Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Mackay Council
East Mackay, 4740
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,424
Growth (1 yr)
-0.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+1.6%
Median age
42
Median income
$1,718/wk
Employment rate
59.1%
Languages at home
7.4%non-English
Most common: Tagalog, Filipino, French
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Away from the major hubs, East Mackay is a mid-sized suburb in Mackay Council with its own quieter rhythm. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Green space punches above what many regional towns offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.
Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Desirability sits around average overall, with safety the main drag compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
East Mackay snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$550/wk
Population (ERP)
3,424
-0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
10.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#103
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
78th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
0th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
4/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
17th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 41.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 49% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 3425th in Australia
- State rank
- 741st in QLD
- Peer rank
- #103 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #335 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 73%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $550
Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Mar 2026 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
3,424(June 2025)
-0.9% annual · +1.6% over 5 years · 0th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.9%
- 5-year growth
- +1.6%
- Change in 1 year
- -33
- Change in 5 years
- +53
- Growth rank in QLD
- 0th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~3,450), extrapolated at +0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,725
- Median age
- 42
- Median household income / week
- $1,718
- Dwelling vacancy
- 10%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 158 of 1,575
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,625
- Employment rate
- 59.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,015 / 363 / 19
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
- 233
- Against the person
- 55
- Against property
- 102
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 68
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 68 residents
- State safety percentile
- 78.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +5.9%
Most common offence types
- Assault590
- Drug Offences1089
- Good Order Offences716
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)1372
- Traffic And Related Offences534
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 927
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 17th
School list
- Victoria Park State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 927 · 17th percentile · LBOTE 20% · 602 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
- Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance SchoolSpecial · Independent · ICSEA 811 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 39% · 75 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
- St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1050 · 68th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 384 students · Top SEA quarter 19% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Good Start Early Learning Centrekindergarten
- childcarechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Amenities
76 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
6 playgrounds · 1 sports centres
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 26 parks mapped in suburb, 6 playgrounds nearby
- Strong local sport and recreation — 9 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 2/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 6.98
Community(4)
- Childcare
- Good Start Early Learning CentreKindergarten
- School
- Victoria Park State SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(35)
- Iluka ParkPark
- Park (22)
- Queens ParkPark
- Quota ParkPark
- Tom McLean ParkPark
- Playground (6)
- Sports centre
- Sports field
- The Robert Bell OvalSports field
Entertainment(1)
- Viewpoint
Transport(1)
1 bus stops
Other(17)
- Orchid HouseArtwork
- Bbq
- Bench (3)
- Bicycle Parking
- Drinking water (3)
- Hotel
- Mackay Oceanside Central Apartment HotelHotel
2c East Gordon Street
- Ocean Resort VillageMotel
- Parking (8)
- Stop And GoParking
- Picnic Table (3)
- School Dental ClinicPublic Building
- Shakespeare Child & Family CentrePublic Building
- Public toilets
- Shelter (5)
- Autism Queensland MackaySocial Facility
- Telephone (2)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Iluka ParkPark
- Queens ParkPark
- Quota ParkPark
- Tom McLean ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 26
- Parks (OSM)
- 26
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Blue Care Respite Care (2.2 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 79
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 23.1
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 30° / 23°
- Rainfall
- 868 mm · ~90 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 504 mm · ~63 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 121 mm · ~15 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 18°
- Rainfall
- 183 mm · ~23 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Dawson
- Member of Parliament
- Andrew WILLCOX (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 117,202
- Turnout (2025)
- 88.2%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -1.4 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 61.8%Labor 38.2%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 6.5 km away).
Coalition 53.6%Labor 46.4%
8.2 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.9 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- Mackay Town BeachLabor 46.5% · Coalition 53.5% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
- Mackay SouthLabor 49.1% · Coalition 50.9% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
- MackayLabor 43.5% · Coalition 56.5% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
- Mackay Goose PondsLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
- Mackay WestLabor 45.2% · Coalition 54.8% TPP (2025)3.9 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 4/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Mackay Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.