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Byron Bay vs Toowoomba

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

Urban Area comparison ≈ 210 km apart · Byron Bay profile · Toowoomba profile

Byron Bay Toowoomba

Toowoomba and Byron Bay are distinct regional hubs with very different social and economic profiles. Byron Bay has a much higher share of people born overseas (27.8%) and a significantly more qualified workforce, with 33.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, Toowoomba has a larger proportion of full-time employees (60.6%) and more family-sized housing, with 79.7% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Byron Bay is also far more walkable, with 70.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services compared to 42.9% in Toowoomba.

The gap in typical weekly rent has widened since 2016, with Byron Bay now $310 higher at $620. Despite this, the two areas are very similar in some ways, such as having almost identical rates of people working or looking for work (61.1%) and nearly the same number of people per home. Since 2011, the lead has flipped in several areas, with Byron Bay now having a much higher share of people with no religion (59.7%) and more people working from home (25.8%) than Toowoomba.

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Where they differ most

Population: 131,249 larger in Toowoomba No religion: 26.8 pts higher in Byron Bay People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in Byron Bay De facto: 7.4 pts higher in Byron Bay Full-time: 20.5 pts higher in Toowoomba

Demographics & Identity

Population in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +131,249 larger in Toowoomba gap narrowing

10,914 10th pct 142,163 76th pct

Median age in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +2 yrs older in Byron Bay gap narrowing

39 yrs 43rd pct 37 yrs 21st pct

Age structure

35.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +9.7 pts 25.4%

25.3% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.3 pts 23.1%

13.7% Children (0–14) +6.1 pts ▸ 19.8%

17.2% Seniors (65+) +1.5 pts ▸ 18.7%

8.8% Youth (15–24) +4.4 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

51.6% Never married ◂ +17.2 pts 34.4%

30.5% Married +16.9 pts ▸ 47.4%

11.9% Divorced ◂ +2.8 pts 9.0%

3.6% Widowed +2.1 pts ▸ 5.7%

2.4% Separated +1.1 pts ▸ 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Byron Bay Toowoomba

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

63.6% Australia +16.6 pts ▸ 80.3%

5.6% England ◂ +3.7 pts 1.9%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +1.1 pts 1.4%

0.3% India +1.1 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.3% Italy ◂ +1.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Philippines +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% South Africa even 0.7%

0.1% Nepal +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% China +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

39.2% English ◂ +0.3 pts 38.9%

27.3% Australian +10.4 pts ▸ 37.7%

14.7% Irish ◂ +1.8 pts 12.9%

11.3% Scottish ◂ +0.2 pts 11.1%

6.0% German +4.6 pts ▸ 10.5%

5.5% Italian ◂ +3.9 pts 1.7%

2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%

0.8% Chinese +0.7 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.6% Indian +0.8 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.5% Filipino +0.7 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.9% Greek ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +7.4 pts ▸ 85.0%

1.4% Italian ◂ +1.3 pts 0.1%

0.2% Mandarin +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Arabic +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Punjabi +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Hindi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

59.7% No religion ◂ +26.8 pts 32.8%

24.9% Christianity +30.1 pts ▸ 55.0%

11.3% Not stated ◂ +4.9 pts 6.4%

0.5% Other religions +1.8 pts ▸ 2.3%

2.2% Buddhism ◂ +1.2 pts 1.0%

0.5% Hinduism +1.0 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.2% Islam +0.9 pts ▸ 1.0%

1.0% Judaism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +12.5 pts 54.3%

14.3% Year 10 +9.2 pts ▸ 23.5%

3.7% Year 9 or below +6.8 pts ▸ 10.4%

5.3% Year 11 +0.6 pts ▸ 5.9%

Highest qualification level

33.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +10.1 pts 23.4%

18.2% Certificate III / IV +14.8 pts ▸ 33.0%

15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.3 pts 14.8%

9.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.0 pts 7.2%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.0 pts ▸ 3.9%

1.4% Certificate I / II +1.4 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

16.5% Management & commerce +0.3 pts ▸ 16.8%

6.7% Engineering & related +7.6 pts ▸ 14.2%

13.8% Society & culture ◂ +1.5 pts 12.3%

10.2% Health +3.2 pts ▸ 13.4%

10.7% Creative arts ◂ +8.2 pts 2.4%

6.8% Education +3.3 pts ▸ 10.2%

6.6% Architecture & building ◂ +1.3 pts 5.2%

6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 5.8%

2.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.0 pts 1.9%

2.1% Agriculture & environment +0.8 pts ▸ 2.9%

1.2% Information technology +0.8 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +$71 higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing

$837 81st pct $766 62nd pct

Household income in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +$244 higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing

$1,748 79th pct $1,504 58th pct

Family income in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +$181 higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing

$2,091 77th pct $1,910 58th pct

Household income distribution

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 +2.9 pts ▸ 30.7%

23.3% $650–$1,499 +6.5 pts ▸ 29.8%

17.1% Under $650 ◂ +0.5 pts 16.6%

13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +6.2 pts 7.4%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 8.5%

Personal income distribution

33.5% Under $650 +7.3 pts ▸ 40.8%

35.3% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.4 pts 33.9%

14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 16.4%

5.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.1 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.1% Mental health +4.1 pts ▸ 11.2%

6.2% Arthritis +4.2 pts ▸ 10.4%

5.8% Asthma +4.1 pts ▸ 9.9%

6.7% Other condition +2.3 pts ▸ 9.0%

1.8% Diabetes +3.3 pts ▸ 5.1%

2.8% Heart disease +1.9 pts ▸ 4.7%

2.7% Cancer +0.6 pts ▸ 3.3%

1.5% Lung condition +0.5 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.8% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.6% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +6.8 pts 60.3%

