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Queensland - Outback vs Townsville

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 518 km apart · Queensland - Outback profile · Townsville profile

Queensland - Outback Townsville

Townsville and Queensland - Outback are two distinct regions of the north, separated by over 500km. Queensland - Outback has a much larger First Nations presence, with 33.5% of its population being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and 39.8% speaking a First Nations language. In contrast, Townsville is more developed in terms of infrastructure and services; it has far more public transport stops and departures, and typical weekly rents are $140 higher than the $160 usually paid in Queensland - Outback. Townsville also has significantly larger schools, averaging 391 students compared to just 135 in Queensland - Outback.

Since 2011, the two areas have diverged in some key ways. The gap in the First Nations population has widened, and Townsville has seen its share of older residents and university-qualified adults grow further ahead. Despite these shifts, they remain very similar in other areas. Both regions have nearly identical typical weekly household incomes, around $1,600, and share the same average terrain slope and rate of people caring for children unpaid.

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Where they differ most

Population: 154,456 larger in Townsville First Nations: 24.5 pts higher in Queensland - Outback Rent: $140 higher in Townsville People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Queensland - Outback Recent movers: 6.2 pts higher in Townsville

Demographics & Identity

Population in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +154,456 larger in Townsville gap widening

79,827 23rd pct 234,283 54th pct

Median age in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +3 yrs older in Townsville gap widening

34 yrs 1st pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

28.3% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.0 pts 26.3%

24.8% Older adults (45–64) +0.2 pts ▸ 25.0%

22.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.2 pts 18.9%

11.9% Seniors (65+) +4.0 pts ▸ 15.9%

12.9% Youth (15–24) +1.0 pts ▸ 13.9%

Marital status

49.8% Never married ◂ +9.4 pts 40.4%

35.5% Married +6.2 pts ▸ 41.7%

7.3% Divorced +2.1 pts ▸ 9.4%

4.2% Widowed +0.5 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.2% Separated +0.6 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Queensland - Outback Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

79.6% Australia ◂ +0.4 pts 79.2%

1.1% England +1.1 pts ▸ 2.3%

2.0% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 2.0%

0.9% Philippines even 1.0%

0.4% India +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.5% South Africa even 0.5%

0.2% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%

0.1% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

25.1% English +11.7 pts ▸ 36.9%

28.7% Australian +8.2 pts ▸ 36.9%

7.7% Irish +3.3 pts ▸ 11.1%

6.5% Scottish +3.7 pts ▸ 10.2%

2.0% Italian +4.6 pts ▸ 6.6%

3.8% German +1.4 pts ▸ 5.2%

1.4% Filipino even 1.4%

0.9% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.8% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.4% Indian +0.6 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.2% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

69.4% English only +14.5 pts ▸ 83.9%

0.3% Italian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

0.1% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

51.3% Christianity ◂ +1.2 pts 50.1%

32.4% No religion +5.2 pts ▸ 37.7%

14.6% Not stated ◂ +4.7 pts 9.8%

0.7% Other religions ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

0.4% Buddhism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.3% Hinduism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +16 more in Townsville

96 39th pct 112 55th pct

Schools/1k kids in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +2.90 more in Queensland - Outback

5.43 100th pct 2.53 59th pct

Students in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +30,811 more in Townsville

12,945 9th pct 43,756 54th pct

Avg size in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +256 larger in Townsville

135 0th pct 391 42nd pct

ICSEA in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +127 higher in Townsville

836 0th pct 963 14th pct

Highest year of school

41.4% Year 12 +9.6 pts ▸ 51.0%

24.8% Year 10 ◂ +1.6 pts 23.2%

12.2% Year 9 or below ◂ +3.0 pts 9.2%

7.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.6 pts 7.3%

Highest qualification level

36.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +0.4 pts 35.7%

14.3% Bachelor degree +5.6 pts ▸ 19.8%

10.6% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.5 pts ▸ 13.2%

2.9% Postgraduate degree +2.4 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.1 pts 2.6%

