Cairns City

The population is younger than the national figure, with a typical age of 37 and very few children under 15. About 7.5% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national average of 3.2%.

Birthplace diversity is high, with 32.6% of people born overseas—well above the 27.7% national figure. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

Language diversity is strong, with 23.0% of residents using a language other than English at home. This is higher than most similar areas and well above the Queensland figure of 13.2%.

About 38.2% of people report having no religion, a figure that rose 12 points since 2011. This is about the same as the national average.

The area is well-qualified, with 23.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, which rose nearly 6 points since 2011. There are also a high number of schools for the number of children in the area.

Typical weekly household incomes are $1,375, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 13.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a figure much lower than most areas.

Residents are generally healthier than average, with only 19.4% reporting a long-term health condition, which is well below the national figure of 27.7%.

Unpaid care and housework are far less common here than in the rest of the state, likely reflecting the high number of people living alone. Volunteers make up 12.0% of the community.

First Nations people in the area are notably older than average at 28 and have a high rate of language preservation, with 33.3% speaking a First Nations language. However, unemployment for this group is very high at 20.6%.

Living arrangements are unusual for the region, with 43.4% of people living alone and 21.0% of families being one-parent households. This explains why the typical home only has 2.0 people.

Renting is the norm, with 59.9% of households renting—far above the national figure of 30.6%. Most people live in flats or apartments, and very few homes have three or more bedrooms.

The area is less car-dependent than most, with 15.9% of homes having no motor vehicle. Public transport departures are far above the Queensland average.

The community is highly mobile, with 53.3% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 30.8% of the population, which is far above the national figure.

Jobs are concentrated in accommodation, food, and health care. Unemployment is high at 8.2%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%.

The city is a major business hub with 2,526 businesses, though it ranks poorly for overall access to money and resources compared to other areas.

The climate is very wet and warm, with annual rainfall of 2,227mm and a typical minimum temperature of 20.9 degrees, both far above the state average.

Cairns City is a walker's paradise, with a walkability score of 8.7. Nearly every home is within a 15-minute walk of groceries, health services, and public transport.