Living in Toowoomba

In Toowoomba, unemployment is 3.8% (2026).

Median rent was A$310 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,517 in August 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0411 sources

Population143,942people30 Jun 2021Official source · ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas

Median gross salary (region)2,059EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent852.9EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Toowoomba, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Unemployment rate3.8%country median 4.5% — 16% belowIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean6.1µg/m³country median 6.0 — 2% aboveOfficial source · NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Toowoomba?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Toowoomba.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1203

Utilities, 85 m² flat€115

Internet, 60 Mbps€48

Fitness club€36

Mobile plan, 10 GB€27

Transport pass€26

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	36.1 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	47.57 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,203 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.83 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	26.59 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Toowoomba. Jun 2026. Prices in Toowoomba⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	25.67 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	114.7 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	57,867 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Main residence dwellings	53,468 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	310 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	852.9 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Toowoomba, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official

Is Toowoomba a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–63%

Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%

Student40%strong on education, weak on safety · range 32–48%

Family62%strong on family, weak on safety · range 53–71%

Retirement59%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 48–70%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3.8% in March 2026. Median personal income was A$766 per week in August 2021. Median household income was A$1,504 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Toowoomba?

The unemployment rate is 3.8 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Toowoomba is 3.8%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Toowoomba 3.8%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	40,071 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Employment rate	58 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	1,504 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	766 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,059 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁸Official
Unemployment rate	3.8 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰Independent

What does a salary buy in Toowoomba?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Toowoomba, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2021-12-31	− €853
Public transport pass€26 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €26
Utilities, 85 m²€115 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €115
Internet€48 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €48
Mobile plan€27 · market price · Cost of Living in Toowoomba. Jun 2026. Prices in Toowoomba · 2026-07-31	− €27
Left over	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Toowoomba Salary needed to live in Toowoomba

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Toowoomba. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Toowoomba. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People who speak a language other than English at home	10.25 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Language courses and integration in Toowoomba

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

Multicultural Australia

View official record

Check courses in Toowoomba How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Toowoomba

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Toowoomba?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6.1 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables⁵

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

29°18°

28°18°

26°16°

23°14°

20°10°

17°8°

17°7°

19°8°

22°11°

25°13°

27°15°

28°17°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

106

102

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56.1WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Toowoomba is 6.1 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Toowoomba 6.1

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6.1 µg/m³country median 6.0	31 Dec 2023	NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables⁵Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 28.5 · Feb 27.6 · Mar 26.2 · Apr 23.4 · May 19.9 · Jun 17 · Jul 16.8 · Aug 18.8 · Sep 22.4 · Oct 24.6 · Nov 26.5 · Dec 27.8 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — TOOWOOMBA AIRPORT, 1991-2020⁴Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 17.7 · Feb 17.6 · Mar 16.4 · Apr 13.5 · May 10 · Jun 7.6 · Jul 6.6 · Aug 7.5 · Sep 10.6 · Oct 12.9 · Nov 14.8 · Dec 16.7 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — TOOWOOMBA AIRPORT, 1991-2020⁴Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 90.4 · Feb 106.1 · Mar 84.2 · Apr 25.4 · May 35.5 · Jun 36 · Jul 26.6 · Aug 29.8 · Sep 33.1 · Oct 64.7 · Nov 69.5 · Dec 101.6 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — TOOWOOMBA AIRPORT, 1991-2020⁴Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 728.6 km² in 2021. Population density was 211.1 people per km² in 2025.

How many people live in Toowoomba?

The published population was 143,942 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas³

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport85.1%
Foreign residents14.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	728.6 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁶Official
Foreign-resident share	15.12 %	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Foreign residents	21,494 people	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Population density	211.1 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁷Official · significant urban area
Female residents	73,944 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Male residents	68,213 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Population	143,942 people	30 Jun 2021	ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas³Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

104,311

122,022

139,734

157,445

153,781200120052011201520212025

Population rose 42.4% between 2001 and 2025, from 107,975 to 153,781.

