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Emerald vs Townsville

Urban Area comparison ≈ 494 km apart · Emerald profile · Townsville profile

Emerald Townsville

Townsville and Emerald are two distinct Queensland centres located nearly 500km apart. Townsville is much larger and more connected, with 82.5% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport compared to 0.0% in Emerald. Emerald is a younger and wealthier place; its typical weekly household income is $2,190, which is well higher than Townsville's $1,717. Emerald also has a higher share of children under 15 (25.2% versus 19.4%) and more people working or looking for work (73.7% versus 64.1%).

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of people who speak little or no English, at around 1%. This commonality exists alongside other similarities, such as nearly identical shares of people born overseas and very similar typical weekly rents. While Townsville has a well higher share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents, this gap has widened since 2011. At the same time, the gap in typical household income between the two has narrowed over the last decade.

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Where they differ most

Population: 164,922 larger in Townsville One-parent: 5.0 pts higher in Townsville Volunteering: 4.1 pts higher in Emerald Unemployment: 1.8 pts higher in Townsville Participation: 9.6 pts higher in Emerald

Demographics & Identity

Population in Emeraldin Townsville +164,922 larger in Townsville gap widening
14,089 14th pct 179,011 79th pct
Median age in Emeraldin Townsville +3 yrs older in Townsville gap narrowing
32 yrs 0th pct 35 yrs 11th pct
First Nations in Emeraldin Townsville +3.6 pts higher in Townsville gap widening
5.2% 47th pct 8.8% 80th pct
Aged 65+ in Emeraldin Townsville +6.7 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
7.0% 0th pct 13.7% 13th pct
Under 15 in Emeraldin Townsville +5.9 pts higher in Emerald gap widening
25.2% 100th pct 19.4% 73rd pct
De facto in Emeraldin Townsville +1.6 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
16.6% 90th pct 15.0% 86th pct

Age structure

31.6% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +3.6 pts 28.0%
25.2% Children (0–14) ◂ +5.9 pts 19.4%
22.7% Older adults (45–64) +1.3 pts ▸ 24.0%
13.4% Youth (15–24) +1.5 pts ▸ 14.9%
7.0% Seniors (65+) +6.7 pts ▸ 13.7%

Marital status

47.0% Married ◂ +6.9 pts 40.1%
39.3% Never married +3.2 pts ▸ 42.5%
7.4% Divorced +1.9 pts ▸ 9.3%
2.5% Widowed +1.7 pts ▸ 4.2%
3.7% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 3.9%

Age & sex structure

Emerald Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Emeraldin Townsville +0.6 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
14.8% 62nd pct 14.1% 58th pct

Country of birth

76.9% Australia +1.9 pts ▸ 78.8%
4.1% New Zealand ◂ +1.9 pts 2.1%
1.1% England +1.2 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.8% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 1.1%
1.5% South Africa ◂ +0.9 pts 0.6%
0.8% India +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.4% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.0% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%
0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

38.6% Australian ◂ +1.7 pts 36.9%
37.2% English +0.1 pts ▸ 37.2%
11.0% Irish +0.3 pts ▸ 11.3%
10.9% Scottish ◂ +0.5 pts 10.4%
6.4% German ◂ +1.0 pts 5.3%
2.0% Italian +2.9 pts ▸ 4.9%
2.1% Filipino ◂ +0.5 pts 1.6%
1.3% Chinese +0.1 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.4% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%
0.9% Indian +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.5% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Other language in Emeraldin Townsville +0.0 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
8.2% 64th pct 8.3% 65th pct
Limited English in Emeraldin Townsville +0.1 pts higher in Emerald gap steady
1.0% 70th pct 0.9% 63rd pct

Language used at home

83.0% English only +0.6 pts ▸ 83.7%
0.7% Mandarin ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%
0.4% Punjabi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.1% Italian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%
0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Emeraldin Townsville +2.3 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
38.0% 27th pct 40.2% 38th pct

