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Northern Tablelands vs Southern Downs

State Electorate comparison ≈ 145 km apart · Northern Tablelands profile · Southern Downs profile

Northern Tablelands Southern Downs

Northern Tablelands and Southern Downs are large regional areas with very different levels of accessibility. Northern Tablelands is more walkable, with 50.1% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed and a score of 4.0 (somewhat walkable). In contrast, Southern Downs is mostly car-dependent with a score of 2.2. This is most evident in public transport; Northern Tablelands has 212 stops and 20 routes, while Southern Downs has none. Northern Tablelands also has a much higher share of recent overseas arrivals at 28.2%, compared to 12.2% in Southern Downs.

Detailed patterns of change show the gap in university qualifications is narrowing, with Northern Tablelands now 5.5% higher in bachelor degrees than Southern Downs. The two areas share many similarities, such as having nearly identical shares of people with no religion (30.9%) and very similar household sizes. However, they are drifting apart in other ways; Southern Downs has become noticeably older, with the typical resident now five years older than in Northern Tablelands.

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Where they differ most

Recent arrivals: 16.0 pts higher in Northern Tablelands Population: 29,719 larger in Northern Tablelands Median age: 5 yrs older in Southern Downs Work from home: 7.3 pts higher in Northern Tablelands Needs assistance: 1.3 pts higher in Southern Downs

Demographics & Identity

Population in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +29,719 larger in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
79,541 81st pct 49,822 39th pct
Median age in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +5 yrs older in Southern Downs gap widening
41 yrs 64th pct 46 yrs 88th pct
First Nations in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +4.5 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap widening
10.4% 87th pct 5.9% 79th pct
Aged 65+ in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +3.3 pts higher in Southern Downs gap widening
21.4% 78th pct 24.7% 89th pct
Under 15 in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.4 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
18.3% 54th pct 17.9% 49th pct
De facto in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.8 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap steady
12.0% 49th pct 11.2% 35th pct

Age structure

25.5% Older adults (45–64) +1.6 pts ▸ 27.1%
21.4% Seniors (65+) +3.3 pts ▸ 24.7%
22.2% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.0 pts 20.2%
18.3% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.4 pts 17.9%
12.6% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.4 pts 10.1%

Marital status

44.3% Married +4.7 pts ▸ 49.0%
36.7% Never married ◂ +6.3 pts 30.4%
8.8% Divorced +1.1 pts ▸ 9.9%
6.5% Widowed +0.3 pts ▸ 6.8%
3.6% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Northern Tablelands Southern Downs

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.1 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
9.6% 8th pct 9.5% 8th pct

Country of birth

78.6% Australia +3.1 pts ▸ 81.7%
1.6% England +0.5 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.9% New Zealand +0.7 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.5% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.5% India ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.1% Italy +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

39.1% Australian +1.5 pts ▸ 40.7%
37.7% English +2.7 pts ▸ 40.4%
11.1% Irish +1.8 pts ▸ 12.9%
10.5% Scottish +0.7 pts ▸ 11.2%
4.3% German +2.6 pts ▸ 6.9%
1.1% Italian +2.2 pts ▸ 3.3%
0.9% Dutch +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.6% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%
1.0% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%
0.6% Indian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Greek even 0.2%

Language

Other language in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.4 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
5.7% 20th pct 4.3% 10th pct
Limited English in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.1 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap steady
0.8% 28th pct 0.6% 21st pct

Language used at home

82.9% English only +4.8 pts ▸ 87.7%
0.1% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.4% Mandarin even 0.4%
0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Punjabi even 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Hindi even 0.1%
0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs even gap narrowing
30.9% 14th pct 30.9% 14th pct

