Newtown vs Rockville

Newtown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 38 in Rockville. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Newtown, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Rockville, most households own their home.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Newtown

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 5)
  • But Rockville carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 86/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Newtown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($540,000 vs $760,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Newtown

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 74/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (128.5 km vs 131.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Newtown

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (29% vs 19%)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 74/100)
  • But Rockville carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 86/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Newtown is growing faster (4.6% vs -1.0%)
  • Rockville returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.4% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Newtown and Rockville drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Newtown Rockville
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Newtown Rockville
Walkability 85 / 74
Newtown — Walkability: 85/100 Rockville — Walkability: 74/100
Safety 14 / 29
Newtown — Safety: 14/100 Rockville — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Newtown — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rockville — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Newtown has more residents (10,039 vs 3,204); Rockville skews older (38 vs 35).

Newtown Rockville
Population 10,039
+68% vs other
 3,204
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.6% -1.0%
Median age 35 38
Median household income $62,400/yr
+4% vs other
 $60,164/yr
Median weekly rent $289/wk
+3% vs other
 $280/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Newtown Rockville
0-4 6.2% / 6.1%
Newtown — 0-4: 6.2% Rockville — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 12.5% / 13.7%
Newtown — 5-14: 12.5% Rockville — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 6.9% / 5.9%
Newtown — 15-19: 6.9% Rockville — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 8.0% / 6.1%
Newtown — 20-24: 8.0% Rockville — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 16.0% / 13.5%
Newtown — 25-34: 16.0% Rockville — 25-34: 13.5%
35-44 11.5% / 11.5%
Newtown — 35-44: 11.5% Rockville — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 11.0% / 11.5%
Newtown — 45-54: 11.0% Rockville — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 11.4% / 12.5%
Newtown — 55-64: 11.4% Rockville — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 9.3% / 8.6%
Newtown — 65-74: 9.3% Rockville — 65-74: 8.6%
75-84 5.3% / 7.0%
Newtown — 75-84: 5.3% Rockville — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ 2.0% / 3.2%
Newtown — 85+: 2.0% Rockville — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Newtown 49.2% lone person
Newtown — Lone Person: 49.2% Newtown — Couple Families: 23.0% Newtown — One Parent Families: 19.9% Newtown — Group Household: 6.3% Newtown — Other Families: 1.6%
Rockville 43.3% lone person
Rockville — Lone Person: 43.3% Rockville — Couple Families: 26.0% Rockville — One Parent Families: 22.0% Rockville — Group Household: 6.0% Rockville — Other Families: 2.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Newtown 48.4% renting
Newtown — Owned Outright: 24.4% Newtown — Mortgage: 27.2% Newtown — Renting: 48.4%
Rockville 41.6% renting
Rockville — Owned Outright: 28.5% Rockville — Mortgage: 30.0% Rockville — Renting: 41.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Newtown Rockville
Certificate III & IV 16.8% / 17.5%
Newtown — Certificate III & IV: 16.8% Rockville — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 5.4%
Newtown — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Rockville — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 5.5%
Newtown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Rockville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 1.3%
Newtown — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Rockville — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 0.9%
Newtown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Rockville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Newtown Rockville
Iraq 3.9% / 3.0%
Newtown — Iraq: 3.9% Rockville — Iraq: 3.0%
England 1.6% / 1.3%
Newtown — England: 1.6% Rockville — England: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.2%
Newtown — New Zealand: 1.5% Rockville — New Zealand: 1.2%
Philippines 1.0% / 1.2%
Newtown — Philippines: 1.0% Rockville — Philippines: 1.2%
India 0.9% / 0.3%
Newtown — India: 0.9% Rockville — India: 0.3%
China 1.0% / —
Newtown — China: 1.0% Rockville — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Newtown 70.9% houses
Newtown — Houses: 70.9% Newtown — Townhouses: 19.2% Newtown — Flats / Apartments: 9.9%
Rockville 81.2% houses
Rockville — Houses: 81.2% Rockville — Townhouses: 5.2% Rockville — Flats / Apartments: 13.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Newtown Rockville
Median house price $698,000 $682,500
Median unit price $540,000 $760,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 114 sales
 22 days
from 17 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Newtown Rockville
3 bed $696K / $675K
Newtown — 3 bed: $696K (155 sales) Rockville — 3 bed: $675K (47 sales)

155 vs 47 sales

4 bed $770K / $712K
Newtown — 4 bed: $770K (49 sales) Rockville — 4 bed: $712K (14 sales)

49 vs 14 sales

Development activity

Newtown Rockville
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Newtown Rockville
Houses 3.9%
$550/wk on $729K
 4.4%
$590/wk on $699K
Units 3.8%
$465/wk on $644K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Newtown Rockville
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 28% of QLD Higher than 25% of QLD
Schools Higher than 89% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 97% of QLD Higher than 93% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 71% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 72% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 50% of QLD Higher than 72% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 23% of QLD —

Liveability

Newtown scores higher overall (51 vs 41); Newtown is more walkable (85 vs 74).

Newtown Rockville
Grade B C
Score 51/100 41/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Newtown carries more crime risk (86 vs 71).

Newtown Rockville
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
86/100
 High
71/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 10
within 5 km

Schools

Newtown Rockville
Inside the suburb 8 1
Rated above peers 4 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 1.8 km
 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 2.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.8% 0.3%

Schools in Newtown

  • Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Mary's College Catholic · Combined above peers
  • St Ursula's College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • The Glennie School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Newtown State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Queensland Pathways State College - Toowoomba Campus Government · Secondary

Schools in Rockville

  • Rockville State School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Newtown Rockville
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 15 5
Childcare 9 0
GPs 3 2
Pharmacies 4 0
Hospitals 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 9 0
Fuel stations 5 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Rockville sits further from the CBD (131.3 km vs 128.5 km).

Newtown Rockville
Walkability score 85/100 74/100
Distance to Brisbane 128.5 km 131.3 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 103 min 101 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 73/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 113.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 29.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4350
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 4350
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Newtown Rockville
Car (driver) 79.4% / 82.0%
Newtown — Car (driver): 79.4% Rockville — Car (driver): 82.0%
Car (passenger) 8.4% / 7.5%
Newtown — Car (passenger): 8.4% Rockville — Car (passenger): 7.5%
Worked from Home 5.9% / 5.6%
Newtown — Worked from Home: 5.9% Rockville — Worked from Home: 5.6%
Walked Only 4.3% / 3.4%
Newtown — Walked Only: 4.3% Rockville — Walked Only: 3.4%
Bicycle 0.9% / 0.9%
Newtown — Bicycle: 0.9% Rockville — Bicycle: 0.9%
Bus 1.0% / 0.7%
Newtown — Bus: 1.0% Rockville — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.0%).

Setting

Newtown Rockville
Elevation 634 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 631 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Newtown Rockville
Connectivity score 61/100 60/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 29%
5,375 premises
 28%
1,650 premises

Climate

Newtown Rockville
Annual rainfall 643 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Newtown Rockville
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Newtown Rockville
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Newtown Rockville
Division Groom
same for both
Member Garth Hamilton
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Newtown Rockville
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Newtown

Parks Regional Centre

Rockville

Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Newtown

Newtown vs Harristown Newtown vs Glenvale Newtown vs Wilsonton Newtown vs South Toowoomba Newtown vs North Toowoomba Newtown vs Harlaxton

Other comparisons with Rockville

Rockville vs Wilsonton Rockville vs North Toowoomba Rockville vs Harlaxton Rockville vs Wilsonton Heights Rockville vs Cranley
Full data on Newtown Full data on Rockville
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or