 2nd pct
Walk to shops in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +31.0 pts higher in Cairns
68.3% 81st pct 37.3% 16th pct
Walk to transit in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +84.0 pts higher in Cairns
85.5% 60th pct 1.5% 1st pct
Walk to school in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +17.1 pts higher in Cairns
64.0% 50th pct 46.9% 21st pct
Walk to a park in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +47.4 pts higher in Cairns
96.3% 90th pct 48.8% 0th pct
Walk to health in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +10.7 pts higher in Cairns
44.2% 62nd pct 33.5% 27th pct
Amenities/1k in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +0.4 more in Not in any Significant Urban Area
13.0 30th pct 13.4 35th pct
Intersections/km² in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +66 higher in Cairns
66 93rd pct 0 0th pct
Mean slope in Cairnsin Not in any Significant Urban Area +2.1 pts higher in Cairns
5.6% 59th pct 3.4% 18th 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 Not in any Significant Urban Area with nearby areas

Alice Springs Mount Isa Darwin Not in any Significant Urban Area Broome Cairns Not in any Significant Urban Area Townsville Not in any Significant Urban Area Port Augusta Whyalla Port Pirie

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Not in any Significant Urban Area [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3004/cairns/vs/7000/not-in-any-significant-urban-area