Newtown
A compact 0.72 sq km footprint houses 1,498 people at a density of 2,090.1 people per sq km, yet 92.0% of dwellings are separate houses. That combination gives Newtown a tightly settled, low-rise feel rather than an apartment-led profile. The median age of 40 matches the national comparison, while household income sits at the 61.6th percentile. Compared with nearby Toowoomba City, Newtown reads as a more detached residential pocket, with 43.2% of residents paying a mortgage and 33.3% renting. Its established character is reinforced by 76.7% of residents staying at the same address, while annual growth is only 0.46%, making day-to-day housing form more distinctive than rapid expansion.
Population
1,498
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,753/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
For buyers who value a conventional suburban layout, Newtown has a clear physical profile: 92.0% separate houses, 45.5% three-bedroom homes and 30.3% with four or more bedrooms. That is materially higher than the 5.3% apartment share, so detached-house stock should shape inspections and renovation expectations. A median house price is not available, making recent comparable sales important before setting a budget. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,517 per month, while mortgage costs equal 20.0% of household income and rents are $295 per week. With 43.2% mortgaged and 23.6% owned outright, the suburb suits buyers comparing established houses rather than chasing a high-rise entry point.
For Buyers
For buyers who value a conventional suburban layout, Newtown has a clear physical profile: 92.0% separate houses, 45.5% three-bedroom homes and 30.3% with four or more bedrooms. That is materially higher than the 5.3% apartment share, so detached-house stock should shape inspections and renovation expectations. A median house price is not available, making recent comparable sales important before setting a budget. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,517 per month, while mortgage costs equal 20.0% of household income and rents are $295 per week. With 43.2% mortgaged and 23.6% owned outright, the suburb suits buyers comparing established houses rather than chasing a high-rise entry point.
For Investors
Newtown presents a mixed rental proposition. Renters comprise 33.3% of households, higher than the 23.6% owned outright, which supports a meaningful tenant base, but the 6.6% vacancy rate may give renters more choice than a tightly supplied market. Weekly rent is $295, and rent growth has reached 31.4%, so cash-flow assumptions should be tested against the purchase price because no median house price is available. Twenty-four development matters were recorded in 12 months, mostly operational works in the examples, rather than a confirmed dwelling pipeline. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, while the 0.46% annual trend points to measured rather than rapid expansion.
Development Activity
Total DAs
95
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+25.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Newtown
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Clifford Park Special School
Toowoomba West Special School
Newtown State School
Demographics
Newtown has a settled, Anglo-background profile: English ancestry is reported by 654 people, followed by Irish 225, Scottish 187 and German 143. Christianity accounts for 703 responses and no religion 678, indicating a nearly even split between the two largest categories. The median age of 40 is level with the national comparison, while university attainment at 30.2% is only 0.1 percentage points above the national figure. Overseas-born residents make up 13.5%, which is 8.1 points below the national comparison. Household size is 2.5, equal to the national comparison, and 76.7% stayed at the same address, suggesting lower churn than the 23.3% turnover rate. Compared with the more central Toowoomba City setting, this points to a steadier family and established-home pattern.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.0%
Houses
1.2%
Townhouse
5.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Newtown's housing is overwhelmingly detached: separate houses represent 92.0%, compared with 5.3% apartments and 1.2% semi-detached dwellings. The bedroom mix reinforces that pattern, with 45.5% three-bedroom and 30.3% four-plus homes, so space is more typical than compact formats. Tenure is split between 43.2% mortgaged, 33.3% renting and 23.6% owned outright. That mortgage-heavy structure helps explain why the mortgage-to-income share is 20.0%, while rent-to-income is 16.8%, with neither stress flag active. Monthly mortgage cost is $1,517 versus weekly rent of $295. Compared with Toowoomba City's central apartment-oriented setting, Newtown is the more house-led option, although buyers need current comparable sales because a median price is unavailable.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $295.
