CensusAtlas

Compare

Ballina vs Toowoomba

Urban Area comparison ≈ 210 km apart · Ballina profile · Toowoomba profile

Ballina Toowoomba

Toowoomba and Ballina are distinct regional centres with very different populations. Toowoomba is much younger, with a typical resident aged 37 compared to 48 in Ballina. This age gap is reflected in the family structures, as children under 15 are well higher in Toowoomba (19.8% vs 16.3%). Toowoomba is also far more multicultural, with 25.2% of residents arriving from overseas and 10.2% using another language at home, while Ballina has recent arrivals at just 9.1% and 4.7% using another language. Ballina is far more likely to be a place of retirement, as people aged 65 and over are well higher there at 27.1% compared to 18.7% in Toowoomba.

Both areas are almost identical when it comes to typical weekly household income, which sits around $1,400 to $1,500. While they share similar earnings, their housing markets differ. Ballina has a far higher share of homes owned outright (41.3% vs 30.8%) and more expensive typical rents, which are $110 higher than in Toowoomba. At the same time, the age gap between the two has narrowed since 2011, and the difference in the number of people owning their homes outright has also shrunk over time.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 95,973 larger in Toowoomba Median age: 11 yrs older in Ballina Limited English: 1.4 pts higher in Toowoomba Recent arrivals: 16.1 pts higher in Toowoomba Full-time: 9.6 pts higher in Toowoomba

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballinain Toowoomba +95,973 larger in Toowoomba gap narrowing
46,190 60th pct 142,163 76th pct
Median age in Ballinain Toowoomba +11 yrs older in Ballina gap narrowing
48 yrs 87th pct 37 yrs 21st pct
First Nations in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.9 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
3.9% 32nd pct 4.9% 44th pct
Aged 65+ in Ballinain Toowoomba +8.4 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
27.1% 87th pct 18.7% 39th pct
Under 15 in Ballinain Toowoomba +3.5 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
16.3% 17th pct 19.8% 76th pct
De facto in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.9 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
12.4% 42nd pct 10.5% 8th pct

Age structure

27.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +8.4 pts 18.7%
26.8% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.8 pts 23.1%
20.6% Young adults (25–44) +4.8 pts ▸ 25.4%
16.3% Children (0–14) +3.5 pts ▸ 19.8%
9.3% Youth (15–24) +3.8 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

46.1% Married +1.3 pts ▸ 47.4%
32.0% Never married +2.4 pts ▸ 34.4%
11.2% Divorced ◂ +2.2 pts 9.0%
7.3% Widowed ◂ +1.7 pts 5.7%
3.3% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Ballina Toowoomba

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Ballinain Toowoomba +2.4 pts higher in Toowoomba gap steady
12.7% 48th pct 15.1% 64th pct

Country of birth

81.5% Australia ◂ +1.2 pts 80.3%
3.7% England ◂ +1.8 pts 1.9%
1.7% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%
0.4% India +1.0 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.4% Philippines +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.5% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% Nepal +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% China +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

44.5% English ◂ +5.5 pts 38.9%
39.3% Australian ◂ +1.6 pts 37.7%
14.4% Irish ◂ +1.5 pts 12.9%
12.5% Scottish ◂ +1.4 pts 11.1%
4.6% German +5.9 pts ▸ 10.5%
3.3% Italian ◂ +1.6 pts 1.7%
1.5% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.4%
0.8% Chinese +0.6 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.6% Indian +0.8 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.6% Filipino +0.6 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Other language in Ballinain Toowoomba +5.5 pts higher in Toowoomba gap widening
4.7% 25th pct 10.2% 74th pct
Limited English in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.4 pts higher in Toowoomba gap steady
0.4% 16th pct 1.8% 83rd pct

Language used at home

89.8% English only ◂ +4.8 pts 85.0%
0.1% Mandarin +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Arabic +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% Hindi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.1% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Ballinain Toowoomba +10.1 pts higher in Ballina gap widening
42.9% 54th pct 32.8% 9th pct

