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Cooktown vs Mossman

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 111 km apart · Cooktown profile · Mossman profile

Cooktown Mossman

Cooktown and Mossman are similar in size and population, but they differ in how people live and work. Mossman is more walkable, with a score of 5.2 (somewhat walkable) compared to Cooktown's 3.6 (mostly car-dependent). This is reflected in the local amenities, as Mossman has far higher shares of homes within a 15-minute walk of schools (70.4% vs 35.5%) and groceries (71.6% vs 56.3%). Cooktown is more mobile and professional; 45.3% of residents moved there in the last five years, and more people work as professionals. In contrast, Mossman has more larger homes, with 69.8% having three or more bedrooms compared to 52.6% in Cooktown.

These two towns share many core characteristics, including a typical resident age of 43 and nearly identical shares of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Both areas also have similar typical weekly household incomes, sitting around $1,200. While they are very alike in these respects, some gaps are shifting. For example, the difference in the share of homes owned outright has widened, while the gap in the number of people earning $2,000 or more a week has narrowed since 2011.

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Where they differ most

PT commute: 0.6 pts higher in Cooktown 3+ bedrooms: 17.2 pts higher in Mossman Recent movers: 10.7 pts higher in Cooktown Full-time: 8.0 pts higher in Cooktown People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Cooktown

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cooktownin Mossman +53 larger in Cooktown gap narrowing
1,797 70th pct 1,744 69th pct
Median age in Cooktownin Mossman even gap narrowing
43 yrs 43rd pct 43 yrs 43rd pct
First Nations in Cooktownin Mossman +0.9 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
22.4% 87th pct 21.5% 87th pct
Aged 65+ in Cooktownin Mossman +2.2 pts higher in Mossman gap narrowing
18.8% 37th pct 20.9% 45th pct
Under 15 in Cooktownin Mossman +1.7 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
19.6% 65th pct 21.3% 76th pct
De facto in Cooktownin Mossman +4.0 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
20.8% 90th pct 16.9% 80th pct

Age structure

28.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.6 pts 26.5%
22.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.1 pts 20.5%
19.6% Children (0–14) +1.7 pts ▸ 21.3%
18.8% Seniors (65+) +2.2 pts ▸ 20.9%
10.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.4 pts 10.3%

Marital status

45.8% Never married ◂ +4.1 pts 41.7%
33.1% Married +2.4 pts ▸ 35.5%
12.6% Divorced +1.0 pts ▸ 13.6%
5.3% Widowed +0.6 pts ▸ 6.0%
2.9% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.1%

Age & sex structure

Cooktown Mossman

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Cooktownin Mossman +0.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
13.2% 66th pct 13.0% 64th pct

Country of birth

72.8% Australia +3.2 pts ▸ 76.0%
2.9% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 2.8%
2.6% England +0.3 pts ▸ 2.9%
0.7% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.4% India +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.4% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.3% Italy even 0.3%
0.2% China even 0.2%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.0%
0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

30.1% English +4.1 pts ▸ 34.2%
32.5% Australian even 32.5%
10.1% Irish ◂ +0.7 pts 9.4%
8.7% Scottish ◂ +1.0 pts 7.7%
1.4% Italian +4.5 pts ▸ 6.0%
4.7% German ◂ +0.5 pts 4.2%
1.3% Filipino ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%
0.9% Chinese +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%
1.2% Dutch ◂ +0.3 pts 0.9%
0.6% Indian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Other language in Cooktownin Mossman +3.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap widening
11.5% 86th pct 8.3% 82nd pct
Limited English in Cooktownin Mossman +0.2 pts higher in Mossman gap steady
0.4% 58th pct 0.6% 69th pct

Language used at home

74.3% English only +6.8 pts ▸ 81.1%
0.0% Tagalog +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.0% Mandarin +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.0% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.0% Hindi +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%
0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Cooktownin Mossman +3.4 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
40.5% 43rd pct 43.9% 56th pct

