Toowoomba City, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Toowoomba crowns the Great Dividing Range about 700 metres above sea level, roughly 132 kilometres west of Brisbane on the edge of the Darling Downs. The Giabal and Jarowair are recognised as the two main Aboriginal groups of the area, and the city's name is widely thought to derive from a local Aboriginal word, though its meaning is unsettled, with suggestions ranging from water sitting underneath the ground to a place of melons. Known as the Garden City, Toowoomba counts more than 150 parks and hosts the spring Carnival of Flowers each September. Heritage Victorian buildings, sweeping escarpment views from Picnic Point, and a lively café and street-art scene round out its appeal.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Toowoomba City is more socio-economically advantaged than about 14% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 910, 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.
Toowoomba City at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,321
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $1,084
- SEIFA score
- 910
- Coordinates
- -27.5598, 151.9507
Toowoomba City demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Toowoomba 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 27%, 59% of homes are rented, and 21% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 307 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 295 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 628 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 601 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 490 | 21% |
Share of the 2,321 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 164 | 18% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 166 | 18% |
| Rented | 540 | 59% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 480 | 53% |
| Townhouses & semis | 211 | 23% |
| Flats & apartments | 215 | 24% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 913 occupied private dwellings in Toowoomba City.
- Median weekly rent
- $255
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,355
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,607
- Median weekly personal income
- $667
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 423 (21%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 308 (16%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 110 (5%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 940 (48%)
- Labour-force participation
- 49.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.5%
- Employed full-time
- 564
- Employed part-time
- 302
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 Toowoomba City
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Toowoomba City is January (average daytime high around 29°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.7°C). The area receives roughly 777 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°C | 18.3°C | 82 mm |
| Feb | 28.4°C | 18.1°C | 106 mm |
| Mar | 26.9°C | 17.7°C | 120 mm |
| Apr | 23.8°C | 14.2°C | 30 mm |
| May | 20.5°C | 11°C | 54 mm |
| Jun | 17.9°C | 8.6°C | 29 mm |
| Jul | 17.7°C | 7.7°C | 31 mm |
| Aug | 19.5°C | 8.3°C | 30 mm |
| Sep | 22.7°C | 10.7°C | 28 mm |
| Oct | 25.4°C | 13.4°C | 87 mm |
| Nov | 27.7°C | 15.6°C | 81 mm |
| Dec | 28.9°C | 17.4°C | 99 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Toowoomba City
Where is Toowoomba City?
Toowoomba City is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Toowoomba City?
At the 2021 Census, Toowoomba City had a population of about 2,321.
Is Toowoomba City an advantaged area?
Toowoomba City has an ABS SEIFA score of 910, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 14 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 14% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Toowoomba City?
Toowoomba City has average daytime highs of about 24°C and overnight lows of about 13.4°C, with roughly 777 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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