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Preston (Northern Metropolitan) vs Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan)
State Electorate comparison ≈ 13 km apart · Preston (Northern Metropolitan) profile · Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan) profile
Preston (Northern Metropolitan) Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan)
Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan) and Preston (Northern Metropolitan) are nearby Victorian suburbs with very different layouts and populations. Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan) is a hub for cultural diversity, where 48.3% of people were born overseas and 62.6% use a language other than English at home. It is also defined by larger family living, with 86.4% of homes having three or more bedrooms and a higher share of children under 15. In contrast, Preston (Northern Metropolitan) is more urban and walkable, described as a walker's paradise. It has a more professional profile, with a higher share of adults holding bachelor degrees (32.3%) and more people working from home (30.1%).
While both areas share similar typical weekly rents and household incomes, the gap in their cultural makeup is widening. Since 2016, the difference in the share of people born overseas has grown to 13.4%. This trend is also seen in language use, where the gap between the two areas has increased to 24.2%. Despite these shifts, both suburbs remain well above the national figure for the use of languages other than English at home.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2016: 68,149
- First area, 2021: 69,342
- Second area, 2016: 68,632
- Second area, 2021: 82,511
- First area, 2016: 36 yrs
- First area, 2021: 37 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 35 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 35 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 Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 1.2% males, 1.9% females; 85+ in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 0.8% males, 1.1% females
- 80–84 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 1.1% males, 1.4% females; 80–84 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 1.0% males, 1.2% females
- 75–79 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 1.2% males, 1.6% females; 75–79 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 1.4% males, 1.5% females
- 70–74 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 1.5% males, 1.8% females; 70–74 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 1.8% males, 2.2% females
- 65–69 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 1.9% males, 2.1% females; 65–69 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 1.8% males, 2.2% females
- 60–64 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 2.3% males, 2.4% females; 60–64 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 2.0% males, 2.3% females
- 55–59 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 2.6% males, 2.8% females; 55–59 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 2.3% males, 2.3% females
- 50–54 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 3.2% males, 3.2% females; 50–54 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 2.6% males, 2.5% females
- 45–49 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 3.3% males, 3.3% females; 45–49 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 2.9% males, 2.7% females
- 40–44 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 3.6% males, 3.8% females; 40–44 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 3.7% males, 3.4% females
- 35–39 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 4.5% males, 4.5% females; 35–39 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 4.7% males, 4.6% females
- 30–34 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 5.1% males, 5.2% females; 30–34 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 4.4% males, 4.5% females
- 25–29 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 4.7% males, 4.5% females; 25–29 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 3.9% males, 3.9% females
- 20–24 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 3.2% males, 3.0% females; 20–24 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 3.3% males, 2.9% females
- 15–19 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 2.0% males, 2.0% females; 15–19 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 2.6% males, 2.4% females
- 10–14 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 2.3% males, 2.2% females; 10–14 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 3.1% males, 2.9% females
- 5–9 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 2.7% males, 2.4% females; 5–9 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 3.8% males, 3.5% females
- 0–4 in Preston (Northern Metropolitan): 3.0% males, 2.8% females; 0–4 in Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan): 3.9% males, 3.6% 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, 2016: $566
- First area, 2021: $776
- Second area, 2016: $472
- Second area, 2021: $631
- First area, 2016: $1,239
- First area, 2021: $1,623
- Second area, 2016: $1,200
- Second area, 2021: $1,516
- First area, 2016: $1,487
- First area, 2021: $2,088
- Second area, 2016: $1,292
- Second area, 2021: $1,671
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
Family & Households
- First area, 2016: 2.5
- First area, 2021: 2.4
- Second area, 2016: 2.9
- Second area, 2021: 2.9
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2016: $320
- First area, 2021: $366
- Second area, 2016: $320
- Second area, 2021: $361
- First area, 2016: $1,750
- First area, 2021: $2,000
- Second area, 2016: $1,733
- Second area, 2021: $1,900
- First area, 2016: 0.90
- First area, 2021: 0.90
- Second area, 2016: 0.90
- Second area, 2021: 0.90
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
Walkability
Compare Preston (Northern Metropolitan) with nearby areas
Compare Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan) with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Preston (Northern Metropolitan) vs Thomastown (Northern Metropolitan) [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED26903/preston/vs/SED28203/thomastown