Religious affiliation

47.6% Christianity +7.4 pts ▸ 55.0%
42.9% No religion ◂ +10.1 pts 32.8%
7.2% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 6.4%
0.6% Other religions +1.7 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.3% Hinduism +1.2 pts ▸ 1.5%
1.1% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%
0.1% Islam +0.9 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Ballinain Toowoomba +4.9 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
49.3% 72nd pct 54.3% 83rd pct
Bachelor+ in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.8 pts higher in Ballina gap steady
22.7% 82nd pct 20.9% 77th pct

Highest year of school

49.3% Year 12 +4.9 pts ▸ 54.3%
27.0% Year 10 ◂ +3.5 pts 23.5%
10.2% Year 9 or below +0.3 pts ▸ 10.4%
6.6% Year 11 ◂ +0.7 pts 5.9%

Highest qualification level

29.2% Certificate III / IV +3.8 pts ▸ 33.0%
24.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +1.5 pts 23.4%
15.9% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.1 pts 14.8%
6.4% Postgraduate degree +0.8 pts ▸ 7.2%
3.8% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%
1.9% Certificate I / II +0.9 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

16.3% Management & commerce +0.5 pts ▸ 16.8%
11.3% Engineering & related +2.9 pts ▸ 14.2%
12.9% Health +0.5 pts ▸ 13.4%
11.4% Society & culture +0.9 pts ▸ 12.3%
11.4% Education ◂ +1.2 pts 10.2%
6.7% Architecture & building ◂ +1.5 pts 5.2%
5.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.4 pts ▸ 5.8%
3.9% Creative arts ◂ +1.5 pts 2.4%
3.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.5 pts 2.9%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.3 pts 1.9%
1.1% Information technology +0.9 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Ballinain Toowoomba +$29 higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
$737 52nd pct $766 62nd pct
Household income in Ballinain Toowoomba +$75 higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
$1,429 50th pct $1,504 58th pct
Family income in Ballinain Toowoomba +$62 higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
$1,848 52nd pct $1,910 58th pct
High earners in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.0 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
9.0% 55th pct 9.1% 55th pct
High-income homes in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.5 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
16.4% 58th pct 15.9% 55th pct

Household income distribution

27.9% $1,500–$2,999 +2.8 pts ▸ 30.7%
30.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.8 pts 29.8%
18.1% Under $650 ◂ +1.6 pts 16.6%
8.1% $3,000–$3,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 8.5%
8.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 7.4%

Personal income distribution

41.3% Under $650 ◂ +0.5 pts 40.8%
33.6% $650–$1,499 +0.3 pts ▸ 33.9%
14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 16.4%
3.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.3 pts higher in Ballina
32.5% 49th pct 32.2% 46th pct
Mental health in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.2 pts higher in Toowoomba
10.0% 40th pct 11.2% 63rd pct
Needs assistance in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.3 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
6.7% 52nd pct 7.0% 58th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.0% Mental health +1.2 pts ▸ 11.2%
10.9% Arthritis ◂ +0.5 pts 10.4%
8.1% Asthma +1.8 pts ▸ 9.9%
8.5% Other condition +0.5 pts ▸ 9.0%
5.6% Heart disease ◂ +0.9 pts 4.7%
4.3% Diabetes +0.8 pts ▸ 5.1%
4.0% Cancer ◂ +0.7 pts 3.3%
2.5% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 2.0%
1.5% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%
1.1% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

