Urban Centre · Area profile
Toomelah
2 km²
A massive gap exists between this small community and the rest of the country, particularly in Toomelah where 93.6% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. It is an exceptionally young place with a typical age of just 27, which is far younger than the national figure. The population has shrunk slightly to 187 people, with a high proportion of children and a very small number of seniors. This is a community where family life is central, though many households face significant financial and employment challenges.
Explore Toomelah by topic
The community is very young, with 25.7% of people under 15 and a typical age of 27, which is far younger than the national figure of 38. This youthfulness is reflected in the fact that 87% of residents have never married.
Almost everyone here was born in Australia, with 98.4% of the population born here. This is far below the national figure for overseas births, and the number of people born abroad has fallen to 0% since 2011.
While most people speak only English, 8.6% use another language at home, which is a rise since 2011. About 3.7% of residents speak little or no English, a figure that is about the same as the national average.
Over half of the community, 50.3%, report having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This is a significant increase from 2011, when just 19.7% identified this way.
Schooling levels are much lower than the state average, with 43.1% of residents having a Year 9 education or below. Only 13.1% completed Year 12, and just 3.6% hold a bachelor degree or higher.
Incomes are far below the national figure, with a typical weekly household earning $1,071. No households earn $3,000 or more per week, and the typical personal weekly income of $407 is among the lowest in the region.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions (17.6%) and mental health conditions (2.7%) than the national average. About 7% of people need help with daily activities, which is a little above the state figure.
Caregiving is a major part of local life, with 39.9% of people caring for children unpaid, far above the national figure of 26.3%. Additionally, 24.6% provide other types of unpaid care, a significant rise since 2011.
Homes are often crowded, with 3.5 people per house compared to the national figure of 2.5. This is consistent with a very high number of one-parent families, who make up 67.2% of households.
The area is almost entirely renters, with 97.6% of homes rented and none owned outright. While typical weekly rent is much lower than the national figure at $150, most homes are large, with 95.2% having three or more bedrooms.
Car ownership is low, as 57.1% of homes have no motor vehicle, a far higher figure than the national average. Consequently, 34.6% of people walk to work, and no one uses public transport.
The population is very stable, with only 16.2% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.
Joblessness is a major challenge here, with an unemployment rate of 42.2%, far above the national figure of 5.1%. Only 32.6% of adults are working or looking for work, and most jobs are in community and personal services.
While every home is within a short walk of a school and a park, the area is largely car-dependent. There are no grocery stores or health services within a 15-minute walk, leaving it far below the state average for walkability.