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Mackay vs Rockhampton

Name: Mackay vs Rockhampton — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 286 km apart · Mackay profile · Rockhampton profile

Mackay Rockhampton

Mackay and Rockhampton are two major regional centres in Queensland. Mackay is generally wealthier, with a typical weekly household income of $1,853 compared to $1,477 in Rockhampton. Access to money and resources is also far higher in Mackay, while Rockhampton has a far higher rate of recorded offences, including burglary and assault. In terms of local amenities, Rockhampton has a far higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of schools, health services, and groceries, whereas Mackay has far better access to public transport.

Both areas are very similar in their demographics, with almost the same share of children under 15 and people who served in the Defence Force. This shared regional character is seen alongside a growing economic gap between the two; since 2016, the difference in typical weekly household incomes has widened from $201 to $376. While Mackay's typical income is now about $107 above the national figure, Rockhampton's sits $269 below it.

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Where they differ most

Needs assistance: 2.6 pts higher in Rockhampton Unemployment: 1.7 pts higher in Rockhampton No car: 2.5 pts higher in Rockhampton Population: 39,723 larger in Mackay One-parent: 5.5 pts higher in Rockhampton

Demographics & Identity

Population in Mackay in Rockhampton +39,723 larger in Mackay gap widening

121,691 86th pct 81,968 82nd pct

Median age in Mackay in Rockhampton +1 yrs older in Mackay gap steady

38 yrs 29th pct 37 yrs 24th pct

Age structure

26.6% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.8 pts 23.9%

26.2% Young adults (25–44) +0.1 pts ▸ 26.3%

20.1% Children (0–14) +0.2 pts ▸ 20.3%

15.2% Seniors (65+) +1.4 pts ▸ 16.6%

11.8% Youth (15–24) +1.1 pts ▸ 12.9%

Marital status

46.7% Married ◂ +4.6 pts 42.1%

35.1% Never married +3.3 pts ▸ 38.4%

9.5% Divorced +0.3 pts ▸ 9.8%

4.8% Widowed +0.9 pts ▸ 5.7%

3.8% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 4.0%

Age & sex structure

Mackay Rockhampton

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

78.9% Australia +3.7 pts ▸ 82.6%

2.3% New Zealand ◂ +0.9 pts 1.5%

1.8% England ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

1.6% Philippines ◂ +0.4 pts 1.2%

1.0% South Africa ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

0.6% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% China +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Vietnam +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

38.3% Australian +3.1 pts ▸ 41.4%

38.0% English +0.7 pts ▸ 38.7%

10.4% Irish +0.3 pts ▸ 10.7%

10.3% Scottish ◂ +0.7 pts 9.6%

6.2% German +0.2 pts ▸ 6.4%

3.2% Italian ◂ +1.8 pts 1.3%

2.0% Filipino ◂ +0.4 pts 1.6%

1.0% Chinese +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.4% Dutch ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

0.8% Indian +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Greek even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

85.0% English only +1.1 pts ▸ 86.1%

0.8% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

0.3% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Hindi even 0.2%

0.2% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

50.7% Christianity +0.1 pts ▸ 50.7%

36.9% No religion +0.4 pts ▸ 37.4%

10.5% Not stated ◂ +1.6 pts 9.0%

0.6% Hinduism +0.5 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% Buddhism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.4% Other religions +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Mackay in Rockhampton +16 more in Mackay

