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Sydney - South West vs Townsville
Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,610 km apart · Sydney - South West profile · Townsville profile
Sydney - South West Townsville
Sydney - South West and Townsville are far-apart areas with very different social profiles. Sydney - South West is far more multicultural, with 47.4% of people born overseas and 58.6% using a language other than English at home. It is also very walkable, and 90.6% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. In contrast, Townsville has a much higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 9.0%, and typical weekly personal incomes are well higher at $826 compared to $620 in Sydney - South West.
Both areas are similar in their typical weekly household incomes, which sit around $1,600 to $1,700. While they share some basic characteristics, other gaps are growing. The difference in working from home has widened since 2011, with 27.4% of people doing so in Sydney - South West compared to just 5.6% in Townsville. At the same time, the gap in people living alone has also increased, with a higher share in Townsville.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 360,166
- First area, 2016: 405,962
- First area, 2021: 474,430
- Second area, 2011: 217,897
- Second area, 2016: 229,031
- Second area, 2021: 234,283
- First area, 2011: 34 yrs
- First area, 2016: 35 yrs
- First area, 2021: 35 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 34 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 36 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 37 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Sydney - South West: 0.6% males, 0.9% females; 85+ in Townsville: 0.6% males, 1.0% females
- 80–84 in Sydney - South West: 0.7% males, 0.9% females; 80–84 in Townsville: 0.9% males, 1.0% females
- 75–79 in Sydney - South West: 1.1% males, 1.2% females; 75–79 in Townsville: 1.4% males, 1.5% females
- 70–74 in Sydney - South West: 1.7% males, 1.8% females; 70–74 in Townsville: 2.2% males, 2.1% females
- 65–69 in Sydney - South West: 2.1% males, 2.3% females; 65–69 in Townsville: 2.6% males, 2.5% females
- 60–64 in Sydney - South West: 2.7% males, 2.8% females; 60–64 in Townsville: 3.0% males, 3.0% females
- 55–59 in Sydney - South West: 3.0% males, 3.0% females; 55–59 in Townsville: 3.1% males, 3.2% females
- 50–54 in Sydney - South West: 3.0% males, 3.1% females; 50–54 in Townsville: 3.2% males, 3.3% females
- 45–49 in Sydney - South West: 3.1% males, 3.3% females; 45–49 in Townsville: 3.1% males, 3.3% females
- 40–44 in Sydney - South West: 3.2% males, 3.4% females; 40–44 in Townsville: 2.9% males, 3.1% females
- 35–39 in Sydney - South West: 3.5% males, 3.7% females; 35–39 in Townsville: 3.2% males, 3.4% females
- 30–34 in Sydney - South West: 3.5% males, 3.8% females; 30–34 in Townsville: 3.3% males, 3.3% females
- 25–29 in Sydney - South West: 3.5% males, 3.6% females; 25–29 in Townsville: 3.7% males, 3.5% females
- 20–24 in Sydney - South West: 3.5% males, 3.4% females; 20–24 in Townsville: 3.8% males, 3.4% females
- 15–19 in Sydney - South West: 3.5% males, 3.3% females; 15–19 in Townsville: 3.3% males, 3.3% females
- 10–14 in Sydney - South West: 3.6% males, 3.4% females; 10–14 in Townsville: 3.5% males, 3.3% females
- 5–9 in Sydney - South West: 3.7% males, 3.4% females; 5–9 in Townsville: 3.4% males, 3.1% females
- 0–4 in Sydney - South West: 3.5% males, 3.3% females; 0–4 in Townsville: 3.0% males, 2.7% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $426
- First area, 2016: $500
- First area, 2021: $620
- Second area, 2011: $633
- Second area, 2016: $672
- Second area, 2021: $826
- First area, 2011: $1,171
- First area, 2016: $1,429
- First area, 2021: $1,713
- Second area, 2011: $1,295
- Second area, 2016: $1,362
- Second area, 2021: $1,621
- First area, 2011: $1,235
- First area, 2016: $1,489
- First area, 2021: $1,850
- Second area, 2011: $1,533
- Second area, 2016: $1,640
- Second area, 2021: $2,016
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 3.2
- First area, 2016: 3.3
- First area, 2021: 3.2
- Second area, 2011: 2.6
- Second area, 2016: 2.5
- Second area, 2021: 2.5
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $290
- First area, 2016: $365
- First area, 2021: $405
- Second area, 2011: $260
- Second area, 2016: $280
- Second area, 2021: $300
- First area, 2011: $2,000
- First area, 2016: $2,000
- First area, 2021: $2,200
- Second area, 2011: $1,733
- Second area, 2016: $1,668
- Second area, 2021: $1,517
- First area, 2011: 1.20
- First area, 2016: 1.00
- First area, 2021: 1.00
- Second area, 2011: 1.10
- Second area, 2016: 0.80
- Second area, 2021: 0.80
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Economy & Advantage
Environment & Climate
Walkability
Compare Sydney - South West with nearby areas
Compare Townsville with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Sydney - South West vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/127/sydney-south-west/vs/318/townsville