15.9% One condition +5.1 pts ▸ 21.0%

4.1% Two conditions +3.1 pts ▸ 7.2%

1.7% Three or more +2.3 pts ▸ 4.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +0.1 larger in Toowoomba gap narrowing

2.4 43rd pct 2.5 71st pct

Family composition

50.0% Couples with children +4.0 pts ▸ 54.1%

34.5% Couples without children ◂ +5.7 pts 28.8%

14.5% One-parent families +1.5 pts ▸ 16.0%

0.9% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

33.6% 2 people +1.9 pts ▸ 35.5%

29.1% 1 person ◂ +1.3 pts 27.8%

16.3% 3 people ◂ +2.2 pts 14.2%

13.9% 4 people ◂ +1.1 pts 12.9%

5.1% 5 people +1.0 pts ▸ 6.0%

1.9% 6 or more +1.7 pts ▸ 3.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +$310 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$620 100th pct $310 57th pct

Mortgage in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +$823 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$2,340 100th pct $1,517 46th pct

People / bedroom in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +0.20 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

0.90 100th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.8% Rented ◂ +3.0 pts 33.8%

34.7% Owned outright ◂ +4.0 pts 30.8%

24.3% Owned with a mortgage +8.2 pts ▸ 32.5%

2.2% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 1.7%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

61.6% Separate house +18.5 pts ▸ 80.1%

25.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.1 pts 15.1%

8.0% Flat or apartment ◂ +3.6 pts 4.4%

4.0% Other dwelling ◂ +3.8 pts 0.2%

Bedrooms per home

40.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.5 pts 40.0%

21.9% 4 bedrooms +10.7 pts ▸ 32.6%

18.0% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.8 pts 16.2%

9.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +6.8 pts 2.6%

6.0% 5 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 7.1%

1.8% Studio / none ◂ +1.6 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

11.8% $200–$349 +43.8 pts ▸ 55.7%

30.6% $750 or more ◂ +30.3 pts 0.3%

16.2% $350–$549 +13.4 pts ▸ 29.5%

28.6% $550–$749 ◂ +27.1 pts 1.5%

7.6% Under $200 +2.7 pts ▸ 10.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

18.3% $1,000–$1,799 +26.0 pts ▸ 44.4%

32.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +25.3 pts 7.1%

27.6% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.4 pts 26.2%

14.7% Under $1,000 +2.8 pts ▸ 17.5%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

44.2% Car (driver) +26.1 pts ▸ 70.3%

25.8% Worked at home ◂ +18.6 pts 7.2%

2.5% Car (passenger) +3.4 pts ▸ 5.8%

5.2% Walked ◂ +2.8 pts 2.4%

4.0% Bicycle ◂ +3.4 pts 0.6%

0.2% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle ◂ +1.6 pts 36.9%

36.7% 2 vehicles +1.2 pts ▸ 37.9%

12.5% 3 vehicles even 12.5%

7.0% 4 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 6.8%

5.3% No vehicle +0.7 pts ▸ 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

20.1% Accommodation & food ◂ +13.7 pts 6.4%

12.1% Health care & social assistance +7.7 pts ▸ 19.8%

7.3% Education & training +4.1 pts ▸ 11.3%

9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +4.7 pts 4.9%

8.6% Retail trade +0.9 pts ▸ 9.5%

8.0% Construction +0.4 pts ▸ 8.4%

3.3% Manufacturing +3.2 pts ▸ 6.5%

2.2% Public administration & safety +3.9 pts ▸ 6.1%

4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +2.1 pts 2.4%

3.3% Other services +1.0 pts ▸ 4.3%

1.9% Transport & warehousing +1.8 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +1.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

Occupations people work in

25.2% Professionals ◂ +3.7 pts 21.5%

17.7% Managers ◂ +7.4 pts 10.3%

13.7% Technicians & trades +0.7 pts ▸ 14.4%

13.8% Community & personal service +0.3 pts ▸ 14.1%

7.3% Clerical & administrative +5.5 pts ▸ 12.8%

9.1% Labourers +1.5 pts ▸ 10.6%

8.3% Sales workers +0.5 pts ▸ 8.9%

2.3% Machinery operators & drivers +3.6 pts ▸ 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +1.5 higher in Byron Bay

6.6 96th pct 5.2 56th pct

Types ≤15 min in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +1.2 more in Byron Bay

6.3 94th pct 5.1 63rd pct

15-min city in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +10.2 pts higher in Byron Bay

72.7% 87th pct 62.5% 68th pct

Walk to shops in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +17.3 pts higher in Byron Bay

78.7% 95th pct 61.4% 71st pct

Walk to transit in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +23.3 pts higher in Byron Bay

92.5% 87th pct 69.2% 28th pct

Walk to school in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +8.3 pts higher in Toowoomba

61.0% 41st pct 69.3% 65th pct

Walk to a park in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +4.3 pts higher in Byron Bay

94.8% 82nd pct 90.5% 55th pct

Walk to health in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +27.4 pts higher in Byron Bay

70.3% 98th pct 42.9% 60th pct

Amenities/1k in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +12.8 more in Byron Bay

26.8 88th pct 13.9 43rd pct

Intersections/km² in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +9 higher in Byron Bay

33 72nd pct 24 61st pct

Mean slope in Byron Bay in Toowoomba +1.8 pts higher in Toowoomba

4.7% 41st pct 6.5% 73rd pct

Compare Byron Bay with nearby areas

Ballina Lismore Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Brisbane Grafton Coffs Harbour Warwick Toowoomba Sunshine Coast Kempsey Armidale Gympie

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). Byron Bay vs Toowoomba [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1008/byron-bay/vs/3016/toowoomba