QLD · Mackay Council
Calen, QLD, 4798
Current weather
17.6°CClear sky
91% humidity · 5.8 km/h wind · 24.7° / 15.6° today · 0 mm rain
Desirability index
#259 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Calen is a small locality in the Mackay area, home to around 427 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 27 offences in Jan 2026 to Dec 2026 with falling year-on-year trends (-41%), roughly 63.2 offences per 1,000 residents, and 1 school and preschool site in the area. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 427
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $1,424
- Dwelling vacancy
- 22.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 38 of 171
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 49.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 6 / 0 / 0
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Dec 2026)
- 27
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 14
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 63.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 214 residents
- State safety percentile
- 9.8th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- -41.3%
Most common offence types
- Fraud2
- Other Property Damage5
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)4
- Traffic And Related Offences9
- Unlawful Use Of Motor Vehicle2
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Dec 2026; Jan 2026 to Dec 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 926
- Calen District State CollegeCombined
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Vic Bridger ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 32.0/100
- Cohort rank
- #259 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Vic Bridger Parkgovernmentpark
- Calen District State CollegeschoolsCombined
- Fraudcrime2
- Other Property Damagecrime5
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime4
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime9
- Unlawful Use Of Motor Vehiclecrime2
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
Similar suburbs
Suburbs with a comparable population profile, socio-economic decile, and location.