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Central Queensland vs Townsville

Name: Central Queensland vs Townsville — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 591 km apart · Central Queensland profile · Townsville profile

Central Queensland Townsville

Townsville and Central Queensland are two large regional areas that differ most in their infrastructure and demographics. Townsville is more walkable (somewhat walkable) than Central Queensland (mostly car-dependent), with far more public transport stops and 55.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop, compared to just 14.5% in Central Queensland. Townsville also has a much larger presence of Defence Force veterans at 8.1% and a higher proportion of people who speak a First Nations language at 13.3%.

Since 2011, the two areas have tracked similarly across many measures, though the gap in residents with a bachelor degree or higher has widened. Both regions share very similar typical weekly household incomes, sitting around $1,620, and have nearly identical shares of people needing help with daily activities at 6.0%. While Townsville is more likely to have residents with a university degree, both areas sit well below the national figure for this qualification.

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Where they differ most

Unpaid child care: 2.1 pts higher in Central Queensland Under 15: 1.8 pts higher in Central Queensland Bachelor+: 3.6 pts higher in Townsville Year 12: 5.4 pts higher in Townsville Housework 15h+: 1.9 pts higher in Central Queensland

Demographics & Identity

Population in Central Queensland in Townsville +6,037 larger in Townsville gap steady

228,246 53rd pct 234,283 54th pct

Median age in Central Queensland in Townsville +1 yrs older in Central Queensland gap steady

38 yrs 36th pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

25.9% Young adults (25–44) +0.4 pts ▸ 26.3%

25.9% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.9 pts 25.0%

20.7% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.8 pts 18.9%

15.5% Seniors (65+) +0.4 pts ▸ 15.9%

11.9% Youth (15–24) +2.0 pts ▸ 13.9%

Marital status

45.8% Married ◂ +4.1 pts 41.7%

35.9% Never married +4.4 pts ▸ 40.4%

9.4% Divorced even 9.4%

4.8% Widowed ◂ +0.1 pts 4.7%

4.0% Separated ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Central Queensland Townsville

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

80.8% Australia ◂ +1.5 pts 79.2%

2.3% New Zealand ◂ +0.3 pts 2.0%

1.8% England +0.5 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.1% Philippines ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

0.5% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.8% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

0.1% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%

0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

41.1% Australian ◂ +4.2 pts 36.9%

38.8% English ◂ +2.0 pts 36.9%

10.5% Irish +0.6 pts ▸ 11.1%

9.9% Scottish +0.3 pts ▸ 10.2%

1.6% Italian +5.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

6.6% German ◂ +1.4 pts 5.2%

1.5% Filipino ◂ +0.1 pts 1.4%

1.3% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

1.0% Chinese +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.7% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.3% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

86.1% English only ◂ +2.3 pts 83.9%

0.1% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Tagalog even 0.4%

0.4% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

0.2% Punjabi even 0.2%

0.0% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi even 0.2%

0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

48.7% Christianity +1.4 pts ▸ 50.1%

39.0% No religion ◂ +1.4 pts 37.7%

10.1% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 9.8%

0.7% Buddhism even 0.7%

0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

0.5% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Central Queensland in Townsville +28 more in Central Queensland

140 79th pct 112 55th pct

Schools/1k kids in Central Queensland in Townsville +0.43 more in Central Queensland

2.96 66th pct 2.53 59th pct

Students in Central Queensland in Townsville +4,991 more in Central Queensland

48,747 60th pct 43,756 54th pct

Avg size in Central Queensland in Townsville +37 larger in Townsville

353 38th pct 391 42nd pct

ICSEA in Central Queensland in Townsville even

962 14th pct 963 14th pct

Highest year of school

45.6% Year 12 +5.4 pts ▸ 51.0%

26.4% Year 10 ◂ +3.2 pts 23.2%

10.5% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.3 pts 9.2%

7.5% Year 11 ◂ +0.2 pts 7.3%

Highest qualification level

40.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +4.5 pts 35.7%

16.3% Bachelor degree +3.5 pts ▸ 19.8%

11.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.4 pts ▸ 13.2%

3.4% Postgraduate degree +1.8 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.3% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.7 pts 2.6%

2.6% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.4 pts ▸ 3.0%

Field of qualification

21.2% Engineering & related ◂ +4.3 pts 16.9%

13.6% Management & commerce +0.4 pts ▸ 14.0%

9.2% Health +2.5 pts ▸ 11.7%

9.1% Society & culture +2.5 pts ▸ 11.6%

8.4% Education ◂ +0.3 pts 8.0%

5.6% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.1 pts 5.5%

5.2% Architecture & building +0.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

