CensusAtlas

Compare

Gladstone vs Townsville

Urban Area comparison ≈ 695 km apart · Gladstone profile · Townsville profile

Gladstone Townsville

Townsville and Gladstone are two distant Queensland hubs with distinct profiles. Townsville is more educated and military-focused, with 18.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 9.2% of residents having served in the Defence Force. It also has better walkability, as more homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school. In contrast, Gladstone has a higher share of high earners, with 14.3% of people earning $2,000 or more a week. Gladstone also has more large homes, with 84.1% having three or more bedrooms, and a higher share of people with no religion at 46.5%.

These two areas are remarkably alike in their core household makeup, with almost identical shares of people born overseas and the same typical household income. This shared stability is seen in the same number of people per home, which is 2.5 in both places. While some gaps have shifted, such as the share of residents who finished Year 12, other differences like the proportion of people with no religion have remained steady since 2011.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 133,826 larger in Townsville People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Townsville Bachelor+: 5.3 pts higher in Townsville Unemployment: 2.5 pts higher in Gladstone Volunteering: 2.4 pts higher in Gladstone

Demographics & Identity

Population in Gladstonein Townsville +133,826 larger in Townsville gap narrowing
45,185 60th pct 179,011 79th pct
Median age in Gladstonein Townsville +1 yrs older in Gladstone gap steady
36 yrs 14th pct 35 yrs 11th pct
First Nations in Gladstonein Townsville +2.0 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
6.7% 64th pct 8.8% 80th pct
Aged 65+ in Gladstonein Townsville +1.3 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
12.4% 10th pct 13.7% 13th pct
Under 15 in Gladstonein Townsville +2.5 pts higher in Gladstone gap steady
21.9% 90th pct 19.4% 73rd pct
De facto in Gladstonein Townsville +0.3 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
14.8% 85th pct 15.0% 86th pct

Age structure

26.9% Young adults (25–44) +1.1 pts ▸ 28.0%
26.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.5 pts 24.0%
21.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.5 pts 19.4%
12.3% Youth (15–24) +2.6 pts ▸ 14.9%
12.4% Seniors (65+) +1.3 pts ▸ 13.7%

Marital status

43.8% Married ◂ +3.7 pts 40.1%
37.5% Never married +5.0 pts ▸ 42.5%
9.8% Divorced ◂ +0.5 pts 9.3%
4.6% Separated ◂ +0.7 pts 3.9%
4.2% Widowed even 4.2%

Age & sex structure

Gladstone Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Gladstonein Townsville +0.5 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
14.7% 61st pct 14.1% 58th pct

Country of birth

79.3% Australia ◂ +0.5 pts 78.8%
3.3% New Zealand ◂ +1.1 pts 2.1%
2.2% England +0.2 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.8% Philippines ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%
1.4% South Africa ◂ +0.8 pts 0.6%
0.9% India +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.2% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Ancestry

40.3% Australian ◂ +3.4 pts 36.9%
39.7% English ◂ +2.5 pts 37.2%
9.9% Irish +1.4 pts ▸ 11.3%
10.0% Scottish +0.5 pts ▸ 10.4%
6.6% German ◂ +1.3 pts 5.3%
2.2% Italian +2.7 pts ▸ 4.9%
2.3% Filipino ◂ +0.7 pts 1.6%
1.5% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%
1.0% Chinese +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.2% Indian +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.5% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Other language in Gladstonein Townsville +1.4 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
6.9% 54th pct 8.3% 65th pct
Limited English in Gladstonein Townsville +0.4 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
0.6% 33rd pct 0.9% 63rd pct

Language used at home

87.0% English only ◂ +3.4 pts 83.7%
0.8% Tagalog ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%
0.1% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% Punjabi even 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Arabic even 0.2%

Religion

No religion in Gladstonein Townsville +6.3 pts higher in Gladstone gap steady
46.5% 70th pct 40.2% 38th pct

Religious affiliation

42.8% Christianity +4.8 pts ▸ 47.6%
46.5% No religion ◂ +6.3 pts 40.2%
7.9% Not stated +1.5 pts ▸ 9.4%
0.9% Hinduism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%
0.8% Buddhism even 0.8%
0.5% Other religions +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.6% Islam even 0.6%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Gladstonein Townsville +6.6 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
48.3% 69th pct 54.9% 85th pct
Bachelor+ in Gladstonein Townsville +5.3 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
13.1% 31st pct 18.4% 68th pct

Highest year of school

48.3% Year 12 +6.6 pts ▸ 54.9%
26.1% Year 10 ◂ +4.6 pts 21.5%
9.2% Year 11 ◂ +2.1 pts 7.1%
9.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.2 pts 7.9%

Highest qualification level

44.7% Certificate III / IV ◂ +10.3 pts 34.5%
16.4% Bachelor degree +5.1 pts ▸ 21.5%
11.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.0 pts ▸ 13.7%
3.3% Postgraduate degree +2.6 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.9% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.3 pts 2.6%
2.5% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.7 pts ▸ 3.3%

