Housing
Number of cars per household
About this topic
Number of cars per household shows how many registered motor vehicles are available to people living in a household. It is a measure of access to private transport rather than total travel activity.
This topic is useful for understanding mobility, transport choice, and access to jobs and services. It should be read with public transport availability, household type, income, and travel to work, because high or low car ownership can reflect very different local conditions.
Interpretation notes
- This measures registered motor vehicles owned or used by residents that were garaged or parked at or near the dwelling on Census night.
- Vehicle counts are a household access measure, not a direct measure of how often people drive or commute.
Related topics
Key insight
In 2021, 2 motor vehicles was the most common car-ownership level among households in Cairns (R), accounting for 37.5% (22,637 households). This share was lower than Regional Qld (37.7%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 motor vehicles, which increased by 1,981 households and 0.5 percentage points.
Section overview
Car ownership
Cairns (R) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises number of cars per household for Cairns (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Car ownership snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Cairns (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
No motor vehicles
2021 count
3,794
% of total
6.3%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
3,794
6.3%
-0.6pp
1 motor vehicle
2021 count
22,320
% of total
37.0%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
22,320
37.0%
+0.5pp
2 motor vehicles
2021 count
22,637
% of total
37.5%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
22,637
37.5%
+0.5pp
3 or more motor vehicles
2021 count
10,491
% of total
17.4%
Change from 2016
+2.0pp
10,491
17.4%
+2.0pp
Not stated
2021 count
1,073
% of total
1.8%
Change from 2016
-2.3pp
1,073
1.8%
-2.3pp
Chart view
Car ownership change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
No motor vehicles
-82
-0.6pp
1 motor vehicle
+1,953
+0.5pp
2 motor vehicles
+1,981
+0.5pp
3 or more motor vehicles
+1,886
+2.0pp
Not stated
-1,211
-2.3pp
Data table
Number of cars per household for Cairns (R). Car ownership. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| No motor vehicles | 3,794 | 6.3% | 5.1% | 3,876 | 6.9% | 5.5% | -82 | -0.6pp |
| 1 motor vehicle | 22,320 | 37.0% | 34.7% | 20,367 | 36.5% | 34.2% | +1,953 | +0.5pp |
| 2 motor vehicles | 22,637 | 37.5% | 37.7% | 20,656 | 37.0% | 37.5% | +1,981 | +0.5pp |
| 3 or more motor vehicles | 10,491 | 17.4% | 20.7% | 8,605 | 15.4% | 19.0% | +1,886 | +2.0pp |
| Not stated | 1,073 | 1.8% | 1.7% | 2,284 | 4.1% | 3.8% | -1,211 | -2.3pp |
| Total households | 60,318 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 55,790 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +4,528 | 0.0pp |