Townsville · Urban Area
How much of daily life sits within a walk of home — a transparent 0–10 walkability score and the everyday destinations you can reach on foot: shops, public transport, schools, parks and health services, plus the streets and terrain in between.
Just under 60% of homes in Townsville pass the 15-minute city test, meaning they can reach several key amenities on foot. This is about the same as the Queensland figure. While many residents enjoy easy access to parks and transport, others face longer walks for basic needs like groceries and healthcare.
All urban area areas, 2021. The marker is Townsville — somewhat walkable of areas.
| Townsville | 5.1 |
|---|---|
| 4817, QLD | 4.6 |
| Queensland | 5.0 |
Share of homes (G-NAF addresses) in Townsville by walking time to the nearest amenity of each type, on an elevation-aware pedestrian network. How we calculate this →
The overall walkability score and how much of daily life is a short walk away.
Townsville is rated as somewhat walkable with a score of 5.1, which is about the same as the Queensland figure. On average, residents have 4.9 different types of amenities within a 15-minute walk.
5.1
Somewhat walkable of urban area areas.
A 0–10 score for how much of daily life sits within an easy walk of the average home — weighing how close groceries, public transport, cafés, parks, health services, schools, culture and everyday services are, and how many of each. Walking times are measured on an elevation-aware pedestrian network, so hills count against reach. The methodology page describes how the score is put together.
4.9
Higher than 56% of urban area areas.
How many of the eight everyday amenity types — groceries, food & drink, health, schools, parks, culture, everyday services and public transport — the average home can reach on foot within 15 minutes, out of 8.
58.8%
Higher than 61% of urban area areas.
Share of local homes that can reach at least five of the eight everyday amenity types within a 15-minute walk — the "15-minute city" test. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
How many homes can walk to groceries, transport, schools, parks and health services.
Walking access is strongest for public transport and parks, with 82.5% and 91.2% of homes nearby, both figures well above the state average. However, access is much weaker for groceries and health services, which are well below Queensland levels.
54.0%
Lower than 51% of urban area areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or everyday shopping. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
82.5%
Lower than 52% of urban area areas.
Share of local homes within a 10-minute walk of a public-transport stop — bus, train, tram or ferry. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
61.4%
Lower than 58% of urban area areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a school. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
91.2%
Higher than 58% of urban area areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a park or area of open space. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
44.7%
Higher than 63% of urban area areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of health services such as a GP, pharmacy or hospital. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
Amenity density, how well the streets connect, and how hilly the walk is.
The terrain in Townsville is a little flatter than the state average, with a mean slope of 3.9%. There are 29 intersections per square kilometre, and the number of walkable amenities per 1,000 residents is well below the Queensland figure.
9.7
Lower than 90% of urban area areas.
Walkable amenities — shops, cafés, parks, health services, schools, cultural and community places, everyday services and public-transport stops — per 1,000 residents. Measures how much is around, apart from how far it is to walk there.
29
Higher than 67% of urban area areas.
Walkable street intersections per square kilometre. Denser, better-connected street grids give more direct routes on foot than winding, cul-de-sac layouts.
3.9%
Lower than 74% of urban area areas.
Average terrain slope across the area, as a percent grade. Steeper ground shortens how far people will walk; it is already folded into the walkability score through the elevation-aware pedestrian network, and is shown here on its own for context.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Walkability in Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/3017/townsville/topic/walkability