Religious affiliation

40.5% No religion +3.4 pts ▸ 43.9%
42.4% Christianity ◂ +0.3 pts 42.1%
15.6% Not stated ◂ +3.8 pts 11.8%
0.6% Buddhism +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%
0.3% Islam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.3% Other religions even 0.3%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Cooktownin Mossman +2.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
42.2% 61st pct 39.9% 54th pct
Bachelor+ in Cooktownin Mossman +5.8 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
16.6% 73rd pct 10.8% 46th pct

Highest year of school

42.2% Year 12 ◂ +2.2 pts 39.9%
22.9% Year 10 +1.6 pts ▸ 24.5%
9.8% Year 9 or below +2.4 pts ▸ 12.2%
9.2% Year 11 +2.1 pts ▸ 11.2%

Highest qualification level

30.8% Certificate III / IV +11.2 pts ▸ 41.9%
17.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.0 pts 12.4%
10.9% Advanced diploma / diploma even 10.9%
4.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.0 pts 3.1%
4.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.1 pts 3.0%
2.9% Certificate I / II +0.5 pts ▸ 3.4%

Field of qualification

12.0% Engineering & related +4.1 pts ▸ 16.1%
11.9% Health ◂ +3.7 pts 8.2%
8.8% Management & commerce +1.5 pts ▸ 10.4%
9.9% Education ◂ +0.7 pts 9.2%
9.9% Society & culture ◂ +0.8 pts 9.1%
5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +4.0 pts ▸ 9.4%
4.7% Architecture & building +1.4 pts ▸ 6.1%
2.7% Creative arts +0.6 pts ▸ 3.2%
3.2% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.8 pts 2.4%
1.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%
0.6% Information technology ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

Income

Personal income in Cooktownin Mossman +$84 higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
$697 57th pct $613 39th pct
Household income in Cooktownin Mossman +$65 higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
$1,252 49th pct $1,187 43rd pct
Family income in Cooktownin Mossman +$125 higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
$1,567 49th pct $1,442 39th pct
High earners in Cooktownin Mossman +4.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
8.1% 64th pct 3.9% 24th pct
High-income homes in Cooktownin Mossman +7.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
13.0% 60th pct 5.8% 21st pct

Household income distribution

27.2% $650–$1,499 +7.5 pts ▸ 34.7%
24.2% $1,500–$2,999 +3.4 pts ▸ 27.6%
22.8% Under $650 +0.7 pts ▸ 23.5%
6.7% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.6 pts 3.1%
6.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.6 pts 2.6%

Personal income distribution

39.2% Under $650 +7.2 pts ▸ 46.3%
28.0% $650–$1,499 +2.6 pts ▸ 30.5%
13.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.8 pts 9.7%
2.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 0.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Cooktownin Mossman +5.8 pts higher in Mossman
23.0% 13th pct 28.8% 29th pct
Mental health in Cooktownin Mossman +1.8 pts higher in Mossman
6.1% 14th pct 8.0% 29th pct
Needs assistance in Cooktownin Mossman +2.2 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
4.9% 32nd pct 7.1% 60th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

4.8% Asthma +3.5 pts ▸ 8.4%
6.1% Mental health +1.8 pts ▸ 8.0%
7.6% Arthritis ◂ +0.1 pts 7.6%
5.6% Other condition +1.4 pts ▸ 7.0%
4.4% Diabetes +1.8 pts ▸ 6.2%
3.4% Heart disease +1.4 pts ▸ 4.8%
2.7% Cancer +1.1 pts ▸ 3.7%
1.6% Lung condition +1.0 pts ▸ 2.6%
0.6% Stroke +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.7% Dementia even 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.4% None ◂ +3.4 pts 58.9%
16.0% One condition +2.6 pts ▸ 18.6%
4.4% Two conditions +2.4 pts ▸ 6.8%
2.5% Three or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Cooktownin Mossman +1.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
18.0% 56th pct 16.9% 49th pct
Unpaid carers in Cooktownin Mossman +3.1 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
8.6% 11th pct 11.7% 30th pct
Unpaid child care in Cooktownin Mossman +2.9 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
21.0% 32nd pct 23.9% 47th pct
Defence service in Cooktownin Mossman +0.8 pts higher in Cooktown
4.9% 76th pct 4.1% 64th pct
Housework 15h+ in Cooktownin Mossman +2.5 pts higher in Mossman gap narrowing
17.5% 12th pct 19.9% 19th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cooktownin Mossman +0.1 larger in Mossman gap steady
2.3 43rd pct 2.4 57th pct
One-parent in Cooktownin Mossman +3.4 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
19.7% 75th pct 23.1% 86th pct
Living alone in Cooktownin Mossman +4.5 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
35.6% 74th pct 31.2% 57th pct

