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Toowoomba vs Highfields

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

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 11 km apart · Toowoomba profile · Highfields profile

Toowoomba Highfields

Toowoomba and Highfields are nearby Queensland areas with very different housing and social profiles. Toowoomba is much more urban and diverse, with 28.4% of people arriving from overseas recently and 38.4% of homes being rented. It also has far more one-parent families (18.4%) and people living alone (31.4%). Highfields is more affluent and family-oriented, with 26.2% of households earning $3,000 or more a week and a much higher share of detached houses (95.2%). Homes in Highfields are typically larger, with 94.7% having three or more bedrooms.

Both areas have a very similar share of people aged 65 and over, at around 20%. While they share this age profile, other gaps have shifted since 2011. Highfields has become wealthier and more home-ownership focused, while Toowoomba has seen its lead grow in rental shares and the number of people living alone. Toowoomba remains far more walkable, with 73.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a city-style layout, compared to 43.4% in Highfields.

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Where they differ most

Population: 98,139 larger in Toowoomba Recent arrivals: 22.2 pts higher in Toowoomba Renting: 22.2 pts higher in Toowoomba Separate houses: 19.5 pts higher in Highfields 3+ bedrooms: 18.9 pts higher in Highfields

Demographics & Identity

Population in Toowoomba in Highfields +98,139 larger in Toowoomba gap narrowing

108,398 86th pct 10,259 86th pct

Median age in Toowoomba in Highfields +4 yrs older in Highfields gap widening

38 yrs 25th pct 42 yrs 39th pct

Age structure

22.3% Older adults (45–64) +3.8 pts ▸ 26.1%

25.7% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.8 pts 20.9%

18.8% Children (0–14) +2.6 pts ▸ 21.4%

19.8% Seniors (65+) +0.9 pts ▸ 20.7%

13.4% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.4 pts 11.0%

Marital status

43.9% Married +21.2 pts ▸ 65.0%

36.2% Never married ◂ +13.3 pts 22.9%

9.8% Divorced ◂ +4.1 pts 5.7%

6.4% Widowed ◂ +2.2 pts 4.2%

3.8% Separated ◂ +1.6 pts 2.2%

Age & sex structure

Toowoomba Highfields

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

78.1% Australia +7.9 pts ▸ 86.0%

1.8% England +0.9 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.7% India ◂ +1.6 pts 0.1%

1.4% New Zealand +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.6% South Africa +0.7 pts ▸ 1.3%

1.1% Philippines ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

0.7% Nepal ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%

0.5% China ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Italy even 0.1%

Ancestry

37.9% English +7.4 pts ▸ 45.3%

36.0% Australian +4.0 pts ▸ 40.0%

12.9% Irish +2.0 pts ▸ 14.9%

10.8% Scottish +2.9 pts ▸ 13.8%

10.0% German +2.5 pts ▸ 12.5%

1.6% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.3% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.7% Indian ◂ +1.3 pts 0.4%

1.7% Chinese ◂ +0.9 pts 0.8%

1.4% Filipino ◂ +1.0 pts 0.4%

0.3% Greek even 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

82.5% English only +11.1 pts ▸ 93.6%

1.0% Mandarin ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

0.8% Arabic ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%

0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%

0.4% Tagalog ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Italian even 0.1%

0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

53.4% Christianity +10.9 pts ▸ 64.3%

32.7% No religion ◂ +2.3 pts 30.4%

6.6% Not stated ◂ +2.4 pts 4.2%

2.9% Other religions ◂ +2.7 pts 0.2%

1.9% Hinduism ◂ +1.6 pts 0.3%

1.3% Islam ◂ +1.2 pts 0.1%

1.2% Buddhism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.6%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

53.9% Year 12 +3.6 pts ▸ 57.5%

22.9% Year 10 +2.7 pts ▸ 25.6%

11.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +4.7 pts 6.7%

5.7% Year 11 +0.6 pts ▸ 6.3%

Highest qualification level

31.4% Certificate III / IV +0.3 pts ▸ 31.8%

24.0% Bachelor degree +1.1 pts ▸ 25.1%

14.3% Advanced diploma / diploma +4.1 pts ▸ 18.4%

7.9% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.7 pts 6.2%

3.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.1 pts ▸ 5.0%

2.9% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 2.3%

Field of qualification

16.7% Management & commerce +2.7 pts ▸ 19.4%

13.1% Engineering & related +3.3 pts ▸ 16.4%

13.9% Health ◂ +0.4 pts 13.5%

9.9% Education +3.2 pts ▸ 13.1%

12.7% Society & culture ◂ +2.1 pts 10.6%

6.0% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.5 pts 4.5%

4.9% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 5.5%

2.7% Agriculture & environment +0.4 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.6% Creative arts ◂ +0.2 pts 2.4%

