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Sunshine Coast vs Townsville

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 1,014 km apart · Sunshine Coast profile · Townsville profile

Sunshine Coast Townsville

Sunshine Coast and Townsville are two major Queensland hubs with very different characters. Sunshine Coast is noticeably older, with a typical resident aged 44 and 22.5% of the population aged 65 and over. It is also rainier, with average annual rainfall of 1,651mm, and has more people born overseas (21.0%). In contrast, Townsville is younger, with a typical age of 37, and has a much stronger First Nations presence, with 9.0% of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Townsville also has a higher share of full-time workers at 63.2% and more people who have served in the Defence Force.

Both areas are almost identical when it comes to household size, with 2.5 people per home. They also share similar typical weekly household incomes, which sit around $1,600. While they have much in common, some gaps are widening; for example, the difference in full-time employment and the share of people with no religion have both grown since 2011. The gap in typical monthly home-loan payments has also increased, with Sunshine Coast now $390 higher than Townsville.

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Where they differ most

Full-time: 11.6 pts higher in Townsville Rent: $140 higher in Sunshine Coast No religion: 9.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast Median age: 7 yrs older in Sunshine Coast Housework 15h+: 3.9 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

Demographics & Identity

Population in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +164,557 larger in Sunshine Coast gap widening

398,840 83rd pct 234,283 54th pct

Median age in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +7 yrs older in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

44 yrs 79th pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

27.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.2 pts 25.0%

22.6% Young adults (25–44) +3.7 pts ▸ 26.3%

22.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +6.6 pts 15.9%

17.0% Children (0–14) +1.9 pts ▸ 18.9%

10.6% Youth (15–24) +3.2 pts ▸ 13.9%

Marital status

48.9% Married ◂ +7.2 pts 41.7%

31.2% Never married +9.2 pts ▸ 40.4%

11.1% Divorced ◂ +1.7 pts 9.4%

5.5% Widowed ◂ +0.8 pts 4.7%

3.4% Separated +0.4 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Sunshine Coast Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

73.9% Australia +5.4 pts ▸ 79.2%

6.1% England ◂ +3.9 pts 2.3%

4.2% New Zealand ◂ +2.3 pts 2.0%

1.2% South Africa ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%

0.5% Philippines +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.2% China even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.2%

Ancestry

45.7% English ◂ +8.8 pts 36.9%

35.1% Australian +1.7 pts ▸ 36.9%

12.6% Irish ◂ +1.6 pts 11.1%

12.5% Scottish ◂ +2.3 pts 10.2%

2.6% Italian +4.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

6.5% German ◂ +1.3 pts 5.2%

2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.8 pts 1.2%

0.7% Filipino +0.7 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.0% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.8% Indian +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.5% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

88.7% English only ◂ +4.9 pts 83.9%

0.3% Italian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Mandarin even 0.3%

0.2% Punjabi even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

43.2% Christianity +6.9 pts ▸ 50.1%

47.0% No religion ◂ +9.4 pts 37.7%

7.3% Not stated +2.5 pts ▸ 9.8%

1.0% Buddhism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%

0.6% Hinduism even 0.6%

0.5% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +15 more in Townsville

97 40th pct 112 55th pct

Schools/1k kids in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +1.10 more in Townsville

1.43 13th pct 2.53 59th pct

Students in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +20,778 more in Sunshine Coast

64,534 76th pct 43,756 54th pct

Avg size in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +275 larger in Sunshine Coast

665 89th pct 391 42nd pct

ICSEA in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +87 higher in Sunshine Coast

1,050 72nd pct 963 14th pct

Highest year of school

56.5% Year 12 ◂ +5.5 pts 51.0%

22.5% Year 10 +0.7 pts ▸ 23.2%

6.8% Year 9 or below +2.4 pts ▸ 9.2%

7.6% Year 11 ◂ +0.4 pts 7.3%

Highest qualification level

31.5% Certificate III / IV +4.2 pts ▸ 35.7%

23.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.5 pts 19.8%

16.9% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +3.8 pts 13.2%

6.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.1 pts 5.2%

3.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.6 pts 3.0%

2.0% Certificate I / II +0.6 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

