Cultural diversity
Language used at home
About this topic
Language used at home shows which languages people speak in their home life and whether English or another language is used most often. It is a key indicator of cultural diversity and language retention within communities.
This topic is useful for planning communication, multicultural services, and local engagement. It should be analysed together with proficiency in English and birthplace, because language alone does not show migration history or support needs.
Interpretation notes
- The Census records the language used most often at home, so it does not capture every language a person can speak.
- Language used at home is not a measure of English proficiency, literacy, or migration history on its own.
Key insight
In 2021, English was the most common language used at home among residents in Westcourt, accounting for 65.6% (2,516 people). This share was lower than Cairns (R) (76.8%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which increased by 2,497 people, while its share fell by 34.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Westcourt - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language used at home for Westcourt in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Cairns (R) and change since 2016.
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Westcourt, with comparison markers for Cairns (R).
English
2021 count
2,516
% of total
65.6%
Change from 2016
-34.4pp
2,516
65.6%
-34.4pp
Not stated
2021 count
421
% of total
11.0%
Change from 2016
-
421
11.0%
-
Nepali
2021 count
130
% of total
3.4%
Change from 2016
-
130
3.4%
-
Japanese
2021 count
77
% of total
2.0%
Change from 2016
-
77
2.0%
-
Creole, nfd
2021 count
72
% of total
1.9%
Change from 2016
-
72
1.9%
-
Vietnamese
2021 count
47
% of total
1.2%
Change from 2016
-
47
1.2%
-
Tagalog
2021 count
43
% of total
1.1%
Change from 2016
-
43
1.1%
-
Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
2021 count
42
% of total
1.1%
Change from 2016
-
42
1.1%
-
Mandarin
2021 count
41
% of total
1.1%
Change from 2016
-
41
1.1%
-
Korean
2021 count
27
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
-
27
0.7%
-
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
+2,497
-34.4pp
Data table
Language used at home for Westcourt. Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Cairns (R).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Cairns (R)% | Count | % | Cairns (R)% | Count | pp | |
| English | 2,516 | 65.6% | 76.8% | 19 | 100.0% | 77.7% | +2,497 | -34.4pp |
| Not stated | 421 | 11.0% | 9.2% | - | - | 9.1% | - | - |
| Nepali | 130 | 3.4% | 0.7% | - | - | 0.5% | - | - |
| Japanese | 77 | 2.0% | 1.4% | - | - | 1.5% | - | - |
| Creole, nfd | 72 | 1.9% | 0.6% | - | - | 0.6% | - | - |
| Vietnamese | 47 | 1.2% | 0.3% | - | - | 0.2% | - | - |
| Tagalog | 43 | 1.1% | 0.5% | - | - | 0.5% | - | - |
| Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) | 42 | 1.1% | 0.5% | - | - | 0.4% | - | - |
| Mandarin | 41 | 1.1% | 0.7% | - | - | 0.7% | - | - |
| Korean | 27 | 0.7% | 0.5% | - | - | 0.6% | - | - |
| Total | 3,835 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 19 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +3,816 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.