Cairns

The area has a very strong First Nations population at 10.6%, which is well above the national figure. Residents are noticeably older than the state and national average, with seniors making up 18% of the community.

About 20% of people were born overseas, which is a little below the Queensland average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, while England, New Zealand and the Philippines are the most frequent birthplaces outside Australia.

English is the main language for 77.6% of people. Around 12.9% of residents use another language at home, a figure that has risen since 2011 and is about the same as the state average.

People with no religion now make up 40.7% of the population, which is a jump of 17 percentage points since 2011. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 44.3%.

Education levels are below the national figure, with 50.4% of residents completing Year 12. Those with a bachelor degree or higher make up 16.9% of adults, though this has risen since 2011.

Typical incomes are lower than in most areas; the typical household earns $1,445 a week. This is a little below the national figure of $1,746, although weekly incomes have risen since 2011.

A lower share of people report long-term health conditions compared to most areas. About 25.7% have a long-term condition, with arthritis and mental health being the most common.

The community has a high proportion of Defence Force veterans at 4.1%. However, the number of people who volunteer has fallen since 2011 to 14.8%.

Cairns has one of the largest First Nations populations at this level, and 22.9% speak a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure. Unemployment for this group is much higher than in most areas at 18.2%.

One-parent families are very common here at 18%, which is among the highest for its level. About 27.5% of people live alone, a figure that has risen slightly over the last decade.

Renters are more common here than in most areas, and the typical weekly rent of $310 is lower than the national figure. Detached houses make up 77.5% of homes, though there are fewer three-bedroom-plus homes than usual.

The area relies heavily on cars, with only 1.3% of people commuting by public transport. Public transport infrastructure is much lower than in most areas, with far fewer stops and departures per 1,000 people than the state average.

The community is quite mobile, with 40.6% of people moving in the last five years. This is about the same as the national figure, though the number of recent overseas arrivals has fallen since 2011.

Health care and social assistance is the biggest employer at 16.2%, followed by accommodation and food. The unemployment rate is 5.7%, which is higher than in most areas.

The population has continued to grow, increasing by 5.6% since 2021, though this is well below the state average of 8.7%.

Cairns is very wet and warm, with average annual rainfall of 1,542mm, which is far above the Queensland average. Minimum temperatures are also among the highest at this level.

The area is only somewhat walkable, and many homes are far from essential services. For example, only 34.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, which is far below the state average.