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Southern Downs vs Toowoomba North

Name: Southern Downs vs Toowoomba North — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

State Electorate comparison ≈ 116 km apart · Southern Downs profile · Toowoomba North profile

Southern Downs Toowoomba North

Southern Downs and Toowoomba North are two very different Queensland landscapes. Toowoomba North is a very walkable area where 70.4% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed, while Southern Downs is mostly car-dependent, with only 30.5% of homes sharing that access. Toowoomba North is also more mobile and diverse; 46.2% of residents moved there in the last five years and 26.3% arrived recently from overseas, compared to 35.6% and 12.2% in Southern Downs. Education levels also differ, with 52.6% of people in Toowoomba North completing Year 12, compared to 40.7% in Southern Downs.

Daily life in both places shares several commonalities, including similar proportions of people needing help with daily activities and those providing unpaid care. They also have nearly identical household sizes, with 2.4 people per home in each area. However, the gap in their age profiles is widening; the typical resident in Southern Downs is now 46, which is seven years older than the typical resident in Toowoomba North. This is consistent with Southern Downs having a higher share of people aged 65 and over, at 24.7% compared to 20.1% in Toowoomba North.

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Where they differ most

Recent arrivals: 14.1 pts higher in Toowoomba North Recent movers: 10.6 pts higher in Toowoomba North Separate houses: 12.5 pts higher in Southern Downs Year 12: 11.8 pts higher in Toowoomba North Median age: 7 yrs older in Southern Downs

Demographics & Identity

Population in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +4,906 larger in Toowoomba North gap narrowing

49,822 39th pct 54,728 48th pct

Median age in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +7 yrs older in Southern Downs gap widening

46 yrs 88th pct 39 yrs 50th pct

Age structure

27.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.0 pts 24.1%

24.7% Seniors (65+) ◂ +4.6 pts 20.1%

20.2% Young adults (25–44) +3.5 pts ▸ 23.7%

17.9% Children (0–14) +1.1 pts ▸ 18.9%

10.1% Youth (15–24) +3.0 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

49.0% Married ◂ +3.5 pts 45.5%

30.4% Never married +4.7 pts ▸ 35.1%

9.9% Divorced ◂ +0.1 pts 9.8%

6.8% Widowed ◂ +1.0 pts 5.8%

3.8% Separated ◂ +0.1 pts 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Southern Downs Toowoomba North

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

81.7% Australia ◂ +0.8 pts 81.0%

2.1% England +0.1 pts ▸ 2.2%

1.5% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.9% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

0.4% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% Italy ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.1% China +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.0% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Ancestry

40.7% Australian ◂ +3.3 pts 37.4%

40.4% English +0.1 pts ▸ 40.6%

12.9% Irish +0.9 pts ▸ 13.8%

11.2% Scottish +0.7 pts ▸ 11.9%

6.9% German +3.6 pts ▸ 10.5%

3.3% Italian ◂ +1.6 pts 1.7%

1.1% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.8% Chinese +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%

1.1% Filipino even 1.1%

0.4% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Greek even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

87.7% English only ◂ +1.0 pts 86.7%

0.4% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.0% Arabic +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Punjabi even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

0.1% Hindi even 0.1%

0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

57.7% Christianity ◂ +4.0 pts 53.7%

30.9% No religion +3.8 pts ▸ 34.7%

10.1% Not stated ◂ +3.2 pts 6.9%

0.5% Other religions +2.3 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.4% Buddhism +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.3% Hinduism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +2.90 more in Southern Downs

5.50 96th pct 2.60 71st pct

Schools ≤3 km in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +22 more in Southern Downs

49 89th pct 27 71st pct

Students in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +7,401 more in Toowoomba North

7,656 35th pct 15,057 86th pct

Avg size in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +401 larger in Toowoomba North

156 3rd pct 558 64th pct

ICSEA in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +68 higher in Toowoomba North