59.4% None +0.9 pts ▸ 60.3%
21.5% One condition ◂ +0.5 pts 21.0%
7.2% Two conditions +0.1 pts ▸ 7.2%
3.9% Three or more +0.1 pts ▸ 4.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.1 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
17.3% 75th pct 16.2% 63rd pct
Unpaid carers in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.0 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
13.6% 72nd pct 12.6% 43rd pct
Unpaid child care in Ballinain Toowoomba +2.3 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
25.0% 40th pct 27.4% 74th pct
Defence service in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.1 pts higher in Toowoomba
3.6% 66th pct 4.7% 86th pct
Housework 15h+ in Ballinain Toowoomba +2.1 pts higher in Ballina gap steady
23.4% 77th pct 21.2% 43rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.1 larger in Toowoomba gap narrowing
2.4 43rd pct 2.5 71st pct
One-parent in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.7 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
15.2% 33rd pct 16.0% 43rd pct
Living alone in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.4 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
28.2% 47th pct 27.8% 41st pct

Family composition

49.9% Couples with children +4.2 pts ▸ 54.1%
33.9% Couples without children ◂ +5.1 pts 28.8%
15.2% One-parent families +0.7 pts ▸ 16.0%
1.0% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

38.2% 2 people ◂ +2.7 pts 35.5%
28.2% 1 person ◂ +0.4 pts 27.8%
13.9% 3 people +0.3 pts ▸ 14.2%
12.4% 4 people +0.4 pts ▸ 12.9%
5.1% 5 people +1.0 pts ▸ 6.0%
2.2% 6 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballinain Toowoomba +$110 higher in Ballina gap widening
$420 94th pct $310 57th pct
Mortgage in Ballinain Toowoomba +$433 higher in Ballina gap widening
$1,950 86th pct $1,517 46th pct
People / bedroom in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.10 higher in Ballina gap widening
0.80 57th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Ballinain Toowoomba +7.2 pts higher in Toowoomba gap widening
26.7% 28th pct 33.8% 73rd pct
Owned outright in Ballinain Toowoomba +10.6 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
41.3% 85th pct 30.8% 31st pct
Separate houses in Ballinain Toowoomba +8.3 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
71.7% 14th pct 80.1% 29th pct
3+ bedrooms in Ballinain Toowoomba +5.8 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
74.0% 24th pct 79.7% 70th pct

How homes are owned or rented

41.3% Owned outright ◂ +10.6 pts 30.8%
26.7% Rented +7.2 pts ▸ 33.8%
27.0% Owned with a mortgage +5.4 pts ▸ 32.5%
3.1% Other tenure ◂ +1.5 pts 1.7%
1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

71.7% Separate house +8.3 pts ▸ 80.1%
20.7% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +5.6 pts 15.1%
5.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +0.6 pts 4.4%
2.2% Other dwelling ◂ +1.9 pts 0.2%

Bedrooms per home

40.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.9 pts 40.0%
26.6% 4 bedrooms +6.0 pts ▸ 32.6%
20.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +4.0 pts 16.2%
6.5% 5 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 7.1%
3.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.1 pts 2.6%
0.4% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

19.6% $200–$349 +36.1 pts ▸ 55.7%
40.4% $350–$549 ◂ +10.8 pts 29.5%
20.9% $550–$749 ◂ +19.4 pts 1.5%
11.5% Under $200 ◂ +1.2 pts 10.3%
4.0% $750 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

26.3% $1,000–$1,799 +18.1 pts ▸ 44.4%
33.9% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +7.7 pts 26.2%
15.8% Under $1,000 +1.6 pts ▸ 17.5%
17.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +10.2 pts 7.1%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.1 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
4.9% 26th pct 5.9% 47th pct
Work from home in Ballinain Toowoomba +9.5 pts higher in Ballina gap widening
16.7% 84th pct 7.2% 41st pct
PT commute in Ballinain Toowoomba even gap steady
0.3% 27th pct 0.3% 25th pct

