Toowoomba - East
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Toowoomba - East reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Toowoomba - East's population was around 10,812 as of Aug 2025, reflecting an increase of 279 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,533. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,812 in June 2024 and an additional 16 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio was 556 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 76.4% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used. These state projections lack age category splits; thus, proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) are applied where necessary. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of Australian non-metropolitan areas is expected by 2041, with an increase of 561 persons and 5.2% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Toowoomba - East when compared nationally

Toowoomba - East has received approximately 30 residential property approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 152 approvals from FY-21 to FY-25 and 1 in FY-26 so far. On average, about 3.5 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years. This high demand outpaces supply, exerting upward pressure on prices and intensifying buyer competition.

New homes are constructed at an average cost of $1,138,000, indicating that developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals have reached $32.3 million, suggesting strong local business investment. Comparatively, Toowoomba - East has roughly half the building activity per person when measured against the Rest of Qld and ranks in the 43rd percentile nationally among assessed areas. This results in relatively limited buyer choices, fostering interest in existing dwellings.

The area's new building activity comprises 67.0% standalone homes and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, with a growing mix offering options across various price points. The current development environment is quiet and low-activity, with an estimated 489 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts project Toowoomba - East to gain 561 residents by 2041. If current development patterns continue, new housing supply should meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond projections.

Toowoomba - East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 27thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 37 projects potentially impacting the area, with key ones being Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley Escarpment Mountain Bike Trails, Fairleigh Residences, AusRocks Brookview Quarry, and YWCA East Toowoomba Social and Affordable Housing. The following list details those likely most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The exceptional employment performance in Toowoomba - East places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Toowoomba East has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.0% as of June 2021, lower than the Rest of Qld's 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 14.0%. As of June 2025, 5,967 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 1.9%, and workforce participation stands at 62.7%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance has notable concentration, being 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 7.4% versus the regional average of 10.1%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 14.0%, and labour force increased by 13.0%, resulting in a fall in unemployment by 0.8 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.8% with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows QLD employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Toowoomba East's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1%% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Toowoomba - East had a median taxpayer income of $63,722 and an average income of $78,297. These figures are significantly higher than national averages and compare to Rest of Qld's $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $71,184 and average income is around $87,466. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Toowoomba - East cluster around the 61st percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 29.2% of residents fall within the $1,500-$2,999 range, reflecting regional patterns where 31.7% occupy this range. After housing costs, residents retain 86.9% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Toowoomba - East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Toowoomba - East, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 76.8% houses and 23.2% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro Queensland's figures of 81.4% houses and 18.6% other dwellings during the same period. Home ownership in Toowoomba - East stood at 34.5%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 30.7% and rented dwellings accounting for 34.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,798 as of 2016, exceeding Non-Metro Queensland's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure for Toowoomba - East was recorded at $315, compared to Non-Metro Queensland's $310 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Toowoomba - East's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375 as of 2016.

Toowoomba - East features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.6% of all households, including 27.1% couples with children, 28.0% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.4%, with lone person households at 31.9% and group households comprising 2.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

Toowoomba - East shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In Toowoomba - East, 37.7% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, exceeding the Rest of Qld's 20.6% and the SA3 area's 23.1%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.9% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (19.5%). Educational participation is high, with 33.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 13.2% in secondary, 9.2% in primary, and 5.5% in tertiary education.

The area has a robust network of 7 schools educating approximately 4,690 students. Toowoomba - East demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1068. It functions as an education hub with 43.4 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 17.2, attracting students from surrounding communities. The educational mix includes 2 primary, 1 secondary, and 4 K-12 schools. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis in Toowoomba - East shows 46 active public transport stops currently operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes totalling five individual services. Together, these routes facilitate 280 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as moderate with residents located an average of 418 meters from their nearest stop. Service frequency averages 40 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately six weekly trips per stop.

Health outcomes in Toowoomba - East are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health indicators for Toowoomba - East show below-average health outcomes with common conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age groups. Mental health issues affect 9.1% of residents, while arthritis impacts 7.7%.

A total of 68.4% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.3% in the rest of Queensland. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population (6,357 people), compared to 51.0% across the rest of Queensland. The area has 19.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,076 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Toowoomba - East ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Toowoomba-East, surveyed in 2016, had a cultural diversity index of below average. Its population was predominantly Australian-born citizens: 89.2% were citizens, 84.3% born in Australia, and 91.4% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 57.3%.

The 'Other' category showed a notable overrepresentation compared to the rest of Queensland (2.2% vs 2.2%). In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.2%), Australian (25.2%), and Irish (11.5%). Some ethnic groups had notable divergences: Scottish was overrepresented at 10.2%, German at 6.6%, and Welsh at 0.6%.

Toowoomba - East's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Toowoomba - East has a median age of 40, close to Rest of Qld's figure of 41 but exceeding the national norm of 38. The 15-24 age group is strongly represented at 15.1%, compared to Rest of Qld, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 11.2%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has grown from 14.0% to 15.1% of the population. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.7% to 12.4%. Demographic modeling suggests Toowoomba - East's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25-34 group is projected to grow by 25%, reaching 1,519 people from the current 1,212. Population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 45-54 cohorts.