17.0% Management & commerce ◂ +3.0 pts 14.0%

13.2% Engineering & related +3.7 pts ▸ 16.9%

12.6% Health ◂ +0.9 pts 11.7%

11.5% Society & culture +0.1 pts ▸ 11.6%

9.3% Education ◂ +1.2 pts 8.0%

7.5% Architecture & building ◂ +2.2 pts 5.3%

6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.6 pts 5.5%

3.6% Creative arts ◂ +1.7 pts 1.9%

2.2% Natural & physical sciences +0.5 pts ▸ 2.7%

2.2% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.4 pts 1.9%

1.5% Information technology ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$76 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$750 39th pct $826 61st pct

Household income in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$47 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,574 43rd pct $1,621 47th pct

Family income in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$113 higher in Townsville gap narrowing

$1,903 42nd pct $2,016 53rd pct

Household income distribution

29.6% $1,500–$2,999 +1.3 pts ▸ 30.9%

28.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.7 pts 27.1%

15.7% Under $650 ◂ +0.2 pts 15.4%

9.0% $3,000–$3,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 9.6%

9.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 7.8%

Personal income distribution

41.1% Under $650 ◂ +4.3 pts 36.8%

32.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.5 pts 32.4%

15.3% $1,500–$2,999 +2.6 pts ▸ 17.9%

3.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

10.5% Arthritis ◂ +1.4 pts 9.1%

9.2% Mental health +0.7 pts ▸ 9.9%

8.6% Other condition ◂ +0.6 pts 8.0%

8.0% Asthma ◂ +0.1 pts 8.0%

3.6% Diabetes +1.3 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.7% Heart disease ◂ +0.4 pts 4.4%

3.8% Cancer ◂ +0.8 pts 3.0%

2.2% Lung condition ◂ +0.1 pts 2.1%

1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

0.9% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.6% None ◂ +1.6 pts 60.0%

20.1% One condition ◂ +1.1 pts 19.1%

6.5% Two conditions ◂ +0.3 pts 6.3%

3.4% Three or more +0.1 pts ▸ 3.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +11,913 larger in Townsville

9,267 69th pct 21,180 88th pct

Median age in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +1 yrs older in Sunshine Coast

23 yrs 29th pct 22 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$95 higher in Sunshine Coast

$647 66th pct $552 33rd pct

Household income in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$321 higher in Sunshine Coast

$1,782 71st pct $1,461 42nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Sunshine Coast in Townsville even gap narrowing

2.5 57th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

52.5% Couples with children even 52.6%

33.1% Couples without children ◂ +4.2 pts 28.8%

13.6% One-parent families +3.7 pts ▸ 17.3%

0.8% Other families +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

38.9% 2 people ◂ +3.1 pts 35.8%

23.6% 1 person +3.2 pts ▸ 26.8%

14.9% 3 people +0.4 pts ▸ 15.3%

14.4% 4 people ◂ +1.2 pts 13.2%

5.7% 5 people even 5.7%

2.5% 6 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$140 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$440 86th pct $300 31st pct

Mortgage in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +$390 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,907 58th pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in Sunshine Coast in Townsville even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

35.4% Owned outright ◂ +7.6 pts 27.8%

26.3% Rented +8.6 pts ▸ 35.0%

34.0% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.3 pts 33.8%

2.8% Other tenure ◂ +1.0 pts 1.8%

1.4% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

Types of homes

74.0% Separate house +8.5 pts ▸ 82.5%

12.9% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +2.6 pts 10.3%

12.1% Flat or apartment ◂ +6.1 pts 6.0%

0.8% Other dwelling +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

37.9% 3 bedrooms +2.8 pts ▸ 40.7%

31.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.2 pts 30.7%

17.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 16.8%

7.3% 5 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 5.8%

3.5% 1 bedroom +0.2 pts ▸ 3.7%

0.5% Studio / none even 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

52.8% $350–$549 ◂ +23.6 pts 29.2%

16.0% $200–$349 +33.4 pts ▸ 49.4%

16.7% $550–$749 ◂ +15.0 pts 1.7%

7.5% Under $200 +8.5 pts ▸ 16.0%

4.0% $750 or more ◂ +3.6 pts 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

