Townsville City

Development Activity

Demographics

The median age is 39, which is 1.0 year below the national figure. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 6.1 points over the decade while the young share fell 2.1 points. Overseas-born residents account for 28.7%, which is 7.1 points above the national average, consistent with a city-centre suburb drawing international workers and students. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,075), Irish (375) and Scottish (338). Average household size is 1.8, which is 0.7 below national, reflecting the predominance of singles and couples without children in the apartment stock. University qualifications at 42.4% run 12.3 points above national, and the largest occupation group is Professionals at 581 workers, confirming a knowledge-worker concentration in the central suburb.

Tenure splits sharply: 57.6% rent, 19.1% hold a mortgage and 23.3% own outright. Renters outnumber owners by a factor of nearly three, which is uncommon outside Sydney and Melbourne CBDs and reflects the 80.3% apartment composition. Separate houses make up only 11.6% and semi-detached 5.0%, so genuine house supply is scarce. Two-bedroom apartments dominate at 47.9%, with three-bedroom at 33.9% and studio or one-bedroom at 11.8%. Rent-to-income is 19.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, keeping the market accessible for tenants. The 22.2% vacancy rate is the defining housing risk, suggesting investors should assess specific building occupancy before committing at the estimated $480,000 median.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the largest employer at 21.4% (264 workers), followed by Public Admin at 18.8% (232), Education at 12.2% (151) and Professional/Tech at 9.7% (120). Together these four knowledge and service sectors account for 62.1% of local employment, above the state average for this type of concentration. Professionals (581) and Managers (258) are the two largest occupation groups by headcount. Unemployment runs at 5.4% with a participation rate of 60.9%, and 73.8% of employed residents work full-time. The SEIFA IEO score of 1,088 places the suburb in decile 9 for education and occupation nationally, contrasting with an IER decile of 3 that reflects lower wealth accumulation among the majority-renter population.

Transport to Work

Walking and cycling account for 19.2% of commutes, well above the national average, which makes sense for a compact 1.96 km2 precinct at 1,502 residents per km2. Car use at 73.5% remains the dominant mode, while public transport is low at 1.4%. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families with children depend on institutions in adjoining areas. The IRSAD decile of 8 positions the suburb in the upper band of advantage nationally, and the IRSD decile of 7 confirms limited relative disadvantage. Rent-to-income at 19.4% keeps tenants comfortable, and only 3.4% of residents (89 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 20.2%, above the rates typical of high-turnover city-centre precincts.

Population Forecast

Population grew 5.9% over the past decade, reaching 9,589 in 2025 from an estimated 9,395 in 2023. Annual trend growth of 0.64% (61 persons per year) is steady but unspectacular. Overseas migration at a net 190 residents per year is the primary driver, more than offsetting internal outflow of 138 annually. Medium forecasts project growth to 10,022 by 2031. Affordability improved from 33.2% in 2011 to 28.7% in 2021, a positive trend compared to most Australian markets. The gentrification score of 15 and the classification of not gentrifying, combined with a mobility turnover rate of 45%, suggests a transient population rather than a neighbourhood undergoing structural upgrading. Real income growth of 0.4% over the decade is weak compared to national averages.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Townsville City compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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