Suburbs Mackay

Queensland · Suburb Profile

Mackay QLD — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Mackay, Queensland. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Mackay QLD is 4,026 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Mackay is $835 per week ($43,420 per year). Median rent in Mackay is $270 per week ($1,170 per month). Mackay has a median age of 38 years, equal to the national median. Mackay has a population density of 1017.5 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Mackay is India. The most common religion is No Religion (39% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is SAL Tot. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mackay is $1,387.

There were 9,325 recorded offences in Mackay in 2025-26, a rate of 2316 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (3,080 offences).

Mackay Map

📍
Loading map…

📍 Mackay, Queensland — 21.1432°S, 149.1826°E

Crime: Low Med High 🏫 Schools (17)

Mackay Population

0
residents (Census 2021)

Mackay Median Income & Rent

💰
Median Income
$835/wk
$43,420 per year
#3034 of 14,663
🏠
Median Rent
$270/wk
$1,170 per month
#5664 of 14,663
👤
Median Age
38years
Same as than national median
🏡
Mortgage
$1,387/mo
Avg household size: 1.9 · 0.8 per bedroom

Mackay Demographics

Gender Split

Male 53.7% (2,163) Female 46.3% (1,864)

Population Density

1017.5
people per km²
4,026 people · 4.0 km²

Households

1.9
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$1,827
Family income/wk

Mackay Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Mackay Housing Tenure

🏠
Owned outright
52.8% 262 dwellings
🏦
Owned with mortgage
47.2% 234 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Mackay Country of Birth

Australia
90.9%
India
4.0%
England
2.7%
Germany
0.7%
China
0.6%
Fiji
0.4%
Bangladesh
0.3%
Egypt
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Mackay Religion

No Religion
39.4%
Catholic
21.5%
Not stated
20.7%
Anglican
8.3%
Uniting Church
3.1%
Hinduism
3.1%
Christian (other)
2.0%
Buddhism
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Mackay Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
59.7%
Year 10 or equivalent
26.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
8.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
6.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Mackay Languages Spoken at Home

SAL Tot
34.3%
SAL Tagalog
21.4%
Other
13.2%
SAL Filipin
12.0%
IAL Punjabi
5.3%
Mandarin
4.7%
IAL Nepali
4.7%
Thai
4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Mackay Employment

💼
Employed full-time
44.5% 1,250 people
⏰
Employed part-time
17.1% 479 people
🔍
Unemployed
5.1% 144 people
🏠
Not in labour force
33.3% 934 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Mackay Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
44.0%
Bachelor Degree
25.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.8%
Postgraduate Degree
8.4%
Certificate I/II
4.1%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Mackay Occupation

Professionals
28.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
21.1%
Community & Personal Service
12.7%
Managers
9.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
8.0%
Clerical & Administrative
7.9%
Labourers
7.4%
Sales Workers
5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Mackay Field of Study

Engineering
25.4%
Management & Commerce
18.9%
Health
16.1%
Society & Culture
11.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.3%
Education
5.9%
Architecture & Building
5.8%
Creative Arts
3.6%
Information Technology
2.0%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.0%
Agriculture & Environment
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Mackay Dwelling Types

Separate house
38.0%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
31.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
30.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Mackay Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.6%
$1-$149/wk
1.4%
$150-$299/wk
2.2%
$300-$399/wk
6.0%
$400-$499/wk
7.6%
$500-$649/wk
7.4%
$650-$799/wk
6.1%
$800-$999/wk
7.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.7%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
4.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.1%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
1.8%
$4,000+/wk
6.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Mackay Marital Status

💍
Married
26.9% 950
↔️
Separated
5.7% 200
📋
Divorced
13.8% 487
🕊️
Widowed
4.4% 154
👤
Never married
49.3% 1,743

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Mackay Ancestry

English
26.7%
Australian
23.6%
Other
10.7%
Irish
8.3%
Scottish
7.8%
Filipino
5.8%
Aboriginal Australianralian
5.2%
German
4.1%
Indian
2.4%
Chinese
2.2%
Italian
2.0%
Maori
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Mackay School & University Attendance

Primary — Government
36.1%
Secondary — Government
21.1%
Vocational Education
17.4%
Secondary — Catholic
9.0%
Primary — Catholic
8.1%
Secondary — Other Non-Govt
3.7%
Pre-school
3.7%
Primary — Other Non-Govt
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Mackay Need for Assistance

♿
Needs assistance
6.5% 430
✅
No need for assistance
93.5% 6,233

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Mackay Volunteering

🤝
Volunteer
12.9% 375
—
Not a volunteer
87.1% 2,529

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Mackay Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
1.4%
$300-$449/mo
1.4%
$450-$599/mo
5.1%
$600-$799/mo
7.0%
$800-$999/mo
9.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
27.6%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
18.7%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
17.8%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
7.9%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Mackay How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
67.1%
Did not go to work
9.3%
Car (passenger)
9.0%
Walked only
8.6%
Bicycle
2.6%
Bus
1.5%
Other
0.8%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.7%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Mackay Car Ownership

0 vehicles
15.2%
1 vehicle
50.5%
2 vehicles
24.8%
3 vehicles
6.9%
4+ vehicles
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Mackay Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
14.5%
2 bedrooms
48.3%
3 bedrooms
28.2%
4 bedrooms
5.9%
5 bedrooms
2.3%
6+ bedrooms
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Mackay Population Mobility

24.8%
moved in the last year
58.5%
moved in the last 5 years
7.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
56.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Mackay Indigenous Population

9.3%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
623
Indigenous residents
6,080
Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Mackay Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
431
Asthma
132
Diabetes
128
Arthritis
128
Heart disease
102
Lung condition
78
Cancer
53
Stroke
45
Kidney disease
36
Dementia
8

