QLD · Mackay Council

Sarina, QLD, 4737

Desirability index

86.4/100

#49 among Coastal & beach suburbs

How this score is calculated

Suburb snapshot

Sarina is a smaller suburban community in the Mackay area, home to around 5,619 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 300 offences in Jan 2026 to Dec 2026 with falling year-on-year trends (-58%), roughly 53.4 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $450, 4 school and preschool sites in the area, and some planning and development activity on record. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb and hospitals or GP clinics within the suburb.

Population

Population
5,619
Median age
40
Median household income / week
$1,605
Dwelling vacancy
11.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
260 of 2,204
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Employment rate
53.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
186 / 127 / 20

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian 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.

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$450

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Data sources & freshness

Crime & safety

Total offences (Jan 2026 to Dec 2026)
300
Against the person
79
Against property
102
Rate per 1,000 residents
53.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 71 residents
State safety percentile
7.9th (lower crime is better)
Year-on-year change
-58.4%

Most common offence types

  • Assault33
  • Drug Offences38
  • Good Order Offences41
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)46
  • Traffic And Related Offences64

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime MapQueensland 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
4
Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
926.5
  • Sarina State High SchoolSecondary
  • Sarina State SchoolPrimary
  • St Anne's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary
  • Swayneville State SchoolPrimary

Data sources & freshness

Planning & development

Development applications from QLD coordinated projects (lodged 2020–2026).

1 planning-related records

Other· 1 proposal
  • Jilalan Rail Yard
    Expansion of the railyard, including two new bypass tracks, two provisioning tracks, a provisioning facility and a wagon maintenance facility.Completed EIS project

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

6 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Anzac SquarePark
  • Apex ParkPark
  • Field of Dreams Historical CentrePark
  • Lando Street ParkPark
  • Mount Blarney Conservation ParkNature reserve
  • Visitor Information CentrePark

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
4
Emergency department
On site
  • Guardianpharmacy
  • Pharmacypharmacy
  • Sarina Community Care - Respite Centrehospital
  • Sarina Hospitalhospital

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
2/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

2 state heritage places

  • Sarina Air Raid ShelterState heritage place
  • Sarina War MemorialState heritage place

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • kindergartenkindergarten

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare servicesOpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site

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 overlaysState government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
34
Parks (OSM)
33

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover featuresOpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability index

Desirability score
86.4/100
Cohort rank
#49 among Coastal & beach suburbs

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
  • Sarina Air Raid ShelterheritageState heritage place
  • Sarina War MemorialheritageState heritage place
  • Guardianhealthpharmacy
  • Pharmacyhealthpharmacy
  • Sarina Community Care - Respite Centrehealthhospital
  • Sarina Hospitalhealthhospital
  • Anzac Squaregovernmentpark
  • Apex Parkgovernmentpark
  • Field of Dreams Historical Centregovernmentpark

Data sources & freshness

Similar suburbs

Suburbs with a comparable population profile, socio-economic decile, and location.