179,011 ▲ +1125.5%
Higher than 79% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 14,607
- 2016: 15,130
- 2021: 179,011
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Townsville · Urban Area
Demographics & Identity in Townsville
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A typical resident in Townsville is just 35, making it noticeably younger than the national figure. The area has seen massive growth, adding about 164,404 people since 2011 to reach a total population of 179,011. This shift toward a younger population is reflected in the high number of children and young adults living here.
179,011
▲ +1125.5%
- 1,666–2,215: 1 area
- 2,215–2,944: 0 areas
- 2,944–3,914: 0 areas
- 3,914–5,203: 1 area
- 5,203–6,917: 0 areas
- 6,917–9,196: 0 areas
- 9,196–12,225: 6 areas
- 12,225–16,252: 16 areas
- 16,252–21,605: 17 areas
- 21,605–28,721: 14 areas
- 28,721–38,182: 7 areas
- 38,182–50,758: 12 areas
- 50,758–67,478: 4 areas
- 67,478–89,704: 6 areas
- 89,704–119,252: 4 areas
- 119,252–158,533: 3 areas
- 158,533–210,752: 2 areas
- 210,752–280,172: 2 areas
- 280,172–372,458: 4 areas
- 372,458–495,142: 2 areas
- 495,142–658,237: 1 area
- 658,237–875,054: 3 areas
- 875,054–1,163,289: 1 area
- 1,163,289–1,546,466: 1 area
- 1,546,466–2,055,858: 0 areas
- 2,055,858–2,733,039: 2 areas
- 2,733,039–3,633,278: 0 areas
- 3,633,278–4,830,047: 2 areas
All urban area areas, 2021. The marker is Townsville — higher than 79% of areas.
| Townsville | 179,011 |
|---|---|
| 4817, QLD | 30,785 |
| Queensland | 5,156,138 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
Townsville's population has grown by 1,126% since 2011, making it larger than about 84% of similar areas. The typical age of residents is 35, which is 3 years younger than the state and national figures.
35 yrs ▼ -10.3%
Younger than 89% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 39 yrs
- 2016: 41 yrs
- 2021: 35 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Children under 15 make up 19.4% of the population, while seniors aged 65 and over at 13.7% are well below the national figure of 17.2%. This is a young age structure, with young adults aged 25 to 44 forming the largest group at 28%.
13.7% ▼ -24.2%
Lower than 87% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 18.1%
- 2016: 21.2%
- 2021: 13.7%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
19.4% ▼ -10.7%
Higher than 73% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 21.7%
- 2016: 20.6%
- 2021: 19.4%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Townsville splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (28%) and Older adults (45–64) (24%), with Children (0–14) at 19%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 8.8% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. Relationships are also distinct, with 15.0% of people in de facto partnerships, a figure well above the Australian average.
8.8% ▲ +102.1%
Higher than 80% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 4.3%
- 2016: 5.9%
- 2021: 8.8%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
15.0% ▲ +39.1%
Higher than 86% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 10.8%
- 2016: 10.3%
- 2021: 15.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →Townsville splits fairly evenly between Never married (43%) and Married (40%), with Divorced at 9%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Townsville
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/3017/townsville/topic/demographics-identity