1.5% Natural & physical sciences +1.1 pts ▸ 2.7%

2.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.6 pts 1.9%

1.3% Creative arts +0.5 pts ▸ 1.9%

1.2% Information technology +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Central Queensland in Townsville +$40 higher in Townsville gap widening

$786 52nd pct $826 61st pct

Household income in Central Queensland in Townsville +$5 higher in Central Queensland gap narrowing

$1,626 47th pct $1,621 47th pct

Family income in Central Queensland in Townsville +$19 higher in Central Queensland gap narrowing

$2,035 55th pct $2,016 53rd pct

Household income distribution

28.4% $1,500–$2,999 +2.5 pts ▸ 30.9%

25.7% $650–$1,499 +1.4 pts ▸ 27.1%

16.4% Under $650 ◂ +1.0 pts 15.4%

9.9% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 9.6%

9.1% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.3 pts 7.8%

Personal income distribution

38.5% Under $650 ◂ +1.7 pts 36.8%

28.5% $650–$1,499 +3.9 pts ▸ 32.4%

18.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.1 pts 17.9%

4.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.4% Mental health +0.5 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.1% Arthritis even 9.1%

8.7% Asthma ◂ +0.7 pts 8.0%

7.5% Other condition +0.5 pts ▸ 8.0%

4.9% Diabetes even 4.9%

4.3% Heart disease +0.1 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.8% Cancer +0.2 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.4% Lung condition ◂ +0.3 pts 2.1%

1.0% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

0.6% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

59.9% None +0.2 pts ▸ 60.0%

18.8% One condition +0.3 pts ▸ 19.1%

6.3% Two conditions even 6.3%

3.5% Three or more even 3.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Central Queensland in Townsville +4,703 larger in Townsville

16,477 86th pct 21,180 88th pct

Median age in Central Queensland in Townsville +1 yrs older in Townsville

21 yrs 7th pct 22 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Central Queensland in Townsville even

$551 32nd pct $552 33rd pct

Household income in Central Queensland in Townsville +$17 higher in Central Queensland

$1,478 44th pct $1,461 42nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Central Queensland in Townsville even gap narrowing

2.5 57th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

55.1% Couples with children ◂ +2.5 pts 52.6%

27.8% Couples without children +1.0 pts ▸ 28.8%

16.1% One-parent families +1.2 pts ▸ 17.3%

1.1% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

35.1% 2 people +0.6 pts ▸ 35.8%

26.0% 1 person +0.8 pts ▸ 26.8%

14.5% 3 people +0.8 pts ▸ 15.3%

14.3% 4 people ◂ +1.1 pts 13.2%

6.5% 5 people ◂ +0.8 pts 5.7%

3.5% 6 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Central Queensland in Townsville +$20 higher in Townsville gap widening

$280 25th pct $300 31st pct

Mortgage in Central Queensland in Townsville even gap narrowing

$1,517 29th pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in Central Queensland in Townsville even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

31.8% Rented +3.2 pts ▸ 35.0%

34.5% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.8 pts 33.8%

29.5% Owned outright ◂ +1.7 pts 27.8%

2.4% Other tenure ◂ +0.6 pts 1.8%

1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.7%

Types of homes

87.4% Separate house ◂ +4.9 pts 82.5%

5.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +4.5 pts ▸ 10.3%

5.5% Flat or apartment +0.5 pts ▸ 6.0%

0.9% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

40.1% 3 bedrooms +0.6 pts ▸ 40.7%

33.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.3 pts 30.7%

14.1% 2 bedrooms +2.7 pts ▸ 16.8%

6.7% 5 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 5.8%

3.6% 1 bedroom +0.1 pts ▸ 3.7%

0.6% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

47.2% $200–$349 +2.2 pts ▸ 49.4%

24.8% $350–$549 +4.4 pts ▸ 29.2%

21.8% Under $200 ◂ +5.9 pts 16.0%

1.4% $550–$749 +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.2% $750 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

40.0% $1,000–$1,799 +3.5 pts ▸ 43.5%

25.7% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 24.6%

20.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.0 pts 19.6%

7.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Central Queensland in Townsville +454 more in Townsville