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Mackay Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
7.6%
$1-$149/wk
2.6%
$150-$299/wk
6.0%
$300-$399/wk
5.8%
$400-$499/wk
4.3%
$500-$649/wk
4.5%
$650-$799/wk
8.4%
$800-$999/wk
12.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
13.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
7.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.2%
$3,500+/wk
3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Mackay Family Structure

Couple — no children
34.6%
Couple — children under 15
33.8%
One parent — children under 15
13.8%
Couple — no children under 15
9.2%
One parent — no children under 15
8.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Mackay Military Service

🎖️
Current ADF — Regular
0.3% 8
🏅
Previously served
3.1% 90
👤
Never served
96.6% 2,819

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Mackay Unpaid Carers

🤲
Provided unpaid assistance
9.0% 259
—
Did not provide
91.0% 2,633

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Mackay Children Ever Born

No children
41.4%
1 child
15.4%
2 children
19.6%
3 children
13.0%
4 children
7.2%
5+ children
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Mackay When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
5
1951–1960
18
1961–1970
37
1971–1980
54
1981–1990
41
1991–2000
50
2001–2010
196
2011–2015
188
2016
67
2017
75
2018
49
2019
94
2020
41
2021
9

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Mackay Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.6%
5–14 hours
24.5%
15–29 hours
8.7%
30+ hours
5.9%
Did not do domestic work
39.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Mackay Household Size

1 person
48.0%
2 persons
31.3%
3 persons
10.4%
4 persons
6.2%
5 persons
2.8%
6+ persons
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Mackay Where Residents Moved From

Same address
2,475
Moved from QLD
599
Moved — same area (SA2)
92
Moved from NSW
33
Moved from overseas
31
Moved from VIC
22
Moved from WA
13
Moved from SA
11
Moved from NT
7
Moved from TAS
3

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Mackay Family Blending

Intact family — no other children
74.6%
Step family — no other children
18.8%
Blended family — no other children
4.7%
Other couple — children only
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Mackay Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 9,325 total

Theft
3,080
Drug Offences
1,636
Assault
1,254
Break & Enter
870
Domestic Violence
786
Property Damage
436
Traffic
421
Fraud
272
Sexual Offences
264
Weapons
262
Robbery
44

Offence trend by year:

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: QLD Police Service — data.qld.gov.au

Mackay Schools

17
schools nearby
7
government
967
avg ICSEA score
9,384
total students
St Mary's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 384 students
1050
ICSEA
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 569 students
1031
ICSEA
Catherine McAuley College Catholic
Secondary · 7-10 · 606 students
1026
ICSEA
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 349 students
1016
ICSEA
St Patrick's College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,394 students
1009
ICSEA
Mackay Christian College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 879 students
1000
ICSEA
Mackay West State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 770 students
980
ICSEA
Mackay North State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,253 students
958
ICSEA
Fitzgerald State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 632 students
955
ICSEA
Mackay State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,254 students
936
ICSEA
Mackay North State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 401 students
933
ICSEA
Victoria Park State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 602 students
927
ICSEA
Mackay Central State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 216 students
908
ICSEA
Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 75 students
811
ICSEA
Autism Queensland Education & Therapy Centre - East Mackay Campus Independent
Primary

Showing 15 of 17 schools

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Mackay with map →

Mackay Rent Prices & Affordability

22%
of income
Affordable
Household Income $1,239/wk
Median Rent $270/wk
Rent-to-Income 21.8%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Mackay

≈ $5,369/month
Median rent $270/wk
Left after rent $969/wk
Rent share 21.8%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Miles
Income: $716/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $70/wk
Queenton
Income: $671/wk Rent: $209/wk Save: $61/wk
St George (Qld)
Income: $776/wk Rent: $210/wk Save: $60/wk
Tully
Income: $727/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $20/wk
Kawana
Income: $722/wk Rent: $255/wk Save: $15/wk
Sun Valley (Qld)
Income: $699/wk Rent: $260/wk Save: $10/wk
Longreach (Qld)
Income: $974/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $70/wk
Mundubbera
Income: $742/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $50/wk

Mackay vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in QLD

Mount Morgan
Pop: 2,018 Income: $462/wk Rent: $200/wk
Yeerongpilly
Pop: 2,033 Income: $1,131/wk Rent: $395/wk
One Mile (Qld)
Pop: 2,038 Income: $577/wk Rent: $280/wk
Yaroomba
Pop: 2,043 Income: $906/wk Rent: $500/wk
River Heads
Pop: 2,044 Income: $543/wk Rent: $350/wk
Jubilee Pocket
Pop: 2,047 Income: $853/wk Rent: $380/wk

Compare Mackay

Mackay vs Mount Morgan →Mackay vs Yeerongpilly →Mackay vs One Mile (Qld) →Mackay vs Yaroomba →

Frequently Asked Questions About Mackay

What is the population of Mackay QLD?

The population of Mackay QLD is 4,026 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 1017.5 people per km².Mackay is ranked #1,912 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Mackay?

The median personal income in Mackay QLD is $835 per week, or $43,420 per year.The median household income is $1,239 per week.Family income is $1,827 per week.Mackay is ranked #3,034 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Mackay?

Median rent in Mackay QLD is $270 per week ($1,170 per month).Rent represents 21.8% of household income, which is considered affordable.Mackay ranks #5,664 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Mackay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mackay QLD is $1,387. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Mackay?

The median age in Mackay QLD is 38 years.This is equal to the national median age of 38 years.

Is Mackay a good suburb to live in?

Mackay is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 4,026.The median income is $835/wk, which is above the QLD average of $759/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (21.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 31724. All dollar figures in AUD.