956 14th pct 1,025 53rd pct

Highest year of school

40.7% Year 12 +11.8 pts ▸ 52.6%

29.3% Year 10 ◂ +5.8 pts 23.5%

13.7% Year 9 or below ◂ +2.4 pts 11.4%

6.6% Year 11 ◂ +0.5 pts 6.0%

Highest qualification level

37.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +5.2 pts 31.8%

16.3% Bachelor degree +6.8 pts ▸ 23.2%

13.1% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.9 pts ▸ 14.9%

3.1% Postgraduate degree +3.8 pts ▸ 6.9%

2.4% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.9 pts ▸ 4.2%

3.0% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 2.8%

Field of qualification

13.3% Management & commerce +3.2 pts ▸ 16.5%

14.0% Engineering & related ◂ +0.8 pts 13.2%

10.2% Health +3.2 pts ▸ 13.4%

9.9% Society & culture +2.4 pts ▸ 12.3%

9.4% Education +0.9 pts ▸ 10.4%

6.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.5 pts 5.8%

5.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +2.5 pts 2.9%

5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 5.3%

1.7% Creative arts +1.0 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.4% Natural & physical sciences +0.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.9% Information technology +0.7 pts ▸ 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +$112 higher in Toowoomba North gap narrowing

$619 10th pct $731 31st pct

Household income in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +$224 higher in Toowoomba North gap narrowing

$1,163 4th pct $1,387 20th pct

Family income in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +$367 higher in Toowoomba North gap narrowing

$1,450 6th pct $1,817 27th pct

Household income distribution

34.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.1 pts 31.6%

25.3% $1,500–$2,999 +2.3 pts ▸ 27.6%

21.8% Under $650 ◂ +3.3 pts 18.4%

3.8% $4,000 or more +3.9 pts ▸ 7.7%

5.5% $3,000–$3,999 +2.1 pts ▸ 7.6%

Personal income distribution

46.7% Under $650 ◂ +4.0 pts 42.6%

31.2% $650–$1,499 +0.7 pts ▸ 32.0%

10.1% $1,500–$2,999 +5.7 pts ▸ 15.9%

1.7% $3,000 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 3.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.5% Mental health +2.6 pts ▸ 12.1%

12.1% Arthritis ◂ +1.1 pts 10.9%

9.5% Asthma +0.6 pts ▸ 10.1%

8.2% Other condition +1.1 pts ▸ 9.3%

5.9% Diabetes ◂ +0.5 pts 5.4%

5.4% Heart disease ◂ +0.3 pts 5.1%

3.6% Cancer even 3.6%

2.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 2.1%

1.3% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

0.8% Dementia even 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.4% None +2.0 pts ▸ 58.3%

20.9% One condition +0.8 pts ▸ 21.7%

7.7% Two conditions even 7.7%

4.5% Three or more ◂ +0.1 pts 4.4%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North even gap narrowing

2.4 29th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

48.6% Couples with children +2.7 pts ▸ 51.3%

35.1% Couples without children ◂ +4.8 pts 30.3%

15.3% One-parent families +1.9 pts ▸ 17.1%

1.0% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

38.9% 2 people ◂ +3.1 pts 35.8%

29.1% 1 person +2.0 pts ▸ 31.1%

12.4% 3 people +0.6 pts ▸ 13.1%

10.7% 4 people +0.6 pts ▸ 11.4%

5.6% 5 people ◂ +0.2 pts 5.3%

3.2% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +$45 higher in Toowoomba North gap widening

$250 11th pct $295 23rd pct

Mortgage in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +$217 higher in Toowoomba North gap narrowing

$1,300 11th pct $1,517 23rd pct

People / bedroom in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North even gap steady

0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

40.7% Owned outright ◂ +8.9 pts 31.9%

26.4% Rented +9.7 pts ▸ 36.1%

27.6% Owned with a mortgage +1.9 pts ▸ 29.5%

3.3% Other tenure ◂ +2.2 pts 1.2%

2.0% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

91.2% Separate house ◂ +12.5 pts 78.8%

6.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +8.5 pts ▸ 14.6%

1.2% Flat or apartment +5.0 pts ▸ 6.2%

1.0% Other dwelling ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

Bedrooms per home

42.1% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.9 pts 41.3%

28.5% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.4 pts 27.1%

16.6% 2 bedrooms +3.9 pts ▸ 20.5%

6.6% 5 or more even 6.5%

3.5% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.5 pts 3.0%

0.7% Studio / none ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

61.7% $200–$349 ◂ +2.7 pts 59.0%

10.9% $350–$549 +12.2 pts ▸ 23.1%

21.2% Under $200 ◂ +8.2 pts 13.0%

0.4% $550–$749 +1.1 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.4% $750 or more even 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.4% $1,000–$1,799 +1.7 pts ▸ 43.1%

