Urban Centre · Area profile
Tolga
3 km²
Daily life in Tolga is largely centred around the home and car, with a population that has doubled since 2011 to reach 1,277 people. It is a place where a high number of residents own their homes outright and many families with children reside. The community is becoming more diverse, with a significant rise in overseas arrivals and people using languages other than English. While the typical resident is now 40, the area maintains a strong presence of both children and seniors.
Explore Tolga by topic
The population has grown quickly, and about 6.5% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure. While the typical age is 40, nearly a quarter of the community is aged 65 or over, a figure well above the Queensland and national averages.
People born overseas make up 16.1% of the population, a figure that has more than doubled since 2011. Most residents claim Australian or English ancestry, though Italian heritage is also common.
English remains the main language for 82.1% of people, but those using another language at home rose to 9.3% by 2021. This shift is consistent with the increase in overseas-born residents.
About half of the community identifies as Christian, while those with no religion now make up 37.4%. This last group has seen a sharp increase of 25 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than the state and national averages, with only 9.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the proportion of people who completed Year 12 rose significantly to 38.3% since 2011.
Weekly incomes are generally below the national figure, with the typical household earning $1,159. Only 8.7% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the Queensland average.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions and mental health issues than most other areas. Those needing help with daily activities fell to 4.5% since 2011, which is a little below the national average.
Volunteer rates fell to 15.5% since 2011, though this is still a little above the national figure. Unpaid childcare is common, with 23.7% of people providing this care.
Homes are slightly smaller than average with 2.3 people per dwelling. A high number of people live alone (30.7%), although this is a 12 percentage point drop from 2011.
The area is dominated by separate houses, and 43.9% are owned outright, which is far above the national average. Rent is well below the national figure, with a typical weekly cost of $290.
Most people drive to work, but 11.4% use public transport, a figure well above the national average. Very few people work from home, at just 4.3%.
The community is quite mobile, with 42.1% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have surged to 35.0%, which is far above the national average.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing are major employers for nearly a fifth of the workforce. The unemployment rate is 2.8%, which is much lower than most similar areas.
Tolga is highly car-dependent with a walkability score of 1.9. While 80.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school, no homes have easy walking access to groceries or health services.