Townsville City, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Townsville is the largest city in northern Australia, strung along Cleveland Bay on the dry-tropical coast of North Queensland, about 1,350 kilometres north of Brisbane. The pink-granite dome of Castle Hill looms over the centre, the palm-lined Strand traces the waterfront, and the city is the mainland gateway to Magnetic Island and the Great Barrier Reef. A large army garrison and James Cook University give it a young, busy feel. It was named after Robert Towns, a Sydney businessman who backed the settlement in the 1860s. The area is the Country of the Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples, the Wulgurukaba knowing their land as Gurrumbilbarra.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Townsville City is more socio-economically advantaged than about 88% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1065, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Townsville City at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,945
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $2,013
- SEIFA score
- 1065
- Coordinates
- -19.2569, 146.8186
Townsville City demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Townsville City using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 37%, 56% of homes are rented, and 29% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 202 | 7% |
| Youth (15–24) | 351 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,086 | 37% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 841 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 464 | 16% |
Share of the 2,944 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 291 | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 238 | 19% |
| Rented | 720 | 56% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 147 | 11% |
| Townhouses & semis | 64 | 5% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,018 | 80% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,279 occupied private dwellings in Townsville City.
- Median weekly rent
- $390
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,663
- Average household size
- 1.8 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,630
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,182
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 747 (29%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 332 (13%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 123 (4%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,731 (64%)
- Labour-force participation
- 64.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Employed full-time
- 1,169
- Employed part-time
- 414
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Townsville City
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Townsville City is January (average daytime high around 30.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 24.3°C). The area receives roughly 1147 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30.7°C | 24.5°C | 306 mm |
| Feb | 30.9°C | 24.3°C | 232 mm |
| Mar | 30°C | 23.7°C | 166 mm |
| Apr | 28.7°C | 21.5°C | 110 mm |
| May | 26.7°C | 18.6°C | 46 mm |
| Jun | 25°C | 16.5°C | 26 mm |
| Jul | 24.3°C | 15.2°C | 42 mm |
| Aug | 25.5°C | 15.9°C | 16 mm |
| Sep | 27.3°C | 18.4°C | 11 mm |
| Oct | 28.9°C | 21.4°C | 37 mm |
| Nov | 30.3°C | 23.3°C | 51 mm |
| Dec | 30.9°C | 24.3°C | 104 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Townsville City
Where is Townsville City?
Townsville City is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Townsville City?
At the 2021 Census, Townsville City had a population of about 2,945.
Is Townsville City an advantaged area?
Townsville City has an ABS SEIFA score of 1065, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 88 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 88% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Townsville City?
Townsville City has average daytime highs of about 28.3°C and overnight lows of about 20.6°C, with roughly 1,147 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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