Urban Centre · Area profile
Toogoolawah
3 km²
A far older population than the national average marks Toogoolawah, where the typical resident is 59. This community has seen a significant shift since 2011, with the number of seniors aged 65 and over rising to 40%. It is a place where many people live alone in their own homes, and a high proportion of residents now require assistance with daily activities. This aging trend is reflected in the quiet nature of the town, which has a shrinking total population of 957 people.
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The area is far older than most, with 40% of people aged 65 and over. This is well above the national figure of 17.2%. Meanwhile, children under 15 make up only 11.9%, which is much lower than the Australian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the most common ancestries are Australian, English, Scottish, German, and Irish. About 10% of the population was born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the dominant language, with 95.4% of people using it at home. Only 2.1% use another language, a figure that is far below the national average of 22.3% and has fallen sharply since 2011.
About 58% of residents identify as Christian, while 34.6% report no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen by 26 points since 2011, though it remains well below the national figure.
Qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 8.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 32.6% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national average of 58.8%.
Incomes are much lower than the national average, with a typical household earning $885 a week. Only 5.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the national figure of 22.6%.
Health needs are high here, as 46.3% of people have a long-term health condition. This includes 21.3% with arthritis, and 14.9% of residents need help with daily activities, which is well above the national average.
Volunteering is more common here than in most areas, with 19.8% of people helping out. There is also a higher rate of unpaid care (14.5%) and a larger proportion of former Defence Force members (5.4%) compared to the state.
People living alone make up 37.6% of the population, far above the national figure of 25.6%. Households are generally small, with a typical of 2.1 people per home.
The area is dominated by separate houses (93.4%), and nearly half (48.9%) are owned outright. Typical weekly rents are $265, which is well below the national figure of $375.
Cars are the primary way to get around, with 60.1% of workers driving. Public transport use for commuting is non-existent at 0.0%, and only 5.7% of people work from home.
Movement into the area is high, with 43.1% of people moving house in the last five years. However, there have been no recent arrivals from overseas.
The workforce is much smaller than in most areas, with only 36.4% of adults working or looking for work. The unemployment rate is 6.3%, which is a little above the national average of 5.1%.
The town is very walkable, with 92.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a range of amenities. This includes easy access to health services, schools, and groceries for the vast majority of residents.