Religious affiliation

52.9% Christianity +4.8 pts ▸ 57.7%
30.9% No religion ◂ +0.1 pts 30.9%
12.9% Not stated ◂ +2.8 pts 10.1%
1.2% Other religions ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%
0.7% Buddhism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.6% Islam ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%
0.1% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.0 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
42.7% 20th pct 40.7% 16th pct
Bachelor+ in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +5.5 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
17.3% 37th pct 11.8% 13th pct
Schools/1k kids in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.49 more in Southern Downs
5.01 94th pct 5.50 96th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +24 more in Northern Tablelands
73 95th pct 49 89th pct
Students in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +4,438 more in Northern Tablelands
12,094 73rd pct 7,656 35th pct
Avg size in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +12 larger in Northern Tablelands
168 5th pct 156 3rd pct
ICSEA in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +23 higher in Southern Downs
933 11th pct 956 14th pct

Highest year of school

42.7% Year 12 ◂ +2.0 pts 40.7%
25.8% Year 10 +3.5 pts ▸ 29.3%
12.7% Year 9 or below +1.0 pts ▸ 13.7%
5.7% Year 11 +0.8 pts ▸ 6.6%

Highest qualification level

28.8% Certificate III / IV +8.2 pts ▸ 37.0%
18.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +2.2 pts 16.3%
12.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.0 pts ▸ 13.1%
7.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.1 pts 3.1%
3.1% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.7 pts 2.4%
2.6% Certificate I / II +0.4 pts ▸ 3.0%

Field of qualification

10.2% Engineering & related +3.8 pts ▸ 14.0%
13.2% Management & commerce +0.1 pts ▸ 13.3%
11.9% Society & culture ◂ +2.0 pts 9.9%
9.6% Health +0.5 pts ▸ 10.2%
9.1% Education +0.3 pts ▸ 9.4%
4.2% Food, hospitality & personal services +2.1 pts ▸ 6.3%
6.2% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.7 pts 5.5%
4.5% Architecture & building +0.9 pts ▸ 5.4%
2.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.4 pts 1.4%
2.1% Creative arts ◂ +0.5 pts 1.7%
1.3% Information technology ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +$50 higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
$669 16th pct $619 10th pct
Household income in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +$109 higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
$1,272 11th pct $1,163 4th pct
Family income in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +$184 higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
$1,634 14th pct $1,450 6th pct
High earners in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.6 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
6.9% 21st pct 5.3% 10th pct
High-income homes in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +3.0 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
12.4% 14th pct 9.4% 4th pct

Household income distribution

31.8% $650–$1,499 +2.8 pts ▸ 34.7%
26.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 25.3%
21.3% Under $650 +0.5 pts ▸ 21.8%
6.6% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.1 pts 5.5%
5.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 3.8%

Personal income distribution

42.6% Under $650 +4.1 pts ▸ 46.7%
30.2% $650–$1,499 +1.0 pts ▸ 31.2%
12.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.8 pts 10.1%
2.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 1.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.6 pts higher in Southern Downs
30.5% 66th pct 33.1% 81st pct
Mental health in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.4 pts higher in Southern Downs
9.0% 51st pct 9.5% 58th pct
Needs assistance in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.3 pts higher in Southern Downs gap steady
6.1% 61st pct 7.5% 86th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.4% Arthritis +1.7 pts ▸ 12.1%
9.4% Asthma +0.1 pts ▸ 9.5%
9.0% Mental health +0.4 pts ▸ 9.5%
7.7% Other condition +0.5 pts ▸ 8.2%
5.2% Diabetes +0.8 pts ▸ 5.9%
4.7% Heart disease +0.8 pts ▸ 5.4%
3.3% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.6%
2.4% Lung condition +0.4 pts ▸ 2.8%
1.1% Stroke +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.7% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