2.2% Information technology ◂ +0.8 pts 1.4%

2.0% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.2 pts 1.8%

Income

Personal income in Toowoomba in Highfields +$103 higher in Highfields gap widening

$740 66th pct $843 82nd pct

Household income in Toowoomba in Highfields +$657 higher in Highfields gap widening

$1,404 60th pct $2,061 88th pct

Family income in Toowoomba in Highfields +$445 higher in Highfields gap widening

$1,808 65th pct $2,253 86th pct

Household income distribution

29.7% $1,500–$2,999 +2.1 pts ▸ 31.7%

31.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +7.0 pts 24.4%

18.5% Under $650 ◂ +8.9 pts 9.6%

7.3% $3,000–$3,999 +7.2 pts ▸ 14.6%

6.6% $4,000 or more +5.1 pts ▸ 11.7%

Personal income distribution

42.0% Under $650 ◂ +2.1 pts 39.9%

34.1% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.0 pts 30.0%

15.0% $1,500–$2,999 +7.6 pts ▸ 22.7%

2.7% $3,000 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 3.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.8% Mental health ◂ +2.8 pts 9.0%

10.9% Arthritis ◂ +0.5 pts 10.3%

10.0% Asthma ◂ +0.9 pts 9.1%

9.2% Other condition ◂ +0.8 pts 8.4%

5.5% Diabetes ◂ +1.1 pts 4.4%

5.0% Heart disease ◂ +0.1 pts 4.9%

3.4% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.1% Lung condition ◂ +0.7 pts 1.5%

1.2% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

59.2% None +3.7 pts ▸ 62.8%

21.2% One condition +0.6 pts ▸ 21.8%

7.6% Two conditions ◂ +1.0 pts 6.6%

4.5% Three or more ◂ +1.6 pts 2.9%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Toowoomba in Highfields +0.4 larger in Highfields gap widening

2.4 57th pct 2.8 81st pct

Family composition

50.8% Couples with children +10.6 pts ▸ 61.3%

29.4% Couples without children +1.1 pts ▸ 30.5%

18.4% One-parent families ◂ +10.5 pts 7.9%

1.4% Other families ◂ +1.1 pts 0.3%

Household size

35.2% 2 people +4.6 pts ▸ 39.8%

31.4% 1 person ◂ +17.3 pts 14.1%

11.4% 4 people +6.8 pts ▸ 18.1%

13.7% 3 people +1.1 pts ▸ 14.8%

5.2% 5 people +3.5 pts ▸ 8.7%

3.1% 6 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 4.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Toowoomba in Highfields +$106 higher in Highfields gap narrowing

$304 60th pct $410 88th pct

Mortgage in Toowoomba in Highfields +$439 higher in Highfields gap narrowing

$1,457 58th pct $1,896 86th pct

People / bedroom in Toowoomba in Highfields even gap steady

0.70 14th pct 0.70 14th pct

How homes are owned or rented

30.0% Owned outright +11.3 pts ▸ 41.3%

28.4% Owned with a mortgage +12.4 pts ▸ 40.8%

38.4% Rented ◂ +22.2 pts 16.2%

1.8% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

1.4% Not stated ◂ +1.0 pts 0.4%

Types of homes

75.7% Separate house +19.5 pts ▸ 95.2%

18.4% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +14.2 pts 4.2%

5.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +5.0 pts 0.5%

0.2% Other dwelling ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

26.8% 4 bedrooms +35.0 pts ▸ 61.8%

43.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +25.4 pts 18.2%

19.6% 2 bedrooms ◂ +15.3 pts 4.3%

5.4% 5 or more +9.3 pts ▸ 14.7%

3.0% 1 bedroom ◂ +2.8 pts 0.3%

0.2% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Weekly rent distribution