Religious affiliation

49.1% Christianity ◂ +1.5 pts 47.6%
38.0% No religion +2.3 pts ▸ 40.2%
10.1% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 9.4%
0.9% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%
0.8% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%
0.7% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.5% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.0% Judaism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Emeraldin Townsville +1.1 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
53.8% 82nd pct 54.9% 85th pct
Bachelor+ in Emeraldin Townsville +4.3 pts higher in Townsville gap widening
14.2% 42nd pct 18.4% 68th pct

Highest year of school

53.8% Year 12 +1.1 pts ▸ 54.9%
21.9% Year 10 ◂ +0.4 pts 21.5%
6.2% Year 9 or below +1.7 pts ▸ 7.9%
7.7% Year 11 ◂ +0.5 pts 7.1%

Highest qualification level

40.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +5.8 pts 34.5%
16.7% Bachelor degree +4.7 pts ▸ 21.5%
11.4% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.3 pts ▸ 13.7%
3.5% Postgraduate degree +2.3 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.1 pts 2.6%
2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.4 pts ▸ 3.3%

Field of qualification

23.9% Engineering & related ◂ +8.2 pts 15.8%
14.2% Management & commerce +0.8 pts ▸ 15.0%
7.3% Health +5.2 pts ▸ 12.6%
7.6% Society & culture +5.0 pts ▸ 12.6%
9.2% Education ◂ +1.3 pts 7.9%
6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.5 pts 5.6%
4.3% Architecture & building +0.9 pts ▸ 5.2%
3.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.9 pts 1.5%
1.3% Natural & physical sciences +1.6 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.1% Creative arts +0.9 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.0% Information technology +0.6 pts ▸ 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Emeraldin Townsville +$161 higher in Emerald gap narrowing
$1,033 93rd pct $872 86th pct
Household income in Emeraldin Townsville +$473 higher in Emerald gap narrowing
$2,190 91st pct $1,717 77th pct
Family income in Emeraldin Townsville +$415 higher in Emerald gap narrowing
$2,510 91st pct $2,095 77th pct
High earners in Emeraldin Townsville +7.9 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
18.2% 94th pct 10.3% 65th pct
High-income homes in Emeraldin Townsville +8.8 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
27.6% 89th pct 18.8% 73rd pct

Household income distribution

33.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.1 pts 32.2%
19.9% $650–$1,499 +6.3 pts ▸ 26.2%
14.1% $4,000 or more ◂ +5.5 pts 8.6%
8.1% Under $650 +5.9 pts ▸ 14.0%
13.5% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.3 pts 10.2%

Personal income distribution

28.8% Under $650 +6.4 pts ▸ 35.1%
30.9% $650–$1,499 +2.4 pts ▸ 33.3%
22.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.3 pts 19.1%
7.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +4.4 pts 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Emeraldin Townsville +7.1 pts higher in Townsville
21.5% 7th pct 28.6% 24th pct
Mental health in Emeraldin Townsville +2.9 pts higher in Townsville
7.5% 13th pct 10.4% 48th pct
Needs assistance in Emeraldin Townsville +2.3 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
3.5% 7th pct 5.9% 29th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

7.5% Mental health +2.9 pts ▸ 10.4%
4.6% Arthritis +4.0 pts ▸ 8.6%
5.7% Other condition +2.6 pts ▸ 8.3%
7.9% Asthma +0.3 pts ▸ 8.2%
3.0% Diabetes +1.6 pts ▸ 4.6%
2.2% Heart disease +1.8 pts ▸ 3.9%
1.8% Cancer +1.1 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.2% Lung condition +0.8 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.4% Stroke +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.2% Dementia +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