30.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +11.5 pts 19.3%

16.3% $1,800–$2,999 +8.7 pts ▸ 25.0%

5.4% $3,000 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 7.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +320 more in Toowoomba North

0 0th pct 320 66th pct

Stops/1k in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +5.85 more in Toowoomba North

0.00 0th pct 5.85 75th pct

Departures/1k in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +557.6 more in Toowoomba North

0.0 0th pct 557.6 32nd pct

PT routes in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +8 more in Toowoomba North

0 0th pct 8 11th pct

How people get to work

65.2% Car (driver) +3.0 pts ▸ 68.3%

10.3% Worked at home ◂ +2.6 pts 7.7%

5.4% Car (passenger) +0.4 pts ▸ 5.9%

4.7% Walked ◂ +1.1 pts 3.6%

0.4% Bicycle +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.3% Bus even 0.3%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

33.9% 1 vehicle +6.0 pts ▸ 39.9%

37.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.0 pts 36.0%

14.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +3.7 pts 11.2%

9.5% 4 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 5.8%

4.8% No vehicle +2.3 pts ▸ 7.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

12.6% Health care & social assistance +6.6 pts ▸ 19.2%

17.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +15.3 pts 2.5%

8.5% Education & training +3.1 pts ▸ 11.6%

10.1% Retail trade ◂ +0.8 pts 9.3%

7.5% Construction +1.0 pts ▸ 8.5%

4.2% Public administration & safety +3.0 pts ▸ 7.2%

7.0% Manufacturing ◂ +0.7 pts 6.2%

7.0% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.3 pts 6.7%

3.1% Professional & technical +2.1 pts ▸ 5.2%

4.9% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.4 pts 3.5%

3.8% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.1% Finance & insurance +1.6 pts ▸ 2.7%

Occupations people work in

12.4% Professionals +10.1 pts ▸ 22.5%

17.2% Managers ◂ +6.6 pts 10.7%

17.0% Labourers ◂ +6.6 pts 10.4%

11.4% Community & personal service +2.7 pts ▸ 14.0%

12.2% Technicians & trades +1.8 pts ▸ 13.9%

10.3% Clerical & administrative +2.2 pts ▸ 12.5%

9.3% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.7 pts 5.6%

8.3% Sales workers +0.6 pts ▸ 8.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +3.9 higher in Toowoomba North

2.2 5th pct 6.1 59th pct

Types ≤15 min in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +3.4 more in Toowoomba North

2.5 6th pct 5.9 57th pct

15-min city in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +39.9 pts higher in Toowoomba North

30.5% 10th pct 70.4% 53rd pct

Walk to shops in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +40.1 pts higher in Toowoomba North

34.4% 12th pct 74.4% 61st pct

Walk to transit in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +82.6 pts higher in Toowoomba North

0.0% 0th pct 82.6% 41st pct

Walk to school in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +35.8 pts higher in Toowoomba North

38.6% 12th pct 74.5% 48th pct

Walk to a park in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +49.1 pts higher in Toowoomba North

46.2% 3rd pct 95.2% 46th pct

Walk to health in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +28.3 pts higher in Toowoomba North

28.0% 18th pct 56.3% 58th pct

Amenities/1k in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +4.4 more in Toowoomba North

14.4 50th pct 18.7 75th pct

Intersections/km² in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +72 higher in Toowoomba North

0 4th pct 72 47th pct

Mean slope in Southern Downs in Toowoomba North +1.3 pts higher in Toowoomba North

5.2% 47th pct 6.5% 71st pct

Compare Southern Downs with nearby areas

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

Compare Toowoomba North with nearby areas

Toowoomba South Lockyer Condamine Ipswich West Moggill Ipswich Bundamba Pine Rivers

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Southern Downs vs Toowoomba North [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED30077/southern-downs/vs/SED30086/toowoomba-north