2.3% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.8 pts ▸ 3.0%

Field of qualification

17.0% Engineering & related ◂ +0.2 pts 16.9%

10.9% Management & commerce +3.2 pts ▸ 14.0%

8.9% Health +2.8 pts ▸ 11.7%

8.0% Society & culture +3.6 pts ▸ 11.6%

8.4% Education ◂ +0.3 pts 8.0%

4.4% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.1 pts ▸ 5.5%

5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 5.3%

4.2% Agriculture & environment ◂ +2.3 pts 1.9%

1.2% Natural & physical sciences +1.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.2% Creative arts +0.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.6% Information technology +0.8 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$37 higher in Townsville gap steady

$789 52nd pct $826 61st pct

Household income in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$45 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,576 43rd pct $1,621 47th pct

Family income in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$148 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,868 37th pct $2,016 53rd pct

Household income distribution

27.2% $1,500–$2,999 +3.7 pts ▸ 30.9%

24.6% $650–$1,499 +2.4 pts ▸ 27.1%

17.3% Under $650 ◂ +1.8 pts 15.4%

9.3% $3,000–$3,999 +0.2 pts ▸ 9.6%

8.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 7.8%

Personal income distribution

36.3% Under $650 +0.5 pts ▸ 36.8%

26.3% $650–$1,499 +6.1 pts ▸ 32.4%

17.7% $1,500–$2,999 +0.1 pts ▸ 17.9%

3.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

4.7% Mental health +5.2 pts ▸ 9.9%

5.1% Arthritis +4.0 pts ▸ 9.1%

4.9% Other condition +3.1 pts ▸ 8.0%

6.1% Asthma +1.8 pts ▸ 8.0%

5.3% Diabetes ◂ +0.4 pts 4.9%

3.5% Heart disease +0.9 pts ▸ 4.4%

1.8% Cancer +1.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.4% Lung condition +0.7 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.6% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.5% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.7% None ◂ +3.7 pts 60.0%

14.7% One condition +4.4 pts ▸ 19.1%

4.0% Two conditions +2.3 pts ▸ 6.3%

2.1% Three or more +1.5 pts ▸ 3.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +5,590 larger in Queensland - Outback

26,770 91st pct 21,180 88th pct

Median age in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +3 yrs older in Queensland - Outback

25 yrs 64th pct 22 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$112 higher in Townsville

$440 12th pct $552 33rd pct

Household income in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$257 higher in Townsville

$1,204 7th pct $1,461 42nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +0.1 larger in Queensland - Outback gap steady

2.6 71st pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

54.0% Couples with children ◂ +1.4 pts 52.6%

23.9% Couples without children +5.0 pts ▸ 28.8%

20.3% One-parent families ◂ +3.0 pts 17.3%

1.8% Other families ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

Household size

31.0% 2 people +4.7 pts ▸ 35.8%

29.2% 1 person ◂ +2.4 pts 26.8%

13.4% 3 people +1.9 pts ▸ 15.3%

12.4% 4 people +0.8 pts ▸ 13.2%

7.2% 5 people ◂ +1.5 pts 5.7%

6.7% 6 or more ◂ +3.6 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$140 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$160 0th pct $300 31st pct

Mortgage in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +$217 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,300 14th pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +0.10 higher in Queensland - Outback gap steady

0.90 86th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

45.7% Rented ◂ +10.7 pts 35.0%

19.2% Owned with a mortgage +14.6 pts ▸ 33.8%

24.8% Owned outright +3.0 pts ▸ 27.8%

6.5% Other tenure ◂ +4.7 pts 1.8%

3.8% Not stated ◂ +2.1 pts 1.7%

Types of homes

81.4% Separate house +1.1 pts ▸ 82.5%

9.3% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.0 pts ▸ 10.3%

3.3% Flat or apartment +2.7 pts ▸ 6.0%

3.9% Other dwelling ◂ +3.1 pts 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

41.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.8 pts 40.7%

19.4% 4 bedrooms +11.3 pts ▸ 30.7%

19.9% 2 bedrooms ◂ +3.1 pts 16.8%

7.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.9 pts 3.7%

6.5% 5 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 5.8%

1.3% Studio / none ◂ +0.9 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

54.6% Under $200 ◂ +38.6 pts 16.0%

21.7% $200–$349 +27.7 pts ▸ 49.4%

11.2% $350–$549 +18.0 pts ▸ 29.2%

3.4% $550–$749 ◂ +1.7 pts 1.7%

1.1% $750 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

33.3% $1,000–$1,799 +10.3 pts ▸ 43.5%

30.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +11.3 pts 19.6%

20.2% $1,800–$2,999 +4.3 pts ▸ 24.6%

7.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +636 more in Townsville

0 0th pct 636 26th pct

Stops/1k in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +2.71 more in Townsville