66.6% None ◂ +5.9 pts 60.7%
16.0% One condition +3.1 pts ▸ 19.1%
3.9% Two conditions +2.2 pts ▸ 6.1%
1.6% Three or more +1.8 pts ▸ 3.3%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Emeraldin Townsville +4.1 pts higher in Emerald gap steady
17.3% 76th pct 13.2% 21st pct
Unpaid carers in Emeraldin Townsville +3.1 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
8.0% 5th pct 11.1% 21st pct
Unpaid child care in Emeraldin Townsville +6.2 pts higher in Emerald gap widening
33.2% 100th pct 27.1% 70th pct
Defence service in Emeraldin Townsville +7.1 pts higher in Townsville
2.1% 9th pct 9.2% 100th pct
Housework 15h+ in Emeraldin Townsville +1.1 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
19.6% 21st pct 18.5% 12th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Emeraldin Townsville +0.2 larger in Emerald gap steady
2.7 93rd pct 2.5 71st pct
One-parent in Emeraldin Townsville +5.0 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
12.8% 11th pct 17.9% 67th pct
Living alone in Emeraldin Townsville +2.8 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
23.4% 10th pct 26.2% 23rd pct

Family composition

64.0% Couples with children ◂ +10.1 pts 53.8%
22.3% Couples without children +4.7 pts ▸ 27.0%
12.8% One-parent families +5.0 pts ▸ 17.9%
1.0% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

31.3% 2 people +3.3 pts ▸ 34.6%
23.4% 1 person +2.8 pts ▸ 26.2%
17.1% 4 people ◂ +3.2 pts 13.9%
15.1% 3 people +1.1 pts ▸ 16.2%
8.8% 5 people ◂ +3.0 pts 5.9%
4.2% 6 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Emeraldin Townsville +$10 higher in Townsville gap steady
$300 48th pct $310 57th pct
Mortgage in Emeraldin Townsville +$83 higher in Emerald gap narrowing
$1,600 60th pct $1,517 46th pct
People / bedroom in Emeraldin Townsville even gap steady
0.80 57th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Emeraldin Townsville +6.3 pts higher in Emerald gap widening
44.7% 93rd pct 38.3% 86th pct
Owned outright in Emeraldin Townsville +7.8 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
15.7% 2nd pct 23.5% 11th pct
Separate houses in Emeraldin Townsville +0.4 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
79.6% 28th pct 80.1% 29th pct
3+ bedrooms in Emeraldin Townsville +5.6 pts higher in Emerald gap steady
84.2% 93rd pct 78.6% 58th pct

How homes are owned or rented

44.7% Rented ◂ +6.3 pts 38.3%
36.7% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +1.4 pts 35.3%
15.7% Owned outright +7.8 pts ▸ 23.5%
1.6% Other tenure ◂ +0.1 pts 1.5%
1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

79.6% Separate house +0.4 pts ▸ 80.1%
10.5% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.1 pts ▸ 11.6%
8.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +0.9 pts 7.5%
0.5% Other dwelling +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

Bedrooms per home

41.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +8.3 pts 33.3%
34.8% 3 bedrooms +4.5 pts ▸ 39.2%
11.0% 2 bedrooms +5.1 pts ▸ 16.2%
7.9% 5 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 6.1%
2.3% 1 bedroom +1.1 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

41.9% $200–$349 +7.5 pts ▸ 49.4%
33.7% $350–$549 ◂ +0.5 pts 33.2%
18.2% Under $200 ◂ +6.3 pts 11.9%
1.9% $550–$749 +0.1 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.1% $750 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.8% $1,000–$1,799 +4.6 pts ▸ 44.4%
29.4% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +3.8 pts 25.6%
16.6% Under $1,000 +1.0 pts ▸ 17.6%
8.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 7.2%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Emeraldin Townsville +2.0 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
3.5% 10th pct 5.5% 38th pct
Work from home in Emeraldin Townsville +0.9 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
3.9% 12th pct 4.8% 21st pct
PT commute in Emeraldin Townsville +3.2 pts higher in Emerald gap widening
4.2% 97th pct 0.9% 64th pct

How people get to work

66.8% Car (driver) +4.3 pts ▸ 71.1%
6.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.2 pts 5.5%
3.9% Worked at home +0.9 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.2% Bus ◂ +3.3 pts 0.9%
3.0% Walked ◂ +0.9 pts 2.1%
0.7% Bicycle +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

