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Sunshine Coast vs Toowoomba

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

Urban Area comparison ≈ 170 km apart · Sunshine Coast profile · Toowoomba profile

Sunshine Coast Toowoomba

Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba are two major Queensland hubs with distinct social profiles. Sunshine Coast has a noticeably older population, with a typical resident aged 44 and 22.2% of people aged 65 and over. It is also much more likely that residents have no religion (47.0%) and work from home (15.0%). Toowoomba is younger and more diverse, with a far higher share of recent overseas arrivals (25.2%) and a much higher proportion of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school (69.3%).

The gap in the typical age of residents has widened since 2011, growing from four years to seven years. Despite this, the two areas share very similar typical weekly household incomes of around $1,500 to $1,600. They also both have a similar share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher, sitting around 21%. Both areas see very low use of public transport for commuting, with rates below 1%.

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Where they differ most

No religion: 14.1 pts higher in Sunshine Coast Population: 240,740 larger in Sunshine Coast Full-time: 8.7 pts higher in Toowoomba Limited English: 1.3 pts higher in Toowoomba Recent arrivals: 14.5 pts higher in Toowoomba

Demographics & Identity

Population in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +240,740 larger in Sunshine Coast gap widening

382,903 86th pct 142,163 76th pct

Median age in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +7 yrs older in Sunshine Coast gap widening

44 yrs 71st pct 37 yrs 21st pct

Age structure

27.0% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.9 pts 23.1%

22.9% Young adults (25–44) +2.4 pts ▸ 25.4%

22.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.5 pts 18.7%

17.2% Children (0–14) +2.6 pts ▸ 19.8%

10.7% Youth (15–24) +2.4 pts ▸ 13.1%

Marital status

48.7% Married ◂ +1.3 pts 47.4%

31.4% Never married +3.0 pts ▸ 34.4%

11.0% Divorced ◂ +2.0 pts 9.0%

5.5% Widowed +0.2 pts ▸ 5.7%

3.4% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Sunshine Coast Toowoomba

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

73.9% Australia +6.4 pts ▸ 80.3%

6.1% England ◂ +4.2 pts 1.9%

4.3% New Zealand ◂ +2.8 pts 1.4%

0.6% India +0.7 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.2% South Africa ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

0.5% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.2% Nepal +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% China +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

45.6% English ◂ +6.7 pts 38.9%

35.2% Australian +2.6 pts ▸ 37.7%

12.6% Irish +0.4 pts ▸ 12.9%

12.4% Scottish ◂ +1.3 pts 11.1%

6.5% German +4.0 pts ▸ 10.5%

2.7% Italian ◂ +1.0 pts 1.7%

2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%

1.0% Chinese +0.5 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.8% Indian +0.6 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.7% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.5% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

88.7% English only ◂ +3.8 pts 85.0%

0.3% Mandarin +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Arabic +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

0.1% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

43.4% Christianity +11.6 pts ▸ 55.0%

47.0% No religion ◂ +14.1 pts 32.8%

7.2% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 6.4%

0.5% Other religions +1.8 pts ▸ 2.3%

0.6% Hinduism +0.9 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.2% Islam +0.8 pts ▸ 1.0%

1.0% Buddhism even 1.0%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

56.5% Year 12 ◂ +2.2 pts 54.3%

22.5% Year 10 +1.0 pts ▸ 23.5%

6.8% Year 9 or below +3.6 pts ▸ 10.4%

7.7% Year 11 ◂ +1.8 pts 5.9%

Highest qualification level

31.7% Certificate III / IV +1.3 pts ▸ 33.0%

23.3% Bachelor degree +0.1 pts ▸ 23.4%

16.9% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.1 pts 14.8%

6.2% Postgraduate degree +1.0 pts ▸ 7.2%

3.6% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.3 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.0% Certificate I / II +0.8 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

17.2% Management & commerce ◂ +0.4 pts 16.8%

13.2% Engineering & related +1.1 pts ▸ 14.2%

12.6% Health +0.8 pts ▸ 13.4%

11.5% Society & culture +0.8 pts ▸ 12.3%

9.2% Education +1.0 pts ▸ 10.2%

7.5% Architecture & building ◂ +2.3 pts 5.2%

6.2% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.4 pts 5.8%

3.6% Creative arts ◂ +1.1 pts 2.4%

2.2% Agriculture & environment +0.7 pts ▸ 2.9%

2.1% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.2 pts 1.9%

1.5% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +$11 higher in Toowoomba gap narrowing

$755 57th pct $766 62nd pct

Household income in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +$86 higher in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

$1,590 67th pct $1,504 58th pct

Family income in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +$7 higher in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

$1,917 58th pct $1,910 58th pct

Household income distribution

29.8% $1,500–$2,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 30.7%

28.5% $650–$1,499 +1.2 pts ▸ 29.8%

15.5% Under $650 +1.0 pts ▸ 16.6%

9.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 7.4%

9.0% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.5 pts 8.5%

Personal income distribution

40.8% Under $650 even 40.8%

33.1% $650–$1,499 +0.9 pts ▸ 33.9%

15.5% $1,500–$2,999 +0.9 pts ▸ 16.4%

3.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.2% Mental health +2.0 pts ▸ 11.2%

10.4% Arthritis even 10.4%

8.0% Asthma +1.9 pts ▸ 9.9%

8.6% Other condition +0.4 pts ▸ 9.0%

3.6% Diabetes +1.5 pts ▸ 5.1%

4.7% Heart disease +0.1 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.8% Cancer ◂ +0.5 pts 3.3%

