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Cairns vs Mareeba

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

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 36 km apart · Cairns profile · Mareeba profile

Cairns Mareeba

Cairns and Mareeba are nearby Queensland neighbours with very different layouts and lifestyles. Cairns is a more urban hub where life is more walkable (somewhat walkable) and 85.9% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. In contrast, Mareeba is mostly car-dependent and has no homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. This difference extends to education and income; 55.5% of Cairns residents finished Year 12 compared to 39.9% in Mareeba, and the typical household income is well higher in Cairns at $1,574 per week compared to $1,150 in Mareeba.

Both areas have a similar share of children under 15, at around 19%. While they share this family profile, other gaps are shifting. The difference in Year 12 completion has widened since 2011, and the lead in typical weekly incomes has flipped in favour of Cairns. Meanwhile, Mareeba continues to have a well higher share of older people, with 22.7% aged 65 and over compared to 15.3% in Cairns.

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Where they differ most

Population: 144,596 larger in Cairns Year 12: 15.6 pts higher in Cairns Separate houses: 15.4 pts higher in Mareeba Work from home: 7.4 pts higher in Cairns Participation: 11.6 pts higher in Cairns

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cairns in Mareeba +144,596 larger in Cairns gap widening

153,181 86th pct 8,585 86th pct

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

39 yrs 29th pct 40 yrs 32nd pct

Age structure

27.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.0 pts 25.1%

26.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.2 pts 22.7%

15.3% Seniors (65+) +7.4 pts ▸ 22.7%

19.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.2 pts 18.8%

11.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.1 pts 10.7%

Marital status

41.7% Never married ◂ +1.5 pts 40.2%

39.3% Married ◂ +0.5 pts 38.8%

10.8% Divorced ◂ +1.1 pts 9.7%

4.4% Widowed +3.1 pts ▸ 7.5%

3.9% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%

Age & sex structure

Cairns Mareeba

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

68.2% Australia +2.1 pts ▸ 70.3%

4.0% England ◂ +2.5 pts 1.6%

0.4% Italy +2.9 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.9% New Zealand ◂ +1.3 pts 1.6%

1.3% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%

1.2% India ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

0.6% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

34.2% English ◂ +6.3 pts 27.9%

29.4% Australian +1.5 pts ▸ 30.9%

4.7% Italian +7.9 pts ▸ 12.6%

10.4% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 8.5%

9.3% Scottish ◂ +2.1 pts 7.2%

5.2% German ◂ +1.0 pts 4.2%

2.1% Chinese ◂ +0.4 pts 1.7%

2.0% Filipino ◂ +1.0 pts 1.0%

1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.9 pts 0.7%

1.3% Indian ◂ +0.7 pts 0.7%

0.6% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

0.3% Vietnamese even 0.3%

Language

Language used at home

76.1% English only ◂ +1.4 pts 74.7%

0.6% Italian +3.8 pts ▸ 4.4%

0.7% Mandarin +0.6 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

0.5% Tagalog ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.4% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Hindi even 0.2%

0.1% Greek even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

42.5% Christianity +7.8 pts ▸ 50.3%

42.4% No religion ◂ +9.0 pts 33.4%

10.7% Not stated +2.4 pts ▸ 13.0%

1.7% Buddhism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.9%

1.1% Other religions ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.5% Islam +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%

1.0% Hinduism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

55.5% Year 12 ◂ +15.6 pts 39.9%

19.1% Year 10 +5.5 pts ▸ 24.6%

7.4% Year 9 or below +8.6 pts ▸ 16.0%

7.8% Year 11 ◂ +1.2 pts 6.5%

Highest qualification level

31.0% Certificate III / IV +2.1 pts ▸ 33.1%

21.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.6 pts 15.7%

15.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.0 pts 13.4%

5.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.0 pts 2.8%

3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.6 pts 1.8%

2.4% Certificate I / II even 2.4%

Field of qualification

15.8% Management & commerce ◂ +3.6 pts 12.2%

14.1% Engineering & related ◂ +0.6 pts 13.5%

12.1% Society & culture ◂ +1.8 pts 10.3%

11.7% Health ◂ +2.9 pts 8.8%

7.8% Education +0.2 pts ▸ 8.0%

6.6% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.3 pts 5.3%

5.4% Architecture & building even 5.4%

1.7% Agriculture & environment +1.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.5% Creative arts ◂ +0.9 pts 1.6%

2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.5 pts 1.7%

1.4% Information technology ◂ +0.7 pts 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Cairns in Mareeba +$151 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$811 78th pct $660 49th pct

Household income in Cairns in Mareeba +$424 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,574 70th pct $1,150 39th pct

Family income in Cairns in Mareeba +$479 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,949 73rd pct $1,470 42nd pct

Household income distribution

28.4% $650–$1,499 +4.5 pts ▸ 32.9%

30.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +6.0 pts 24.9%

15.6% Under $650 +6.6 pts ▸ 22.2%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.4 pts 5.7%

7.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 4.0%

Personal income distribution

36.7% Under $650 +6.4 pts ▸ 43.1%

33.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.2 pts 33.3%

16.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +6.8 pts 9.8%

2.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 1.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Arthritis +2.2 pts ▸ 9.4%

7.9% Mental health ◂ +0.5 pts 7.4%

7.7% Other condition ◂ +0.8 pts 7.0%

6.4% Asthma +0.6 pts ▸ 7.0%

4.0% Diabetes +2.6 pts ▸ 6.5%

3.5% Heart disease +1.5 pts ▸ 5.0%

2.8% Cancer +0.2 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.7% Lung condition +0.7 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.9% Stroke +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.7% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