Field of qualification

26.1% Engineering & related ◂ +10.3 pts 15.8%
15.9% Management & commerce ◂ +1.0 pts 15.0%
7.9% Health +4.6 pts ▸ 12.6%
8.7% Society & culture +3.9 pts ▸ 12.6%
8.4% Education ◂ +0.5 pts 7.9%
5.6% Food, hospitality & personal services even 5.6%
5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.2 pts 5.2%
1.7% Natural & physical sciences +1.2 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.3% Creative arts +0.7 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.3% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.4% Agriculture & environment +0.2 pts ▸ 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Gladstonein Townsville +$78 higher in Townsville gap steady
$794 73rd pct $872 86th pct
Household income in Gladstonein Townsville +$26 higher in Townsville gap narrowing
$1,691 75th pct $1,717 77th pct
Family income in Gladstonein Townsville +$18 higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
$2,113 79th pct $2,095 77th pct
High earners in Gladstonein Townsville +4.0 pts higher in Gladstone gap widening
14.3% 87th pct 10.3% 65th pct
High-income homes in Gladstonein Townsville +1.2 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
20.0% 76th pct 18.8% 73rd pct

Household income distribution

30.1% $1,500–$2,999 +2.1 pts ▸ 32.2%
25.0% $650–$1,499 +1.2 pts ▸ 26.2%
16.4% Under $650 ◂ +2.4 pts 14.0%
10.5% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 10.2%
9.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 8.6%

Personal income distribution

39.7% Under $650 ◂ +4.6 pts 35.1%
27.3% $650–$1,499 +6.0 pts ▸ 33.3%
20.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.5 pts 19.1%
4.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Gladstonein Townsville +0.9 pts higher in Townsville
27.6% 20th pct 28.6% 24th pct
Mental health in Gladstonein Townsville +0.4 pts higher in Townsville
10.0% 40th pct 10.4% 48th pct
Needs assistance in Gladstonein Townsville +0.1 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
5.8% 28th pct 5.9% 29th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.0% Mental health +0.4 pts ▸ 10.4%
8.1% Arthritis +0.5 pts ▸ 8.6%
7.8% Other condition +0.5 pts ▸ 8.3%
8.2% Asthma even 8.2%
4.8% Diabetes ◂ +0.2 pts 4.6%
3.5% Heart disease +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%
2.6% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.1% Lung condition ◂ +0.2 pts 2.0%
0.8% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.5% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.0% None ◂ +2.3 pts 60.7%
18.6% One condition +0.5 pts ▸ 19.1%
5.9% Two conditions +0.2 pts ▸ 6.1%
3.1% Three or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Gladstonein Townsville +2.4 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
15.7% 57th pct 13.2% 21st pct
Unpaid carers in Gladstonein Townsville +0.5 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
10.6% 15th pct 11.1% 21st pct
Unpaid child care in Gladstonein Townsville +3.2 pts higher in Gladstone gap widening
30.3% 92nd pct 27.1% 70th pct
Defence service in Gladstonein Townsville +6.0 pts higher in Townsville
3.2% 50th pct 9.2% 100th pct
Housework 15h+ in Gladstonein Townsville +2.6 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
21.1% 41st pct 18.5% 12th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Gladstonein Townsville even gap narrowing
2.5 71st pct 2.5 71st pct
One-parent in Gladstonein Townsville +0.7 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
17.2% 57th pct 17.9% 67th pct
Living alone in Gladstonein Townsville +0.9 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
27.1% 31st pct 26.2% 23rd pct

Family composition

56.2% Couples with children ◂ +2.4 pts 53.8%
25.7% Couples without children +1.2 pts ▸ 27.0%
17.2% One-parent families +0.7 pts ▸ 17.9%
0.9% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

33.9% 2 people +0.7 pts ▸ 34.6%
27.1% 1 person ◂ +0.9 pts 26.2%
15.2% 3 people +1.1 pts ▸ 16.2%
14.6% 4 people ◂ +0.7 pts 13.9%
6.2% 5 people ◂ +0.3 pts 5.9%
3.0% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Gladstonein Townsville +$40 higher in Townsville gap narrowing
$270 29th pct $310 57th pct
Mortgage in Gladstonein Townsville +$61 higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
$1,578 58th pct $1,517 46th pct
People / bedroom in Gladstonein Townsville +0.10 higher in Townsville gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Gladstonein Townsville +0.9 pts higher in Gladstone gap steady
39.2% 87th pct 38.3% 86th pct
Owned outright in Gladstonein Townsville +0.2 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
23.3% 11th pct 23.5% 11th pct
Separate houses in Gladstonein Townsville +2.8 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
82.8% 41st pct 80.1% 29th pct
3+ bedrooms in Gladstonein Townsville +5.5 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
84.1% 93rd pct 78.6% 58th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.2% Rented ◂ +0.9 pts 38.3%
35.5% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.2 pts 35.3%
23.3% Owned outright +0.2 pts ▸ 23.5%
0.9% Other tenure +0.6 pts ▸ 1.5%
1.1% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

Types of homes

82.8% Separate house ◂ +2.8 pts 80.1%
7.1% Townhouse / semi-detached +4.5 pts ▸ 11.6%
9.1% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.7 pts 7.5%
0.8% Other dwelling ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

