Australia is an exciting place to visit full of one of a kind creatures and true adventure. If you have ever traveled to the country, you have probably visited the capital city of Queensland, but even though this is the most popular area, the outlying cities are growing in popularity as well. One of the most popular smaller cities is Toowoomba. The city plays host to many carnivals and festivals throughout the year and has become a draw to many tourists as well as loved by locals.
The city of Toowoomba covers a surface area of approximately 498.1 km² (192.3 sq miles). The population density comes to 226.9/km² (587.6/sq mi).
The last census in Toowoomba was carried out in 2011, so it has certainly grown in the past few years. According to the census, the overall population in 2011 was 151,188. With the current growth rate for the city, the total population today is estimated to be 164,469. According to the population breakdown in 2011, females outnumber males with males making up 49.7% of the population and females 51.3%. The average household size for a Toowoomba family is 2.5 people and they occupy 63,207 dwellings throughout the city. 90% of the population of Toowoomba are Australian citizens and the other 10% are immigrants from various countries.
According to the census, the unemployment rate in Toowoomba is quite low. Approximately 95% of the citizens that are of working age have steady employment. The status of couples and families employed in Toowoomba tells us more about the overall employment demographics of the city. Only 21.2 % of families have both partners working full time and 3.5% of families have both partners working part time. 22.3% of families consist of one person working full time with the other working part time. 15.2% of households have one person working full time while the other is unemployed, and 4.6% of families with only one part time job. 19.1% of families have no one working, but this includes both those drawing unemployment as well as retirees and independently wealthy families.
Toowoomba is a city that prides itself on educating its citizens. Not only do the residents of Toowoomba enjoy an excellent school system, education continues long after secondary school graduation. From 2006 to 2016 the expansion of ongoing education projects in Toowoomba added 35% more value to the economy of the city. The actual numbers indicate that these projects produced $628 million more in revenue for the city. The efforts created 17% more jobs during that period, putting 1,152 more people to work within Toowoomba alone. The increased productivity within the city produced a 105% increase in exports from Toowoomba.
Religion is a large part of many cities. Even those that do not practice a standard faith do tend to identify with one or more religions. The most popular religion in Toowoomba is Roman Catholicism. 20.1% of the population identify as Roman Catholic, with Anglican as a close second at 19%. Christianity makes up 5.9% of the population and Presbyterian 4.6%. Lutheran and Baptists make up 3.7%, with other religions, including Buddhism at .8%, Islam at 1%, and Hinduism at .8%, totaling 4%.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 5,464,920 | 1.35% |
| Sydney | 5,312,640 | 1.22% |
| Brisbane | 2,599,740 | 1.23% |
| Perth | 2,195,090 | 1.19% |
| Adelaide | 1,407,600 | 1.05% |
| Gold Coast | 762,290 | 1.29% |
| Canberra | 488,541 | 1.15% |
| Newcastle | 474,766 | 1.06% |
| Wollongong | 321,908 | 1.06% |
| Hobart | 178,009 | 1.01% |
| Townsville | 168,729 | 1.01% |
| Geelong | 157,104 | 1.02% |
| Cairns | 144,730 | 1.02% |
| Darwin | 118,456 | 1.03% |
| Ballarat | 93,759 | 1.02% |
| Bendigo | 92,379 | 1.02% |
| Maitland | 78,015 | 1.03% |
| Mackay | 75,710 | 1% |
| Launceston | 75,329 | 1% |
| Bunbury | 71,090 | 1.02% |
| Rockhampton | 61,214 | 1% |
| Melton | 54,456 | 1.04% |
| Hervey Bay | 52,073 | 1.01% |
| Bundaberg | 50,148 | 1% |
| Wagga Wagga | 48,263 | 1.01% |
| Coffs Harbour | 48,225 | 1.01% |
| Albury | 47,974 | 1.01% |
| Port Macquarie | 44,814 | 1.02% |
| Orange | 37,182 | 1.01% |
| Queanbeyan | 36,248 | 1% |
| Wodonga | 35,130 | 1.02% |
| Sunbury | 34,425 | 1.01% |
| Dubbo | 34,339 | 1.01% |
| Tamworth | 33,885 | 0.99% |
| Bathurst | 33,587 | 1.01% |
| Mildura | 33,444 | 1.01% |
| Gladstone | 33,418 | 1.01% |
| Geraldton | 31,982 | 1% |
| Warrnambool | 30,709 | 1.01% |
| Albany | 29,373 | 1.02% |
| Lismore | 27,569 | 1% |
| Gawler | 26,472 | 1.02% |