0.00 0th pct 2.71 14th pct

Departures/1k in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +487.9 more in Townsville

0.0 0th pct 487.9 38th pct

PT routes in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +16 more in Townsville

0 0th pct 16 10th pct

How people get to work

54.2% Car (driver) +15.4 pts ▸ 69.6%

12.8% Walked ◂ +10.1 pts 2.7%

9.0% Worked at home ◂ +3.5 pts 5.6%

6.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.3 pts 5.4%

1.0% Bus even 1.0%

1.0% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

31.8% 2 vehicles +7.6 pts ▸ 39.4%

35.4% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.6 pts 34.8%

11.9% 3 vehicles +1.5 pts ▸ 13.4%

12.7% No vehicle ◂ +7.1 pts 5.6%

8.2% 4 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 6.8%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

11.7% Health care & social assistance +4.9 pts ▸ 16.7%

13.3% Mining ◂ +10.0 pts 3.2%

13.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +9.8 pts 3.2%

11.6% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.2 pts 11.4%

9.2% Education & training +0.2 pts ▸ 9.5%

6.8% Retail trade +2.3 pts ▸ 9.1%

6.0% Construction +2.1 pts ▸ 8.1%

5.6% Accommodation & food +1.6 pts ▸ 7.2%

2.6% Manufacturing +2.7 pts ▸ 5.3%

1.6% Professional & technical +2.6 pts ▸ 4.2%

3.8% Transport & warehousing +0.3 pts ▸ 4.1%

3.1% Other services +0.8 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

14.8% Professionals +3.7 pts ▸ 18.5%

15.5% Managers ◂ +4.5 pts 10.9%

11.0% Community & personal service +4.3 pts ▸ 15.4%

15.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.4 pts 14.7%

13.8% Labourers ◂ +3.6 pts 10.2%

10.6% Clerical & administrative +1.4 pts ▸ 12.0%

10.9% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.9 pts 8.1%

5.5% Sales workers +3.0 pts ▸ 8.5%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +166,534 higher in Townsville

82,563 9th pct 249,097 44th pct

Growth in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +3.8 pts higher in Townsville

1.2% 5th pct 4.9% 38th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +268 higher in Townsville

401 10th pct 669 33rd pct

Max temp in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +2.3 higher in Queensland - Outback

33.9 99th pct 31.6 94th pct

Min temp in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +0.4 higher in Townsville

16.6 91st pct 17.0 92nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +1.4 higher in Townsville

2.7 8th pct 4.1 27th pct

Types ≤15 min in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +0.9 more in Townsville

3.2 10th pct 4.1 27th pct

15-min city in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +10.5 pts higher in Townsville

37.9% 12th pct 48.4% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +5.6 pts higher in Townsville

41.0% 14th pct 46.6% 27th pct

Walk to transit in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +55.7 pts higher in Townsville

0.0% 0th pct 55.7% 26th pct

Walk to school in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +1.0 pts higher in Queensland - Outback

54.8% 31st pct 53.8% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +18.2 pts higher in Townsville

59.2% 10th pct 77.5% 34th pct

Walk to health in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +2.1 pts higher in Townsville

36.5% 28th pct 38.6% 39th pct

Amenities/1k in Queensland - Outback in Townsville +12.3 more in Queensland - Outback

22.3 87th pct 10.0 1st pct

Intersections/km² in Queensland - Outback in Townsville even

0 0th pct 0 12th pct

Mean slope in Queensland - Outback in Townsville even

3.9% 15th pct 3.9% 14th pct

Compare Queensland - Outback with nearby areas

Townsville Cairns Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Central Queensland Northern Territory - Outback Darling Downs - Maranoa South Australia - Outback Far West and Orana Wide Bay Moreton Bay - North Toowoomba New England and North West

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). Queensland - Outback vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/315/queensland-outback/vs/318/townsville