182 5th pct 636 26th pct

Stops/1k in Central Queensland in Townsville +1.92 more in Townsville

0.80 3rd pct 2.71 14th pct

Departures/1k in Central Queensland in Townsville +448.0 more in Townsville

39.9 3rd pct 487.9 38th pct

PT routes in Central Queensland in Townsville +8 more in Townsville

8 5th pct 16 10th pct

How people get to work

66.6% Car (driver) +3.0 pts ▸ 69.6%

6.6% Worked at home ◂ +1.1 pts 5.6%

5.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.3 pts 5.4%

3.0% Walked ◂ +0.2 pts 2.7%

1.3% Bus ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%

0.5% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.4% 2 vehicles +1.0 pts ▸ 39.4%

33.3% 1 vehicle +1.5 pts ▸ 34.8%

14.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.4 pts 13.4%

8.4% 4 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 6.8%

5.1% No vehicle +0.5 pts ▸ 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

12.7% Health care & social assistance +3.9 pts ▸ 16.7%

5.7% Public administration & safety +5.8 pts ▸ 11.4%

9.1% Education & training +0.3 pts ▸ 9.5%

8.9% Retail trade +0.3 pts ▸ 9.1%

8.7% Construction ◂ +0.6 pts 8.1%

8.4% Mining ◂ +5.2 pts 3.2%

6.9% Accommodation & food +0.3 pts ▸ 7.2%

7.2% Manufacturing ◂ +1.9 pts 5.3%

5.4% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.2 pts 4.1%

4.7% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +1.5 pts 3.2%

3.2% Professional & technical +1.1 pts ▸ 4.2%

4.1% Other services ◂ +0.2 pts 3.9%

Occupations people work in

14.9% Professionals +3.6 pts ▸ 18.5%

17.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +2.8 pts 14.7%

11.7% Community & personal service +3.7 pts ▸ 15.4%

12.1% Labourers ◂ +1.9 pts 10.2%

11.1% Clerical & administrative +0.9 pts ▸ 12.0%

11.7% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.7 pts 8.1%

10.9% Managers +0.1 pts ▸ 10.9%

8.1% Sales workers +0.4 pts ▸ 8.5%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Central Queensland in Townsville +4,877 higher in Townsville

244,220 43rd pct 249,097 44th pct

Growth in Central Queensland in Townsville +0.8 pts higher in Central Queensland

5.7% 47th pct 4.9% 38th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Central Queensland in Townsville +110 higher in Townsville

559 22nd pct 669 33rd pct

Max temp in Central Queensland in Townsville +0.9 higher in Townsville

30.7 92nd pct 31.6 94th pct

Min temp in Central Queensland in Townsville +2.0 higher in Townsville

15.0 86th pct 17.0 92nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Central Queensland in Townsville +1.0 higher in Townsville

3.1 10th pct 4.1 27th pct

Types ≤15 min in Central Queensland in Townsville +0.7 more in Townsville

3.4 12th pct 4.1 27th pct

15-min city in Central Queensland in Townsville +8.2 pts higher in Townsville

40.2% 14th pct 48.4% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Central Queensland in Townsville +5.5 pts higher in Townsville

41.1% 14th pct 46.6% 27th pct

Walk to transit in Central Queensland in Townsville +41.3 pts higher in Townsville

14.5% 5th pct 55.7% 26th pct

Walk to school in Central Queensland in Townsville +3.7 pts higher in Townsville

50.1% 20th pct 53.8% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Central Queensland in Townsville +6.7 pts higher in Townsville

70.8% 20th pct 77.5% 34th pct

Walk to health in Central Queensland in Townsville +3.0 pts higher in Townsville

35.6% 26th pct 38.6% 39th pct

Amenities/1k in Central Queensland in Townsville +1.9 more in Central Queensland

11.9 15th pct 10.0 1st pct

Intersections/km² in Central Queensland in Townsville even

0 8th pct 0 12th pct

Mean slope in Central Queensland in Townsville +2.1 pts higher in Central Queensland

6.0% 60th pct 3.9% 14th pct

Compare Central Queensland with nearby areas

Wide Bay Darling Downs - Maranoa Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Moreton Bay - North Sunshine Coast Toowoomba Moreton Bay - South Ipswich Brisbane - West Brisbane - North Brisbane Inner City Brisbane - South

Compare Townsville with nearby areas

Cairns Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Queensland - Outback Central Queensland Wide Bay Darling Downs - Maranoa Moreton Bay - North Sunshine Coast Toowoomba Moreton Bay - South Ipswich Brisbane - West

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Central Queensland vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/308/central-queensland/vs/318/townsville