55.5% None +0.8 pts ▸ 56.4%
19.7% One condition +1.2 pts ▸ 20.9%
6.9% Two conditions +0.9 pts ▸ 7.7%
3.9% Three or more +0.5 pts ▸ 4.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.8 pts higher in Southern Downs gap steady
18.8% 85th pct 19.5% 87th pct
Unpaid carers in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.4 pts higher in Southern Downs gap narrowing
12.7% 62nd pct 13.0% 70th pct
Unpaid child care in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.6 pts higher in Southern Downs gap narrowing
22.6% 17th pct 23.2% 21st pct
Defence service in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.0 pts higher in Southern Downs
2.7% 46th pct 3.8% 74th pct
Housework 15h+ in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.7 pts higher in Southern Downs gap narrowing
21.6% 61st pct 24.3% 86th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.1 larger in Southern Downs gap narrowing
2.3 14th pct 2.4 29th pct
One-parent in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.9 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
17.2% 78th pct 15.3% 64th pct
Living alone in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.7 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
30.9% 83rd pct 29.1% 71st pct

Family composition

49.1% Couples with children ◂ +0.5 pts 48.6%
32.4% Couples without children +2.7 pts ▸ 35.1%
17.2% One-parent families ◂ +1.9 pts 15.3%
1.3% Other families ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%

Household size

36.7% 2 people +2.2 pts ▸ 38.9%
30.9% 1 person ◂ +1.7 pts 29.1%
12.8% 3 people ◂ +0.3 pts 12.4%
11.2% 4 people ◂ +0.5 pts 10.7%
5.5% 5 people +0.1 pts ▸ 5.6%
3.0% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs even gap narrowing
$250 11th pct $250 11th pct
Mortgage in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs even gap narrowing
$1,300 11th pct $1,300 11th pct
People / bedroom in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.9 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
29.3% 54th pct 26.4% 42nd pct
Owned outright in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.4 pts higher in Southern Downs gap widening
38.3% 79th pct 40.7% 86th pct
Separate houses in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.8 pts higher in Southern Downs gap narrowing
88.4% 72nd pct 91.2% 82nd pct
3+ bedrooms in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.3 pts higher in Southern Downs gap narrowing
76.8% 44th pct 77.2% 46th pct

How homes are owned or rented

38.3% Owned outright +2.4 pts ▸ 40.7%
29.3% Rented ◂ +2.9 pts 26.4%
26.6% Owned with a mortgage +1.0 pts ▸ 27.6%
3.5% Other tenure ◂ +0.1 pts 3.3%
2.3% Not stated ◂ +0.3 pts 2.0%

Types of homes

88.4% Separate house +2.8 pts ▸ 91.2%
7.8% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.8 pts 6.1%
2.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.3 pts 1.2%
0.8% Other dwelling +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

Bedrooms per home

42.8% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.6 pts 42.1%
26.5% 4 bedrooms +1.9 pts ▸ 28.5%
16.1% 2 bedrooms +0.5 pts ▸ 16.6%
7.5% 5 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 6.6%
4.3% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.8 pts 3.5%
0.5% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

Weekly rent distribution

51.5% $200–$349 +10.2 pts ▸ 61.7%
24.1% Under $200 ◂ +3.0 pts 21.2%
18.2% $350–$549 ◂ +7.4 pts 10.9%
0.9% $550–$749 ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%
0.2% $750 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.6% $1,000–$1,799 +1.8 pts ▸ 41.4%
30.0% Under $1,000 +0.9 pts ▸ 30.8%
17.7% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.4 pts 16.3%
6.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 5.4%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.8 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
6.6% 62nd pct 4.8% 39th pct
Work from home in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +7.3 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap widening
17.5% 64th pct 10.3% 37th pct
PT commute in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs even gap narrowing
0.3% 4th pct 0.3% 3rd pct
PT stops in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +212 more in Northern Tablelands
212 37th pct 0 0th pct
Stops/1k in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +2.67 more in Northern Tablelands
2.67 14th pct 0.00 0th pct
Departures/1k in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +93.2 more in Northern Tablelands
93.2 8th pct 0.0 0th pct
PT routes in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +20 more in Northern Tablelands
20 33rd pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