Bedrooms per home

40.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.4 pts 39.2%
37.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.4 pts 33.3%
12.0% 2 bedrooms +4.1 pts ▸ 16.2%
5.8% 5 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 6.1%
2.3% 1 bedroom +1.1 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.3% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

52.3% $200–$349 ◂ +2.9 pts 49.4%
20.9% $350–$549 +12.3 pts ▸ 33.2%
22.7% Under $200 ◂ +10.8 pts 11.9%
0.9% $550–$749 +1.0 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.1% $750 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.1% $1,000–$1,799 +5.3 pts ▸ 44.4%
28.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +3.0 pts 25.6%
19.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.4 pts 17.6%
7.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 7.2%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Gladstonein Townsville +0.4 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
5.1% 30th pct 5.5% 38th pct
Work from home in Gladstonein Townsville +0.7 pts higher in Townsville gap steady
4.1% 14th pct 4.8% 21st pct
PT commute in Gladstonein Townsville +0.2 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
0.7% 54th pct 0.9% 64th pct

How people get to work

70.4% Car (driver) +0.7 pts ▸ 71.1%
5.2% Car (passenger) +0.3 pts ▸ 5.5%
4.1% Worked at home +0.7 pts ▸ 4.8%
2.0% Walked +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%
0.5% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.4% Bus +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.2% 2 vehicles +0.6 pts ▸ 39.9%
35.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.2 pts 35.4%
13.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.8 pts 13.0%
6.3% 4 or more even 6.2%
5.1% No vehicle +0.4 pts ▸ 5.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Gladstonein Townsville +1.2 pts higher in Gladstone gap narrowing
44.9% 81st pct 43.7% 75th pct
Recent arrivals in Gladstonein Townsville +2.7 pts higher in Townsville gap narrowing
11.6% 42nd pct 14.3% 55th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Gladstonein Townsville +2.5 pts higher in Gladstone gap steady
7.6% 94th pct 5.1% 57th pct
Participation in Gladstonein Townsville even gap narrowing
64.2% 86th pct 64.1% 85th pct
Full-time in Gladstonein Townsville even gap steady
63.3% 86th pct 63.2% 86th pct

Industries people work in

10.7% Health care & social assistance +7.1 pts ▸ 17.8%
14.7% Manufacturing ◂ +10.3 pts 4.4%
4.8% Public administration & safety +8.1 pts ▸ 12.9%
10.3% Construction ◂ +2.0 pts 8.4%
8.4% Education & training +1.1 pts ▸ 9.5%
9.4% Retail trade ◂ +0.1 pts 9.3%
8.0% Transport & warehousing ◂ +3.8 pts 4.2%
7.0% Accommodation & food +0.5 pts ▸ 7.5%
3.5% Professional & technical +1.1 pts ▸ 4.5%
3.8% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%
3.4% Administrative & support ◂ +0.8 pts 2.6%
3.2% Mining ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%

Occupations people work in

20.4% Technicians & trades ◂ +6.0 pts 14.4%
15.7% Professionals +4.4 pts ▸ 20.0%
11.2% Community & personal service +5.2 pts ▸ 16.5%
10.3% Clerical & administrative +2.1 pts ▸ 12.3%
12.1% Labourers ◂ +2.8 pts 9.3%
11.7% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +4.4 pts 7.3%
8.2% Managers +1.8 pts ▸ 9.9%
8.3% Sales workers +0.3 pts ▸ 8.7%

Walkability

Walk score in Gladstonein Townsville +0.3 higher in Townsville
4.7 43rd pct 5.1 53rd pct
Types ≤15 min in Gladstonein Townsville +0.2 more in Townsville
4.7 46th pct 4.9 56th pct
15-min city in Gladstonein Townsville +8.5 pts higher in Townsville
50.2% 41st pct 58.8% 61st pct
Walk to shops in Gladstonein Townsville +3.0 pts higher in Townsville
51.0% 40th pct 54.0% 49th pct
Walk to transit in Gladstonein Townsville +2.5 pts higher in Gladstone
85.0% 57th pct 82.5% 48th pct
Walk to school in Gladstonein Townsville +5.7 pts higher in Townsville
55.7% 30th pct 61.4% 42nd pct
Walk to a park in Gladstonein Townsville +2.7 pts higher in Gladstone
93.9% 77th pct 91.2% 58th pct
Walk to health in Gladstonein Townsville +2.3 pts higher in Townsville
42.4% 59th pct 44.7% 63rd pct
Amenities/1k in Gladstonein Townsville +1.8 more in Gladstone
11.5 17th pct 9.7 10th pct
Intersections/km² in Gladstonein Townsville +10 higher in Townsville
18 47th pct 29 67th pct
Mean slope in Gladstonein Townsville +3.5 pts higher in Gladstone
7.4% 87th pct 3.9% 26th pct

Compare Gladstone with nearby areas

Yeppoon Rockhampton Bundaberg Hervey Bay Maryborough Gympie Kingaroy Sunshine Coast Emerald Mackay Toowoomba Brisbane

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). Gladstone vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3006/gladstone/vs/3017/townsville