28.1% $1,000–$1,799 +15.4 pts ▸ 43.5%

37.3% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +12.7 pts 24.6%

14.5% Under $1,000 +5.1 pts ▸ 19.6%

13.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +6.8 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +360 more in Sunshine Coast

996 45th pct 636 26th pct

Stops/1k in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +0.22 more in Townsville

2.50 13th pct 2.71 14th pct

Departures/1k in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +73.8 more in Sunshine Coast

561.7 42nd pct 487.9 38th pct

PT routes in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +40 more in Sunshine Coast

56 30th pct 16 10th pct

How people get to work

61.9% Car (driver) +7.7 pts ▸ 69.6%

15.2% Worked at home ◂ +9.6 pts 5.6%

3.9% Car (passenger) +1.5 pts ▸ 5.4%

2.1% Walked +0.7 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.7% Bus +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.8% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.2% Train ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.4 pts 39.4%

35.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.5 pts 34.8%

13.4% 3 vehicles even 13.4%

7.7% 4 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 6.8%

3.9% No vehicle +1.7 pts ▸ 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.8 pts 16.7%

12.0% Construction ◂ +3.9 pts 8.1%

3.9% Public administration & safety +7.6 pts ▸ 11.4%

9.9% Retail trade ◂ +0.8 pts 9.1%

8.7% Education & training +0.7 pts ▸ 9.5%

8.7% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.5 pts 7.2%

6.3% Professional & technical ◂ +2.1 pts 4.2%

4.6% Manufacturing +0.7 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.0% Transport & warehousing +1.1 pts ▸ 4.1%

4.0% Other services ◂ +0.1 pts 3.9%

3.6% Administrative & support ◂ +1.0 pts 2.6%

1.5% Mining +1.7 pts ▸ 3.2%

Occupations people work in

21.0% Professionals ◂ +2.5 pts 18.5%

13.4% Community & personal service +2.0 pts ▸ 15.4%

15.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.5 pts 14.7%

12.7% Managers ◂ +1.8 pts 10.9%

11.9% Clerical & administrative +0.1 pts ▸ 12.0%

9.8% Labourers +0.4 pts ▸ 10.2%

9.6% Sales workers ◂ +1.2 pts 8.5%

4.8% Machinery operators & drivers +3.3 pts ▸ 8.1%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +192,411 higher in Sunshine Coast

441,508 80th pct 249,097 44th pct

Growth in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +4.5 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

9.4% 78th pct 4.9% 38th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +982 higher in Sunshine Coast

1,651 98th pct 669 33rd pct

Max temp in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +5.8 higher in Townsville

25.8 69th pct 31.6 94th pct

Min temp in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +2.1 higher in Townsville

14.9 86th pct 17.0 92nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +0.7 higher in Sunshine Coast

4.8 45th pct 4.1 27th pct

Types ≤15 min in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +0.4 more in Sunshine Coast

4.5 42nd pct 4.1 27th pct

15-min city in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +3.9 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

52.4% 41st pct 48.4% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +9.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

56.0% 48th pct 46.6% 27th pct

Walk to transit in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +12.8 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

68.5% 44th pct 55.7% 26th pct

Walk to school in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +5.5 pts higher in Townsville

48.3% 16th pct 53.8% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +8.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

85.9% 48th pct 77.5% 34th pct

Walk to health in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +7.0 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

45.7% 55th pct 38.6% 39th pct

Amenities/1k in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +2.9 more in Sunshine Coast

12.9 23rd pct 10.0 1st pct

Intersections/km² in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +15 higher in Sunshine Coast

16 52nd pct 0 12th pct

Mean slope in Sunshine Coast in Townsville +2.8 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

6.6% 74th pct 3.9% 14th pct

Compare Sunshine Coast with nearby areas

Moreton Bay - North Moreton Bay - South Brisbane - North Brisbane Inner City Brisbane - West Brisbane - South Brisbane - East Ipswich Toowoomba Logan - Beaudesert Gold Coast Wide Bay

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). Sunshine Coast vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/316/sunshine-coast/vs/318/townsville