Family composition

48.1% Couples with children +0.3 pts ▸ 48.4%
30.4% Couples without children ◂ +4.4 pts 26.1%
19.7% One-parent families +3.4 pts ▸ 23.1%
1.2% Other families +1.0 pts ▸ 2.2%

Household size

35.6% 1 person ◂ +4.5 pts 31.2%
32.4% 2 people +2.0 pts ▸ 34.4%
10.9% 4 people +2.2 pts ▸ 13.1%
13.0% 3 people ◂ +0.4 pts 12.6%
3.7% 6 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 5.0%
4.4% 5 people +0.2 pts ▸ 4.7%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cooktownin Mossman +$40 higher in Mossman gap narrowing
$220 29th pct $260 46th pct
Mortgage in Cooktownin Mossman +$100 higher in Mossman gap narrowing
$1,200 36th pct $1,300 43rd pct
People / bedroom in Cooktownin Mossman +0.10 higher in Cooktown gap steady
0.90 88th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Cooktownin Mossman +7.7 pts higher in Cooktown gap widening
47.2% 88th pct 39.6% 86th pct
Owned outright in Cooktownin Mossman +4.5 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
26.5% 18th pct 31.0% 27th pct
Separate houses in Cooktownin Mossman +1.4 pts higher in Mossman gap narrowing
81.5% 13th pct 82.9% 14th pct
3+ bedrooms in Cooktownin Mossman +17.2 pts higher in Mossman gap widening
52.6% 3rd pct 69.8% 24th pct

How homes are owned or rented

47.2% Rented ◂ +7.7 pts 39.6%
26.5% Owned outright +4.5 pts ▸ 31.0%
16.4% Owned with a mortgage +8.1 pts ▸ 24.5%
4.0% Other tenure ◂ +1.8 pts 2.2%
4.0% Not stated ◂ +1.8 pts 2.2%

Types of homes

81.5% Separate house +1.4 pts ▸ 82.9%
12.5% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +5.7 pts 6.9%
1.1% Flat or apartment +6.7 pts ▸ 7.8%
4.1% Other dwelling ◂ +2.6 pts 1.6%

Bedrooms per home

37.3% 3 bedrooms +8.0 pts ▸ 45.3%
28.9% 2 bedrooms ◂ +6.5 pts 22.4%
12.5% 4 bedrooms +9.6 pts ▸ 22.1%
10.9% 1 bedroom ◂ +6.0 pts 4.8%
3.5% Studio / none ◂ +3.0 pts 0.5%
2.8% 5 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 2.3%

Weekly rent distribution

34.0% $200–$349 +8.5 pts ▸ 42.5%
36.9% Under $200 ◂ +11.7 pts 25.2%
17.5% $350–$549 +7.7 pts ▸ 25.2%
1.6% $550–$749 ◂ +1.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% $750 or more even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

34.6% $1,000–$1,799 +11.9 pts ▸ 46.5%
34.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +9.1 pts 25.5%
20.6% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +4.6 pts 15.9%
4.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 2.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Cooktownin Mossman +1.3 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
9.3% 86th pct 7.9% 81st pct
Work from home in Cooktownin Mossman +0.4 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
6.4% 39th pct 6.0% 36th pct
PT commute in Cooktownin Mossman +0.6 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
0.6% 69th pct 0.0% 0th pct