How people get to work

59.0% Car (driver) +11.3 pts ▸ 70.3%
16.7% Worked at home ◂ +9.5 pts 7.2%
3.6% Car (passenger) +2.3 pts ▸ 5.8%
2.8% Walked ◂ +0.4 pts 2.4%
1.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%
0.3% Bus even 0.3%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.1% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.3 pts 37.9%
37.1% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.2 pts 36.9%
12.3% 3 vehicles +0.2 pts ▸ 12.5%
6.6% 4 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 6.8%
4.9% No vehicle +1.1 pts ▸ 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Ballinain Toowoomba +5.3 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
40.6% 53rd pct 46.0% 86th pct
Recent arrivals in Ballinain Toowoomba +16.1 pts higher in Toowoomba gap widening
9.1% 25th pct 25.2% 91st pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.7 pts higher in Toowoomba gap steady
3.4% 14th pct 5.1% 57th pct
Participation in Ballinain Toowoomba +5.6 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
55.5% 38th pct 61.1% 71st pct
Full-time in Ballinain Toowoomba +9.6 pts higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing
51.0% 10th pct 60.6% 73rd pct

Industries people work in

18.6% Health care & social assistance +1.2 pts ▸ 19.8%
10.7% Education & training +0.7 pts ▸ 11.3%
10.5% Retail trade ◂ +1.0 pts 9.5%
10.2% Construction ◂ +1.7 pts 8.4%
8.8% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.4 pts 6.4%
4.1% Manufacturing +2.4 pts ▸ 6.5%
5.2% Public administration & safety +0.8 pts ▸ 6.1%
5.8% Professional & technical ◂ +0.9 pts 4.9%
3.8% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 4.3%
4.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +1.3 pts 2.7%
2.6% Transport & warehousing +1.1 pts ▸ 3.7%
3.3% Administrative & support ◂ +0.9 pts 2.4%

Occupations people work in

22.6% Professionals ◂ +1.1 pts 21.5%
13.8% Technicians & trades +0.6 pts ▸ 14.4%
13.5% Community & personal service +0.6 pts ▸ 14.1%
13.9% Managers ◂ +3.6 pts 10.3%
11.0% Clerical & administrative +1.8 pts ▸ 12.8%
10.0% Labourers +0.6 pts ▸ 10.6%
9.6% Sales workers ◂ +0.8 pts 8.9%
4.1% Machinery operators & drivers +1.7 pts ▸ 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.2 higher in Toowoomba
5.0 51st pct 5.2 56th pct
Types ≤15 min in Ballinain Toowoomba +0.4 more in Toowoomba
4.7 48th pct 5.1 63rd pct
15-min city in Ballinain Toowoomba +9.7 pts higher in Toowoomba
52.8% 48th pct 62.5% 68th pct
Walk to shops in Ballinain Toowoomba +4.0 pts higher in Toowoomba
57.4% 60th pct 61.4% 71st pct
Walk to transit in Ballinain Toowoomba +9.2 pts higher in Ballina
78.5% 39th pct 69.2% 28th pct
Walk to school in Ballinain Toowoomba +14.0 pts higher in Toowoomba
55.3% 29th pct 69.3% 65th pct
Walk to a park in Ballinain Toowoomba +2.9 pts higher in Toowoomba
87.6% 43rd pct 90.5% 55th pct
Walk to health in Ballinain Toowoomba +3.4 pts higher in Toowoomba
39.5% 46th pct 42.9% 60th pct
Amenities/1k in Ballinain Toowoomba +10.4 more in Ballina
24.3 86th pct 13.9 43rd pct
Intersections/km² in Ballinain Toowoomba +13 higher in Toowoomba
11 28th pct 24 61st pct
Mean slope in Ballinain Toowoomba +1.0 pts higher in Toowoomba
5.5% 58th pct 6.5% 73rd pct

Compare Ballina with nearby areas

Lismore Byron Bay Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Grafton Brisbane Coffs Harbour Warwick Toowoomba Kempsey Armidale Sunshine Coast Port Macquarie

Compare Toowoomba with nearby areas

Warwick Kingaroy Brisbane Gympie Sunshine Coast Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Lismore Ballina Byron Bay Maryborough Grafton Hervey Bay

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballina vs Toowoomba [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1003/ballina/vs/3016/toowoomba