Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Mackay Council
Erakala, 4740
Est. population · Jun 2025
803
Growth (1 yr)
+0.5%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.7%
Median age
39
Median income
$3,103/wk
Employment rate
71.9%
Languages at home
3.5%non-English
Most common: Malayalam
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Erakala is a quieter smaller community in Mackay Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Families and commuters make up much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many regional towns, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk.
Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because safety lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Erakala snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
803
+0.5% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
8.5%
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
#129
among Country & regional · Established
Pop. growth
28th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
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
- 36.7/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4352nd in Australia
- State rank
- 932nd in QLD
- Peer rank
- #129 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #478 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 58%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
803(June 2025)
+0.5% annual · +4.7% over 5 years · 28th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.5%
- 5-year growth
- +4.7%
- Change in 1 year
- +4
- Change in 5 years
- +36
- Growth rank in QLD
- 28th 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 (~850), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 763
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $3,103
- Dwelling vacancy
- 8.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 21 of 247
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,257
- Employment rate
- 71.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 216 / 0 / 0
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.
Family & Lifestyle
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 5
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
- Mackay Day Surgery (4.9 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)
- 20
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 24.9
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 6.2 km away).
Coalition 60.7%Labor 39.3%
1.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -2.5 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- GlenellaLabor 37.2% · Coalition 62.8% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
- Mount Pleasant WestLabor 39.6% · Coalition 60.4% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
- FarleighLabor 27.3% · Coalition 72.7% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
- Mackay WestLabor 45.2% · Coalition 54.8% TPP (2025)4.3 km away
- Mount Pleasant EastLabor 44.0% · Coalition 56.0% TPP (2025)4.7 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)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
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.