58 87th pct 42 86th pct

Schools/1k kids in Mackay in Rockhampton +0.16 more in Rockhampton

2.37 29th pct 2.52 32nd pct

Students in Mackay in Rockhampton +5,271 more in Mackay

22,282 86th pct 17,011 86th pct

Avg size in Mackay in Rockhampton +31 larger in Rockhampton

384 71st pct 415 74th pct

ICSEA in Mackay in Rockhampton +8 higher in Mackay

973 51st pct 965 46th pct

Highest year of school

45.2% Year 12 +1.4 pts ▸ 46.6%

26.5% Year 10 ◂ +1.2 pts 25.4%

9.7% Year 9 or below +2.1 pts ▸ 11.8%

7.6% Year 11 ◂ +1.1 pts 6.5%

Highest qualification level

41.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +4.0 pts 37.9%

15.5% Bachelor degree +2.3 pts ▸ 17.8%

11.4% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.5 pts ▸ 11.9%

3.0% Postgraduate degree +1.2 pts ▸ 4.2%

2.6% Certificate I / II +0.8 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.4% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

Field of qualification

23.9% Engineering & related ◂ +6.3 pts 17.6%

13.5% Management & commerce +0.4 pts ▸ 13.8%

9.3% Health +2.2 pts ▸ 11.5%

8.1% Society & culture +3.1 pts ▸ 11.2%

7.6% Education +0.4 pts ▸ 8.0%

5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.4 pts ▸ 5.7%

5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +0.6 pts 4.7%

1.5% Agriculture & environment +0.4 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.4% Natural & physical sciences +0.1 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.0% Information technology +0.6 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.5% Creative arts even 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Mackay in Rockhampton +$108 higher in Mackay gap widening

$866 74th pct $758 54th pct

Household income in Mackay in Rockhampton +$376 higher in Mackay gap widening

$1,853 79th pct $1,477 58th pct

Family income in Mackay in Rockhampton +$327 higher in Mackay gap widening

$2,215 79th pct $1,888 58th pct

Household income distribution

29.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 28.4%

22.3% $650–$1,499 +5.6 pts ▸ 27.9%

14.4% Under $650 +3.3 pts ▸ 17.6%

11.3% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.5 pts 8.7%

10.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.5 pts 7.2%

Personal income distribution

35.1% Under $650 +4.6 pts ▸ 39.8%

29.2% $650–$1,499 +2.1 pts ▸ 31.3%

19.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.3 pts 16.2%

4.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 3.0%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

8.0% Mental health +3.0 pts ▸ 11.0%

8.1% Arthritis +2.3 pts ▸ 10.4%

7.8% Asthma +2.3 pts ▸ 10.1%

6.7% Other condition +1.9 pts ▸ 8.5%

4.7% Diabetes +1.0 pts ▸ 5.6%

4.2% Heart disease +0.9 pts ▸ 5.2%

2.7% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 3.1%

1.9% Lung condition +0.8 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.9% Stroke +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.7% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.2% None ◂ +4.0 pts 57.3%

18.1% One condition +2.4 pts ▸ 20.5%

5.6% Two conditions +1.7 pts ▸ 7.3%

3.0% Three or more +1.6 pts ▸ 4.6%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Mackay in Rockhampton +405 larger in Mackay

7,507 89th pct 7,102 89th pct

Median age in Mackay in Rockhampton +1 yrs older in Mackay

22 yrs 21st pct 21 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Mackay in Rockhampton +$139 higher in Mackay

$690 78th pct $551 49th pct

Household income in Mackay in Rockhampton +$407 higher in Mackay

$1,847 83rd pct $1,440 57th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Mackay in Rockhampton +0.1 larger in Mackay gap widening

2.6 79th pct 2.5 71st pct

Family composition

56.8% Couples with children ◂ +3.9 pts 52.8%

28.2% Couples without children ◂ +2.0 pts 26.2%

14.0% One-parent families +5.5 pts ▸ 19.6%

1.0% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%

Household size

35.6% 2 people ◂ +1.9 pts 33.7%

23.9% 1 person +4.1 pts ▸ 28.0%

15.3% 3 people ◂ +0.7 pts 14.7%

14.9% 4 people ◂ +0.7 pts 14.3%

6.9% 5 people ◂ +0.9 pts 6.0%

3.2% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 3.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Mackay in Rockhampton +$60 higher in Mackay gap widening