27.3% $350–$549 +36.5 pts ▸ 63.7%

57.8% $200–$349 ◂ +33.0 pts 24.8%

10.8% Under $200 ◂ +8.6 pts 2.1%

1.2% $550–$749 +4.6 pts ▸ 5.8%

0.3% $750 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

47.0% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +16.2 pts 30.8%

22.1% $1,800–$2,999 +20.6 pts ▸ 42.7%

19.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +6.6 pts 12.8%

6.4% $3,000 or more +3.4 pts ▸ 9.8%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

70.0% Car (driver) +0.6 pts ▸ 70.6%

6.6% Worked at home +2.9 pts ▸ 9.5%

6.3% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.7 pts 4.6%

2.6% Walked ◂ +1.6 pts 1.0%

0.7% Bicycle ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.3% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

35.9% 2 vehicles +9.9 pts ▸ 45.9%

41.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +18.3 pts 22.9%

10.4% 3 vehicles +8.0 pts ▸ 18.4%

5.2% 4 or more +6.1 pts ▸ 11.3%

7.3% No vehicle ◂ +5.9 pts 1.4%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

21.3% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.1 pts 16.2%

11.4% Education & training +1.7 pts ▸ 13.1%

5.5% Public administration & safety +5.4 pts ▸ 10.9%

7.7% Construction +2.2 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.8% Retail trade ◂ +1.1 pts 8.6%

6.8% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.5 pts 5.3%

6.5% Manufacturing ◂ +1.3 pts 5.2%

4.9% Professional & technical +0.7 pts ▸ 5.6%

4.2% Other services ◂ +1.1 pts 3.2%

3.6% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.4 pts 3.2%

2.6% Finance & insurance +0.6 pts ▸ 3.2%

2.6% Administrative & support ◂ +0.8 pts 1.8%

Occupations people work in

22.1% Professionals +2.2 pts ▸ 24.3%

14.8% Community & personal service ◂ +2.2 pts 12.6%

13.6% Technicians & trades +1.0 pts ▸ 14.7%

12.3% Clerical & administrative +2.0 pts ▸ 14.3%

9.6% Managers +3.1 pts ▸ 12.8%

11.3% Labourers ◂ +5.0 pts 6.3%

8.9% Sales workers +0.4 pts ▸ 9.4%

5.7% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.2 pts 4.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Toowoomba in Highfields +1.8 higher in Toowoomba

5.9 83rd pct 4.1 47th pct

Types ≤15 min in Toowoomba in Highfields +1.5 more in Toowoomba

5.8 71st pct 4.3 45th pct

15-min city in Toowoomba in Highfields +30.0 pts higher in Toowoomba

73.4% 63rd pct 43.4% 41st pct

Walk to shops in Toowoomba in Highfields +20.9 pts higher in Toowoomba

71.9% 61st pct 51.0% 44th pct

Walk to transit in Toowoomba in Highfields +17.4 pts higher in Toowoomba

79.8% 71st pct 62.5% 57th pct

Walk to school in Toowoomba in Highfields +14.7 pts higher in Toowoomba

78.3% 60th pct 63.7% 45th pct

Walk to a park in Toowoomba in Highfields +5.0 pts higher in Toowoomba

96.3% 64th pct 91.3% 46th pct

Walk to health in Toowoomba in Highfields +15.5 pts higher in Toowoomba

49.8% 62nd pct 34.3% 54th pct

Amenities/1k in Toowoomba in Highfields +0.9 more in Highfields

14.4 38th pct 15.3 41st pct

Intersections/km² in Toowoomba in Highfields +47 higher in Toowoomba

111 93rd pct 63 82nd pct

Mean slope in Toowoomba in Highfields +0.1 pts higher in Toowoomba

6.3% 71st pct 6.2% 70th pct

Compare Toowoomba with nearby areas

Prince Henry Heights Blue Mountain Heights Westbrook Gowrie Junction Withcott Highfields Gowrie Mountain Wyreema

Compare Highfields with nearby areas

Blue Mountain Heights Meringandan Gowrie Junction Meringandan West Toowoomba Murphys Creek Prince Henry Heights Kingsthorpe

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Toowoomba vs Highfields [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL303002/toowoomba/vs/UCL313007/highfields