40.5% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.6 pts 39.9%
32.5% 1 vehicle +2.9 pts ▸ 35.4%
15.4% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.4 pts 13.0%
8.3% 4 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 6.2%
3.5% No vehicle +2.0 pts ▸ 5.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Emeraldin Townsville +5.8 pts higher in Emerald gap widening
49.5% 93rd pct 43.7% 75th pct
Recent arrivals in Emeraldin Townsville +4.3 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
18.6% 77th pct 14.3% 55th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Emeraldin Townsville +1.8 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
3.3% 11th pct 5.1% 57th pct
Participation in Emeraldin Townsville +9.6 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
73.7% 100th pct 64.1% 85th pct
Full-time in Emeraldin Townsville +3.0 pts higher in Emerald gap narrowing
66.2% 91st pct 63.2% 86th pct

Industries people work in

18.7% Mining ◂ +16.0 pts 2.7%
7.8% Health care & social assistance +10.0 pts ▸ 17.8%
5.3% Public administration & safety +7.5 pts ▸ 12.9%
10.8% Retail trade ◂ +1.5 pts 9.3%
9.1% Education & training +0.4 pts ▸ 9.5%
6.7% Construction +1.7 pts ▸ 8.4%
7.0% Accommodation & food +0.5 pts ▸ 7.5%
5.1% Other services ◂ +1.2 pts 3.9%
3.2% Professional & technical +1.3 pts ▸ 4.5%
4.4% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +3.9 pts 0.5%
2.7% Manufacturing +1.7 pts ▸ 4.4%
4.3% Transport & warehousing even 4.2%

Occupations people work in

14.0% Professionals +6.1 pts ▸ 20.0%
18.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +4.1 pts 14.4%
8.4% Community & personal service +8.1 pts ▸ 16.5%
14.9% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +7.6 pts 7.3%
10.9% Clerical & administrative +1.5 pts ▸ 12.3%
11.5% Labourers ◂ +2.2 pts 9.3%
10.2% Managers ◂ +0.2 pts 9.9%
9.7% Sales workers ◂ +1.1 pts 8.7%

Walkability

Walk score in Emeraldin Townsville +1.3 higher in Townsville
3.8 21st pct 5.1 53rd pct
Types ≤15 min in Emeraldin Townsville +0.8 more in Townsville
4.1 28th pct 4.9 56th pct
15-min city in Emeraldin Townsville +9.2 pts higher in Townsville
49.6% 40th pct 58.8% 61st pct
Walk to shops in Emeraldin Townsville +7.3 pts higher in Townsville
46.7% 28th pct 54.0% 49th pct
Walk to transit in Emeraldin Townsville +82.5 pts higher in Townsville
0.0% 0th pct 82.5% 48th pct
Walk to school in Emeraldin Townsville +15.7 pts higher in Emerald
77.2% 83rd pct 61.4% 42nd pct
Walk to a park in Emeraldin Townsville +1.5 pts higher in Emerald
92.7% 70th pct 91.2% 58th pct
Walk to health in Emeraldin Townsville +8.2 pts higher in Townsville
36.5% 35th pct 44.7% 63rd pct
Amenities/1k in Emeraldin Townsville +1.3 more in Emerald
11.0 14th pct 9.7 10th pct
Intersections/km² in Emeraldin Townsville +20 higher in Emerald
49 86th pct 29 67th pct
Mean slope in Emeraldin Townsville +0.9 pts higher in Townsville
3.0% 10th pct 3.9% 26th pct

Compare Emerald with nearby areas

Rockhampton Yeppoon Mackay Not in any Significant Urban Area Gladstone Airlie Beach - Cannonvale Bundaberg Townsville Kingaroy Maryborough Hervey Bay Gympie

Compare Townsville with nearby areas

Airlie Beach - Cannonvale Cairns Mackay Emerald Not in any Significant Urban Area Rockhampton Yeppoon Gladstone Mount Isa Bundaberg Hervey Bay Maryborough

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Emerald vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3005/emerald/vs/3017/townsville