2.2% Lung condition ◂ +0.3 pts 2.0%

1.1% Stroke even 1.1%

0.9% Dementia even 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.8% None ◂ +1.6 pts 60.3%

20.0% One condition +0.9 pts ▸ 21.0%

6.5% Two conditions +0.7 pts ▸ 7.2%

3.4% Three or more +0.7 pts ▸ 4.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba even gap narrowing

2.5 71st pct 2.5 71st pct

Family composition

52.9% Couples with children +1.1 pts ▸ 54.1%

32.6% Couples without children ◂ +3.8 pts 28.8%

13.7% One-parent families +2.3 pts ▸ 16.0%

0.8% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

38.5% 2 people ◂ +3.0 pts 35.5%

23.6% 1 person +4.2 pts ▸ 27.8%

15.0% 3 people ◂ +0.8 pts 14.2%

14.6% 4 people ◂ +1.7 pts 12.9%

5.8% 5 people +0.3 pts ▸ 6.0%

2.5% 6 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 3.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +$135 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$445 99th pct $310 57th pct

Mortgage in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +$411 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

$1,928 85th pct $1,517 46th pct

People / bedroom in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +0.10 higher in Sunshine Coast gap widening

0.80 57th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

34.7% Owned outright ◂ +3.9 pts 30.8%

34.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +1.7 pts 32.5%

26.8% Rented +7.0 pts ▸ 33.8%

2.9% Other tenure ◂ +1.2 pts 1.7%

1.4% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

73.2% Separate house +6.9 pts ▸ 80.1%

13.3% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.8 pts ▸ 15.1%

12.6% Flat or apartment ◂ +8.1 pts 4.4%

0.7% Other dwelling ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

Bedrooms per home

37.7% 3 bedrooms +2.4 pts ▸ 40.0%

32.2% 4 bedrooms +0.4 pts ▸ 32.6%

17.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.5 pts 16.2%

7.3% 5 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 7.1%

3.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.8 pts 2.6%

0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

15.6% $200–$349 +40.0 pts ▸ 55.7%

53.0% $350–$549 ◂ +23.5 pts 29.5%

16.8% $550–$749 ◂ +15.3 pts 1.5%

7.4% Under $200 +2.9 pts ▸ 10.3%

4.0% $750 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

28.1% $1,000–$1,799 +16.2 pts ▸ 44.4%

37.6% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +11.3 pts 26.2%

14.2% Under $1,000 +3.2 pts ▸ 17.5%

13.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +6.5 pts 7.1%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

62.2% Car (driver) +8.1 pts ▸ 70.3%

15.0% Worked at home ◂ +7.8 pts 7.2%

3.9% Car (passenger) +1.9 pts ▸ 5.8%

2.0% Walked +0.4 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.8% Bicycle ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

0.7% Bus ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.2% Train ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.9 pts 37.9%

35.3% 1 vehicle +1.6 pts ▸ 36.9%

13.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.9 pts 12.5%

7.6% 4 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 6.8%

3.9% No vehicle +2.0 pts ▸ 5.9%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.5% Health care & social assistance +2.3 pts ▸ 19.8%

12.1% Construction ◂ +3.6 pts 8.4%

8.7% Education & training +2.6 pts ▸ 11.3%

10.0% Retail trade ◂ +0.4 pts 9.5%

8.8% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.4 pts 6.4%

4.5% Manufacturing +2.0 pts ▸ 6.5%

6.3% Professional & technical ◂ +1.4 pts 4.9%

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

4.0% Other services +0.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

3.0% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 3.7%

3.6% Administrative & support ◂ +1.1 pts 2.4%

2.9% Finance & insurance ◂ +0.2 pts 2.6%

Occupations people work in

21.0% Professionals +0.5 pts ▸ 21.5%

15.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.8 pts 14.4%

13.4% Community & personal service +0.6 pts ▸ 14.1%

11.9% Clerical & administrative +0.9 pts ▸ 12.8%

12.6% Managers ◂ +2.3 pts 10.3%

9.7% Labourers +0.9 pts ▸ 10.6%

9.7% Sales workers ◂ +0.8 pts 8.9%

4.8% Machinery operators & drivers +1.1 pts ▸ 5.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +0.3 higher in Toowoomba

4.9 48th pct 5.2 56th pct

Types ≤15 min in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +0.5 more in Toowoomba

4.6 43rd pct 5.1 63rd pct

15-min city in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +8.8 pts higher in Toowoomba

53.7% 50th pct 62.5% 68th pct

Walk to shops in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +3.9 pts higher in Toowoomba

57.5% 60th pct 61.4% 71st pct

Walk to transit in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +2.0 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

71.3% 29th pct 69.2% 28th pct

Walk to school in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +19.9 pts higher in Toowoomba

49.4% 23rd pct 69.3% 65th pct

Walk to a park in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +3.0 pts higher in Toowoomba

87.5% 42nd pct 90.5% 55th pct

Walk to health in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +3.6 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

46.5% 67th pct 42.9% 60th pct

Amenities/1k in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +1.4 more in Toowoomba

12.6 26th pct 13.9 43rd pct

Intersections/km² in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +3 higher in Toowoomba

21 56th pct 24 61st pct

Mean slope in Sunshine Coast in Toowoomba +0.1 pts higher in Toowoomba

6.4% 71st pct 6.5% 73rd pct

Compare Sunshine Coast with nearby areas

Gympie Maryborough Hervey Bay Kingaroy Brisbane Bundaberg Toowoomba Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Warwick Byron Bay Lismore Ballina

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). Sunshine Coast vs Toowoomba [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/3015/sunshine-coast/vs/3016/toowoomba