How people get to work

57.6% Car (driver) ◂ +1.0 pts 56.7%
11.1% Walked ◂ +2.3 pts 8.8%
9.3% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.5 pts 6.7%
6.4% Worked at home ◂ +0.4 pts 6.0%
1.0% Bicycle +0.6 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.6% Bus ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

46.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +5.0 pts 41.0%
31.1% 2 vehicles +2.9 pts ▸ 34.0%
10.4% 3 vehicles +1.5 pts ▸ 11.9%
9.3% No vehicle ◂ +1.3 pts 7.9%
3.8% 4 or more even 3.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Cooktownin Mossman +10.7 pts higher in Cooktown gap steady
45.3% 88th pct 34.5% 48th pct
Recent arrivals in Cooktownin Mossman +4.4 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
10.1% 71st pct 5.7% 54th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Cooktownin Mossman +0.3 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
6.7% 73rd pct 6.4% 72nd pct
Participation in Cooktownin Mossman +0.2 pts higher in Cooktown gap narrowing
52.3% 47th pct 52.1% 47th pct
Full-time in Cooktownin Mossman +8.0 pts higher in Cooktown gap widening
61.3% 76th pct 53.4% 35th pct

Industries people work in

20.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +9.3 pts 11.1%
11.6% Retail trade +3.2 pts ▸ 14.8%
14.0% Public administration & safety ◂ +8.6 pts 5.4%
11.8% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.8 pts 11.1%
11.8% Education & training ◂ +1.4 pts 10.5%
8.1% Construction ◂ +0.8 pts 7.3%
2.6% Administrative & support +5.5 pts ▸ 8.1%
2.4% Transport & warehousing +3.7 pts ▸ 6.1%
3.4% Other services +1.2 pts ▸ 4.6%
1.0% Manufacturing +2.9 pts ▸ 3.9%
0.7% Mining +2.1 pts ▸ 2.8%
2.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +0.5 pts 2.1%

Occupations people work in

23.8% Professionals ◂ +12.2 pts 11.7%
10.7% Technicians & trades +8.6 pts ▸ 19.3%
11.0% Labourers +4.7 pts ▸ 15.7%
15.4% Community & personal service even 15.4%
12.6% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.9 pts 10.6%
12.1% Managers ◂ +4.7 pts 7.5%
9.0% Sales workers +1.5 pts ▸ 10.5%
5.0% Machinery operators & drivers +2.6 pts ▸ 7.6%

Walkability

Walk score in Cooktownin Mossman +1.6 higher in Mossman
3.6 39th pct 5.2 67th pct
Types ≤15 min in Cooktownin Mossman +1.2 more in Mossman
4.2 44th pct 5.5 66th pct
15-min city in Cooktownin Mossman +9.3 pts higher in Mossman
61.0% 52nd pct 70.3% 59th pct
Walk to shops in Cooktownin Mossman +15.3 pts higher in Mossman
56.3% 48th pct 71.6% 61st pct
Walk to transit in Cooktownin Mossman even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Cooktownin Mossman +34.9 pts higher in Mossman
35.5% 29th pct 70.4% 51st pct
Walk to a park in Cooktownin Mossman +14.5 pts higher in Mossman
84.2% 35th pct 98.6% 77th pct
Walk to health in Cooktownin Mossman +0.7 pts higher in Cooktown
73.2% 77th pct 72.5% 76th pct
Amenities/1k in Cooktownin Mossman +4.5 more in Mossman
16.7 45th pct 21.2 57th pct
Intersections/km² in Cooktownin Mossman +6 higher in Mossman
24 38th pct 31 48th pct
Mean slope in Cooktownin Mossman +6.4 pts higher in Cooktown
9.3% 89th pct 2.9% 18th pct

Compare Cooktown with nearby areas

Hope Vale Wujal Wujal Daintree Laura Wonga Beach Newell Cooya Beach Mossman

Compare Mossman with nearby areas

Cooya Beach Newell Port Douglas - Craiglie Wonga Beach Oak Beach Daintree Kuranda Wujal Wujal

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cooktown vs Mossman [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL315024/cooktown/vs/UCL315068/mossman