Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Newtown
6 km²
Much lower typical incomes and higher unemployment rates set Newtown apart from the rest of the state. This Toowoomba community is noticeably younger than the national figure, with a typical resident aged 35. It is a diverse and transient area where nearly half of the population has moved house in the last five years. While it faces significant economic challenges, the suburb is exceptionally walkable, with almost every home within a short stroll of parks, shops, and schools.
Newtown's schools draw a more advantaged community than the area overall.
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The population is noticeably younger than the state and national average, and it has a much higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at 7.5%. Total population grew 5.0% since 2011 to reach 10,039 people.
People born overseas make up 16.3% of the community, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. However, this group has grown by 6.1 percentage points since 2011.
About 12.8% of residents use another language at home, a figure that has risen 7.5 percentage points since 2011. The area also has a much higher proportion of people who speak little or no English compared to the state.
Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 47.4%, though the number of people reporting no religion rose 20 percentage points since 2011 to reach 36.8%.
The area has fewer residents with a bachelor degree or higher (15.5%) and fewer Year 12 graduates (48.2%) than the national average. However, both figures have risen since 2011, and the suburb has a very high number of schools per 1,000 children.
Typical weekly household income is $1,200, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.7% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, among the lowest for its level.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.1% of people having a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent, affecting 13.1% of residents.
Volunteering has fallen 4.8 percentage points since 2011 to 13.6%. A higher than usual 4.1% of the population have served in the Defence Force.
First Nations people make up a large part of the community, but they face significant hardship with an unemployment rate of 18.4%, which is well above the national average.
Household sizes are smaller than usual, and there is a very high number of people living alone (38.0%) and one-parent families (25.6%) compared to the rest of Australia.
Renting is very common here, with 47.2% of households renting, far above the national average. While typical weekly rents are much lower than the national figure at $289, fewer people own their homes outright.
Very few people use public transport to commute (0.5%), and only 5.1% work from home, which is far below the national figure. Despite this, 10.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, a much higher rate than most areas.
The community is highly mobile, with 48.8% of people moving in the last five years. This is consistent with a huge surge in recent overseas arrivals, who now make up 40.0% of the population.
The unemployment rate is 7.2%, which is a little above the state and national figures. The most common industries for local workers are health care and social assistance.
The area is ranked among the most disadvantaged for its level, scoring a 1 out of 10 for overall advantage and access to money and resources.
Newtown is cooler and wetter than the Queensland average, with an average maximum temperature of 24.5 degrees and annual rainfall of 851mm.
The suburb is very walkable, with 96.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a '15-minute-city' layout. Nearly every home is within a short walk of public transport and parks.