$340 74th pct $280 57th pct

Mortgage in Mackay in Rockhampton +$333 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$1,733 71st pct $1,400 49th pct

People / bedroom in Mackay in Rockhampton even gap steady

0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

38.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +3.2 pts 35.0%

28.6% Rented +3.6 pts ▸ 32.1%

29.1% Owned outright +0.5 pts ▸ 29.7%

2.1% Other tenure ◂ +0.5 pts 1.6%

2.0% Not stated ◂ +0.3 pts 1.7%

Types of homes

84.7% Separate house +3.4 pts ▸ 88.1%

10.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +3.4 pts 6.6%

3.6% Flat or apartment +0.9 pts ▸ 4.5%

1.1% Other dwelling ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

41.5% 3 bedrooms +1.5 pts ▸ 43.0%

32.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.3 pts 28.5%

13.8% 2 bedrooms +3.3 pts ▸ 17.1%

5.7% 5 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 6.0%

3.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.5 pts 3.2%

0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

36.1% $200–$349 +16.9 pts ▸ 53.0%

42.3% $350–$549 ◂ +18.0 pts 24.3%

13.6% Under $200 +3.2 pts ▸ 16.8%

3.4% $550–$749 ◂ +2.2 pts 1.2%

0.4% $750 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

Monthly mortgage distribution

38.2% $1,000–$1,799 +8.1 pts ▸ 46.3%

32.8% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +12.5 pts 20.3%

13.6% Under $1,000 +8.9 pts ▸ 22.5%

9.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.8 pts 5.4%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Mackay in Rockhampton +277 more in Mackay

277 75th pct 0 0th pct

Stops/1k in Mackay in Rockhampton +2.28 more in Mackay

2.28 40th pct 0.00 0th pct

Departures/1k in Mackay in Rockhampton +151.3 more in Mackay

151.3 59th pct 0.0 0th pct

PT routes in Mackay in Rockhampton +11 more in Mackay

11 58th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

71.1% Car (driver) ◂ +1.6 pts 69.5%

5.1% Car (passenger) +1.4 pts ▸ 6.5%

5.2% Worked at home ◂ +0.5 pts 4.7%

2.0% Walked +0.4 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.3% Bus ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

0.5% Bicycle even 0.5%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

40.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.1 pts 36.9%

31.3% 1 vehicle +5.2 pts ▸ 36.5%

15.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.8 pts 13.0%

8.7% 4 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 6.9%

4.2% No vehicle +2.5 pts ▸ 6.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

13.3% Health care & social assistance +4.8 pts ▸ 18.0%

12.1% Mining ◂ +7.1 pts 5.0%

7.3% Education & training +2.6 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.2% Retail trade +0.5 pts ▸ 9.7%

8.1% Construction ◂ +0.4 pts 7.7%

5.9% Accommodation & food +1.1 pts ▸ 7.0%

4.0% Public administration & safety +2.5 pts ▸ 6.4%

6.1% Manufacturing ◂ +0.4 pts 5.7%

5.9% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.5 pts 5.4%

5.0% Other services ◂ +0.6 pts 4.4%

4.2% Professional & technical ◂ +0.8 pts 3.4%

3.8% Wholesale trade ◂ +1.0 pts 2.9%

Occupations people work in

20.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +4.5 pts 15.6%

15.0% Professionals +1.6 pts ▸ 16.6%

10.3% Community & personal service +4.1 pts ▸ 14.4%

12.5% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.3 pts 9.2%

10.2% Labourers +2.1 pts ▸ 12.3%

11.6% Clerical & administrative +0.7 pts ▸ 12.3%

9.9% Managers ◂ +1.2 pts 8.7%

8.4% Sales workers +0.5 pts ▸ 8.9%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Mackay in Rockhampton +3 higher in Mackay

