15.9% ▼ -26.6%
Higher than 89% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 21.6%
- 2016: 18.3%
- 2021: 15.9%
Share of occupied private dwellings with no registered motor vehicle.
Cairns City · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Transport & Vehicles in Cairns City
How households get around — the vehicles they keep and the journey to work.
Far fewer homes in Cairns City are without a car than they were in 2011, though carless households still make up 15.9% of the area. This is well above the national figure, reflecting a city where many residents avoid owning a vehicle. While car travel remains the primary way to get around, a significant 12.5% of workers walk to their jobs.
Vehicles
Motor vehicles per home, and homes with no car.
About 15.9% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is among the highest rate for similar areas and far above the Queensland figure of 5.8%. Most households have one car (54.4%), while 21.8% have two.
Motor vehicles per home
View on map →In Cairns City, 1 vehicle is the majority at 54%; 2 vehicles is next at 22%.
Getting to work
How people travel to work.
Only 10.4% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure of 21%. This is lower than most areas, though the number has risen 6.5 percentage points since 2011.
10.4% ▲ +167.4%
Lower than 68% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 3.9%
- 2016: 3.6%
- 2021: 10.4%
Share of employed people aged 15+ who worked at home on census day.
2.0% ▼ -23.2%
Higher than 51% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 2.6%
- 2016: 2.7%
- 2021: 2.0%
Share of employed people who got to work by train, bus, ferry or tram/light rail as their only method of travel on census day.
Public transport access
Stops, services, routes and how far you can get by public transport.
Public transport here is exclusively by bus. While the number of stops per 1,000 people is a little below the state average, the number of weekly departures is far above the Queensland figure.
32
Lower than 58% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Scheduled public-transport stops (bus, train, tram and ferry) located in the area, from the state GTFS feeds.
2.55
Lower than 74% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Public-transport stops per 1,000 residents — a measure of how densely an area is served (GTFS stops; population from the 2021 Census).
2,312.1
Higher than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Scheduled weekly public-transport departures from stops in the area, per 1,000 residents — how often transit actually runs, not just whether a stop exists (GTFS schedules for a representative week; population from the 2021 Census).
20
Higher than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Distinct public-transport routes serving stops in the area (GTFS feeds).
Getting around
Walking distance to transport and driving time to the city.
It takes a typical resident about 6 minutes to walk to the nearest public transport stop, which is higher than in most areas.
6
Higher than 57% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Walking time, in minutes, from the centre of the area to the nearest public-transport stop, along the OpenStreetMap pedestrian network (Valhalla). Blank where no stop is within a reasonable walk.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
- Public transport timetables (GTFS) — State & territory transport agencies, 2026 (CC BY 4.0 (WA: custom PTA licence)).
- Road & path network (OpenStreetMap, via Valhalla) — OpenStreetMap contributors, 2026 (ODbL 1.0).
More for Cairns City
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Transport & Vehicles in Cairns City [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/306021145/cairns-city/topic/transport