57.4% Car (driver) +7.9 pts ▸ 65.2%
17.5% Worked at home ◂ +7.3 pts 10.3%
4.9% Car (passenger) +0.5 pts ▸ 5.4%
4.2% Walked +0.5 pts ▸ 4.7%
0.4% Bicycle even 0.4%
0.3% Bus even 0.3%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

35.7% 2 vehicles +1.3 pts ▸ 37.0%
36.5% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.7 pts 33.9%
13.3% 3 vehicles +1.5 pts ▸ 14.8%
7.8% 4 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 9.5%
6.6% No vehicle ◂ +1.8 pts 4.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.3 pts higher in Southern Downs gap narrowing
35.3% 29th pct 35.6% 30th pct
Recent arrivals in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +16.0 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap widening
28.2% 96th pct 12.2% 50th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.8 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap steady
5.2% 60th pct 4.4% 35th pct
Participation in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.6 pts higher in Southern Downs gap steady
53.6% 14th pct 54.2% 16th pct
Full-time in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.4 pts higher in Northern Tablelands gap narrowing
60.1% 62nd pct 58.6% 49th pct

Industries people work in

15.9% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +1.9 pts ▸ 17.8%
13.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +1.0 pts 12.6%
13.5% Education & training ◂ +5.0 pts 8.5%
8.8% Retail trade +1.3 pts ▸ 10.1%
6.8% Construction +0.7 pts ▸ 7.5%
4.7% Manufacturing +2.3 pts ▸ 7.0%
6.3% Accommodation & food +0.6 pts ▸ 7.0%
6.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +2.2 pts 4.2%
2.9% Transport & warehousing +2.0 pts ▸ 4.9%
3.9% Professional & technical ◂ +0.9 pts 3.1%
3.7% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.8% Administrative & support ◂ +0.8 pts 2.0%

Occupations people work in

18.1% Professionals ◂ +5.6 pts 12.4%
17.8% Managers ◂ +0.6 pts 17.2%
13.4% Labourers +3.6 pts ▸ 17.0%
12.3% Community & personal service ◂ +0.9 pts 11.4%
11.7% Technicians & trades +0.5 pts ▸ 12.2%
10.8% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.5 pts 10.3%
5.9% Machinery operators & drivers +3.3 pts ▸ 9.3%
8.2% Sales workers +0.1 pts ▸ 8.3%

Walkability

Walk score in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.8 higher in Northern Tablelands
4.0 23rd pct 2.2 5th pct
Types ≤15 min in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +1.7 more in Northern Tablelands
4.2 28th pct 2.5 6th pct
15-min city in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +19.6 pts higher in Northern Tablelands
50.1% 31st pct 30.5% 10th pct
Walk to shops in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +8.9 pts higher in Northern Tablelands
43.3% 22nd pct 34.4% 12th pct
Walk to transit in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +48.4 pts higher in Northern Tablelands
48.4% 16th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +18.1 pts higher in Northern Tablelands
56.8% 29th pct 38.6% 12th pct
Walk to a park in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +22.7 pts higher in Northern Tablelands
68.9% 16th pct 46.2% 3rd pct
Walk to health in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +13.7 pts higher in Northern Tablelands
41.7% 42nd pct 28.0% 18th pct
Amenities/1k in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +4.6 more in Northern Tablelands
18.9 76th pct 14.4 50th pct
Intersections/km² in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs even
0 4th pct 0 4th pct
Mean slope in Northern Tablelandsin Southern Downs +0.1 pts higher in Southern Downs
5.1% 44th pct 5.2% 47th pct

Compare Northern Tablelands with nearby areas

Southern Downs Tamworth Lismore Condamine Clarence Toowoomba South Toowoomba North Lockyer

Compare Southern Downs with nearby areas

Condamine Toowoomba South Toowoomba North Lockyer Northern Tablelands Lismore Ipswich West Scenic Rim

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Northern Tablelands vs Southern Downs [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10061/northern-tablelands/vs/SED30077/southern-downs