6 57th pct 3 29th pct

IRSD decile in Mackay in Rockhampton +4 higher in Mackay

7 64th pct 3 29th pct

IER decile in Mackay in Rockhampton +4 higher in Mackay

8 71st pct 4 36th pct

IEO decile in Mackay in Rockhampton +1 higher in Mackay

4 36th pct 3 29th pct

IRSAD score in Mackay in Rockhampton +37 higher in Mackay

961 57th pct 924 28th pct

ERP in Mackay in Rockhampton +43,459 higher in Mackay

129,253 86th pct 85,794 80th pct

Growth in Mackay in Rockhampton +1.4 pts higher in Mackay

5.0% 62nd pct 3.5% 49th pct

Businesses in Mackay in Rockhampton +5,463 higher in Mackay

11,184 86th pct 5,721 75th pct

Approvals in Mackay in Rockhampton +348 higher in Mackay

550 83rd pct 202 70th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Mackay in Rockhampton +954 higher in Mackay

1,524 91st pct 570 40th pct

Max temp in Mackay in Rockhampton +1.5 higher in Rockhampton

28.6 79th pct 30.1 86th pct

Min temp in Mackay in Rockhampton +1.0 higher in Mackay

17.7 89th pct 16.7 87th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Mackay in Rockhampton +9,344 higher in Rockhampton

12,856 75th pct 22,200 87th pct

Assault/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +1,064 higher in Rockhampton

1,339 69th pct 2,403 86th pct

Sexual/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +26 higher in Rockhampton

296 59th pct 322 66th pct

Robbery/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +61 higher in Rockhampton

33 64th pct 94 91st pct

Burglary/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +1,015 higher in Rockhampton

763 74th pct 1,779 92nd pct

Theft/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +1,563 higher in Rockhampton

2,611 87th pct 4,174 98th pct

Vehicle theft/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +311 higher in Rockhampton

338 49th pct 649 78th pct

Property damage/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +754 higher in Rockhampton

1,025 72nd pct 1,779 87th pct

Drugs/100k in Mackay in Rockhampton +742 higher in Rockhampton

1,644 86th pct 2,385 89th pct

5-yr change in Mackay in Rockhampton +34.8 pts higher in Rockhampton

10.0% 53rd pct 44.8% 87th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Mackay in Rockhampton +0.1 higher in Mackay

4.0 57th pct 3.9 54th pct

Types ≤15 min in Mackay in Rockhampton +0.6 more in Rockhampton

3.8 46th pct 4.4 62nd pct

15-min city in Mackay in Rockhampton +13.7 pts higher in Rockhampton

41.9% 39th pct 55.6% 63rd pct

Walk to shops in Mackay in Rockhampton +11.6 pts higher in Rockhampton

47.2% 49th pct 58.8% 69th pct

Walk to transit in Mackay in Rockhampton +59.0 pts higher in Mackay

59.0% 60th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Mackay in Rockhampton +23.9 pts higher in Rockhampton

47.9% 38th pct 71.8% 74th pct

Walk to a park in Mackay in Rockhampton +6.0 pts higher in Rockhampton

78.4% 62nd pct 84.4% 68th pct

Walk to health in Mackay in Rockhampton +18.3 pts higher in Rockhampton

32.7% 40th pct 51.0% 72nd pct

Amenities/1k in Mackay in Rockhampton +4.9 more in Mackay

14.5 32nd pct 9.6 9th pct

Intersections/km² in Mackay in Rockhampton +0 higher in Mackay

2 58th pct 1 57th pct

Mean slope in Mackay in Rockhampton +0.7 pts higher in Rockhampton

4.7% 51st pct 5.4% 62nd pct

Compare Mackay with nearby areas

Isaac Whitsunday Burdekin Livingstone Townsville Rockhampton Woorabinda Charters Towers

Compare Rockhampton with nearby areas

Livingstone Woorabinda Gladstone Banana Central Highlands Isaac North Burnett Mackay

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Mackay vs Rockhampton [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA34770/mackay/vs/LGA36370/rockhampton