$550
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $550 · units $420
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$844
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
40
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.0%
Couples with children
35.8%
Couples, no children
21.5%
Single parent
400
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is concentrated in essential and public-facing sectors. Healthcare leads at 20.3% with 103 workers, followed by Public Administration at 14.6% and Education at 14.2%; Construction contributes 7.9% and Retail 6.7%. The occupation mix is similarly practical, led by Professionals at 152, Clerical/Admin at 106 and Trades at 104, with Community/Personal at 98 and Managers at 88. Participation is 64.3%, full-time employment 60.2% and unemployment 6.2%, so the local economy has a solid service base but a meaningful job-seeking cohort. Household income at the 61.6th percentile is higher than the suburb's very low SEIFA position: IEO decile 2, IER decile 1, IRSD decile 1 and IRSAD decile 1. That contrast suggests income alone does not capture broader access and disadvantage.
Unemployment
6.2%
Labour Force
785
Unemployed
49
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
30.6%
Participation
64.3%
Employed
736
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.2%
Postgraduate
7.4%
Born Overseas
13.5%
Dwellings
563
Transport to Work
Newtown is practical for households with cars: 71.8% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.6% using public transport and 1.5% walking or cycling. Work-from-home participation is 18.2%, which may soften commuting pressure for some households. Three local government schools provide a mix of 1 state school and 2 special schools; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburb edges. The IRSAD score is 885 but the decile is 1, a lower position than higher-decile areas, signalling constrained relative advantage despite the suburb's compact layout. A 6.6% vacancy rate may make rentals easier to inspect than in tighter markets, but transport convenience is more car-led than active or public-transport led.
Drive
71.8%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
18.2%
Population Forecast
+0.46%/yr
(+49 people/yr)
EstablishedNewtown is an established, slow-growth market, with forecast annual growth of 0.46% and population change across the wider area of 4.9% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is Mixed, so expansion is unlikely to be uniform. Rents have grown 31.4%, far higher than the 0.46% annual population trend, which can reflect housing pressure even when resident growth is modest. Affordability is labelled Stable, moving from 42.5 in 2011 to 42.0 in 2021, while the gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Compared with a high-growth redevelopment market, Newtown's appeal rests more on established housing and gradual change than rapid uplift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+60
Net Internal / yr
+3
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Newtown compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newtown a good suburb to live in?
Newtown can suit households wanting detached housing near Toowoomba services. Its 92.0% separate-house share, 71.8% car-driver rate and 18.2% work-from-home rate favour established residential routines, while the IRSAD decile of 1 signals lower relative advantage than higher-decile areas. Check the exact address for transport and enrolment needs.
What is the median house price in Newtown?
A reliable median house price is not available for Newtown. Buyers should compare recent sales for similar 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom houses, which represent 45.5% and 30.3% of homes, then test repayments against the $1,517 monthly mortgage figure.
What schools are in Newtown?
Newtown has 3 nearby government schools: 1 state school and 2 special schools. School type and enrolment access differ, so families should check the catchment for the exact address rather than assume every option is available to every child. Travel is primarily car-based, with 71.8% driving.
Is Newtown safe?
Crime-rate data is not available, so a precise safety comparison cannot be made. For practical context, Newtown has 1,498 residents, a 6.6% vacancy rate and a 76.7% address-stay rate. Assess the specific street, lighting, traffic and school-zone activity before renting or buying, rather than relying on a suburb-wide label.
Is Newtown good for property investment?
Newtown may suit investors seeking an established, detached rental market rather than rapid growth. Renters account for 33.3%, weekly rent is $295 and vacancy is 6.6%; rent growth is 31.4%, but annual population growth is only 0.46%. Twenty-four development matters in 12 months add activity, although the examples are operational works and no dwelling yield is confirmed.
How is Newtown's population changing?
Population change is gradual rather than rapid. Newtown has 1,498 residents today, while the wider-area forecast records 4.9% change over 10 years and an annual trend of 0.46%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is Mixed and the gentrification score is 0, so change is more likely to be incremental than a sharp reset.
What development is happening in Newtown?
Development activity is visible but appears infrastructure-led. Twenty-four matters were recorded over 12 months, and the examples include footpaths, stormwater and road-reserve works. Because the examples show no confirmed dwelling count, buyers should treat this as neighbourhood improvement activity rather than assume a large new housing supply. The annual growth trend is 0.46%.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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