Townsville

The area has a significant Indigenous population, well above the national figure, and is much younger than most other areas. This is reflected in the age structure, where young adults aged 25 to 44 make up the largest group at 28.1%.

While 78.6% of residents were born in Australia, the area has a higher proportion of overseas-born people than many similar places, though still far below the national average of 27.7%. English and Australian ancestries are the most common.

English is the main language for 83.4% of the community, but the proportion of people using another language at home has risen to 8.4% since 2011. This is much higher than in most similar areas.

The community is increasingly secular, with 40.3% of people reporting no religion—a rise of 19 percentage points since 2011. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 47.4%.

Education levels are higher than in most similar areas, with 55% of residents completing Year 12. Those with a bachelor degree or higher make up 18.5% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 26.3%.

Typical incomes are much higher than in most similar areas, with a typical family earning $2,086 a week. This includes 10.2% of people earning $2,000 or more weekly, a figure that has risen since 2011.

The proportion of people with a long-term health condition is 28.6%, which is about the same as the national figure. Mental health is the most common long-term condition, affecting 10.5% of residents.

Townsville has one of the highest proportions of former Defence Force members at 9.2%, well above the national figure. However, the volunteer rate of 13.2% is much lower than in most similar areas.

Family life is central here, with 53.5% of households consisting of couples with children. One-parent families are also more common than in most areas, making up 18.2% of households.

Renting is very common at 39.1%, which is well above the national average, and only 23.3% of homes are owned outright. Most residents live in separate houses, with 79.6% of dwellings being detached.

Car travel is the primary way to get to work for 71.1% of people, while only 0.9% use public transport. Very few residents work from home (4.7%), which is far below the national figure of 21%.

The population is quite mobile, with 44% of people having moved house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.5% of the community, which is about the same as the national average.

Employment is strong, with 63.2% of people working full-time—well above the national figure. The largest employers are in health care, social assistance, and public administration.

The area is somewhat walkable, and 85.4% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, far above the state average. However, more than 40% of homes are more than 15 minutes away from the nearest grocery store.