64.0% None ◂ +5.4 pts 58.7%

17.1% One condition +0.7 pts ▸ 17.8%

5.1% Two conditions +1.1 pts ▸ 6.2%

2.4% Three or more +1.6 pts ▸ 4.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

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

2.5 64th pct 2.4 57th pct

Family composition

52.2% Couples with children ◂ +7.3 pts 44.9%

27.7% Couples without children +2.7 pts ▸ 30.4%

18.8% One-parent families +4.1 pts ▸ 22.9%

1.2% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.7%

Household size

34.8% 2 people +1.3 pts ▸ 36.1%

27.5% 1 person +2.8 pts ▸ 30.3%

15.7% 3 people ◂ +2.7 pts 13.0%

13.6% 4 people ◂ +2.8 pts 10.8%

5.3% 5 people +0.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.2% 6 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 4.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cairns in Mareeba +$54 higher in Cairns gap steady

$340 73rd pct $286 54th pct

Mortgage in Cairns in Mareeba +$210 higher in Cairns gap narrowing

$1,590 69th pct $1,380 51st pct

People / bedroom in Cairns in Mareeba even gap steady

0.80 57th pct 0.80 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.2% Rented ◂ +0.6 pts 35.5%

35.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +11.4 pts 23.8%

25.7% Owned outright +9.3 pts ▸ 35.0%

1.7% Not stated +2.4 pts ▸ 4.1%

1.2% Other tenure +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

Types of homes

71.0% Separate house +15.4 pts ▸ 86.4%

17.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +7.2 pts 9.7%

10.6% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +9.5 pts 1.1%

0.7% Other dwelling +1.4 pts ▸ 2.1%

Bedrooms per home

35.2% 3 bedrooms +9.2 pts ▸ 44.4%

29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +3.4 pts 25.7%

21.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +5.1 pts 16.4%

6.2% 5 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 3.6%

5.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.3 pts 5.3%

0.7% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Weekly rent distribution

37.9% $200–$349 +12.9 pts ▸ 50.8%

41.8% $350–$549 ◂ +17.5 pts 24.3%

11.3% Under $200 +10.1 pts ▸ 21.3%

5.0% $550–$749 ◂ +4.6 pts 0.4%

0.9% $750 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.2% $1,000–$1,799 +10.0 pts ▸ 51.2%

27.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +8.2 pts 19.3%

17.9% Under $1,000 +2.9 pts ▸ 20.8%

7.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +4.6 pts 3.2%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

57.9% Car (driver) +7.0 pts ▸ 64.8%

11.8% Worked at home ◂ +7.4 pts 4.4%

5.1% Car (passenger) +4.0 pts ▸ 9.1%

2.4% Walked +1.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.0% Bus +1.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.2% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle +1.3 pts ▸ 39.8%

37.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.1 pts 34.8%

11.6% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.3 pts 11.3%

6.7% No vehicle +2.3 pts ▸ 9.0%

5.5% 4 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 5.2%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.3 pts 14.1%

1.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +13.9 pts ▸ 15.0%

10.3% Accommodation & food ◂ +4.0 pts 6.3%

9.8% Retail trade ◂ +0.4 pts 9.4%

8.8% Education & training ◂ +1.0 pts 7.8%

7.4% Public administration & safety +1.4 pts ▸ 8.7%

8.4% Construction ◂ +1.6 pts 6.8%

5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +2.7 pts 3.1%

3.4% Manufacturing +1.9 pts ▸ 5.3%

4.8% Professional & technical ◂ +2.3 pts 2.5%

4.5% Other services ◂ +0.3 pts 4.2%

3.7% Administrative & support ◂ +0.4 pts 3.3%

Occupations people work in

9.8% Labourers +11.9 pts ▸ 21.7%

20.9% Professionals ◂ +8.2 pts 12.7%

15.1% Community & personal service ◂ +1.2 pts 13.9%

14.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.4 pts 13.3%

11.9% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.4 pts 10.5%

10.9% Managers ◂ +0.5 pts 10.4%

9.6% Sales workers ◂ +1.0 pts 8.6%

5.4% Machinery operators & drivers +1.1 pts ▸ 6.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Cairns in Mareeba +2.6 higher in Cairns

5.7 78th pct 3.1 32nd pct

Types ≤15 min in Cairns in Mareeba +1.8 more in Cairns

5.4 64th pct 3.6 35th pct

15-min city in Cairns in Mareeba +24.5 pts higher in Cairns

66.9% 56th pct 42.4% 41st pct

Walk to shops in Cairns in Mareeba +23.0 pts higher in Cairns

68.6% 58th pct 45.7% 42nd pct

Walk to transit in Cairns in Mareeba +85.9 pts higher in Cairns

85.9% 78th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Cairns in Mareeba +18.8 pts higher in Cairns

64.2% 46th pct 45.3% 34th pct

Walk to a park in Cairns in Mareeba +23.3 pts higher in Cairns

96.3% 64th pct 73.0% 26th pct

Walk to health in Cairns in Mareeba +5.8 pts higher in Cairns

44.4% 58th pct 38.6% 56th pct

Amenities/1k in Cairns in Mareeba +7.5 more in Cairns

12.9 32nd pct 5.4 11th pct

Intersections/km² in Cairns in Mareeba +49 higher in Cairns

82 88th pct 33 52nd pct

Mean slope in Cairns in Mareeba +1.5 pts higher in Cairns

5.5% 61st pct 4.0% 40th pct

Compare Cairns with nearby areas

Kuranda Yarrabah Gordonvale Goldsborough Mareeba Mareeba - South Tinaroo Oak Beach

Compare Mareeba with nearby areas

Mareeba - South Walkamin Tolga - West Tinaroo Tolga Atherton Kuranda Yungaburra

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cairns vs Mareeba [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL303001/cairns/vs/UCL314016/mareeba