International community in Toowoomba

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	142,163	100.0%
Australia	114,088	80.3%
Country of birth not stated	6,581	4.6%
Born elsewhere(d)	2,746	1.9%
England	2,653	1.9%
Iraq	2,200	1.5%
New Zealand	2,061	1.4%
India	1,946	1.4%
Philippines	1,278	0.9%
South Africa	980	0.7%
Nepal	717	0.5%

Show 41 more groups

Published group	People	Share
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	614	0.4%
Zimbabwe	494	0.3%
Sri Lanka	429	0.3%
United States of America	410	0.3%
Scotland	370	0.3%
Germany	325	0.2%
Papua New Guinea	307	0.2%
Netherlands	304	0.2%
Malaysia	292	0.2%
Canada	262	0.2%
Korea, Republic of (South)	246	0.2%
Singapore	237	0.2%
Taiwan	214	0.2%
Brazil	206	0.1%
Fiji	191	0.1%
Ireland	183	0.1%
Thailand	168	0.1%
Pakistan	165	0.1%
Iran	149	0.1%
Vietnam	145	0.1%
Afghanistan	122	0.1%
Italy	116	0.1%
Bangladesh	113	0.1%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	102	0.1%
Japan	101	0.1%
Indonesia	90	0.1%
Wales	77	0.1%
Egypt	71	0.0%
France	59	0.0%
Poland	55	0.0%
Turkey	50	0.0%
Croatia	35	0.0%
Samoa	33	0.0%
Myanmar	26	0.0%
Chile	24	0.0%
Greece	22	0.0%
Cambodia	20	0.0%
Malta	19	0.0%
Mauritius	18	0.0%
Lebanon	14	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	9	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	142,163	100.0%
Australia	114,088	80.3%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	21,495	15.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	142,163	100.0%
Australian citizen	124,946	87.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	15.12 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Households	53,468 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Labour force participation rate	61.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median age	37 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	1,517 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Toowoomba

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Darwin as a Toowoomba alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

Foreign residents: 37.4% Darwin vs 15.1% Toowoomba+147%
Median gross pay, region: €3,017 Darwin vs €2,059 Toowoomba+46%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €161 Darwin vs €115 Toowoomba+41%
Unemployment: 3.3% Darwin vs 3.8% Toowoomba−13%
A meal out: €13 Darwin vs €13 Toowoomba+5%

Full comparison More about Darwin

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Toowoomba, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Cairns155,574 residents Darwin127,215 residents Ballarat111,973 residents Townsville190,551 residents Bendigo103,034 residents Albury - Wodonga97,793 residents

How does Toowoomba compare?

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Toowoomba in rankings

#15 of 30 in Largest cities in Australia #20 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Australia #22 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Australia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Toowoomba when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Toowoomba's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Toowoomba?

The published population was 143,942 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas.

Is the air quality good in Toowoomba?

What is the unemployment rate in Toowoomba?

The unemployment rate is 3.8 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

What is the typical salary around Toowoomba?

The median gross salary is 2,059 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Toowoomba?

21,494 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How much is public transport in Toowoomba?

A monthly transport pass is 25.67 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Toowoomba a good place to live?

Toowoomba may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Toowoomba?

The official country of birth distribution records 114,088 people (80.3%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Toowoomba, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f52049dcc4b3512ac05bcad1c2081482]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/toowoomba/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_toowoomba-australia-population-rent-salary-jobs-taxes_5759145fe489,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Toowoomba, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {f52049dcc4b3512ac05bcad1c2081482},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/toowoomba/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Toowoomba, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/toowoomba/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f52049dcc4b3512ac05bcad1c2081482; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-25
2021 Toowoomba, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-10-03
ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas ABS Regional population, 2024-25 · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-19
BOM monthly climate statistics — TOOWOOMBA AIRPORT, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 · dcceew.gov.au · checked 2026-07-29
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Toowoomba. Jun 2026. Prices in Toowoomba numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Show 1 more source

Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.