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Mackay vs Whitsunday

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

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 122 km apart · Mackay profile · Whitsunday profile

Mackay Whitsunday

Mackay and Whitsunday are two Queensland areas with very different landscapes and layouts. Mackay is much more urbanised, with 59% of homes within a 10 minute walk of public transport and a typical weekly household income that is well higher in Mackay at $1,853. In contrast, Whitsunday has no public transport stops or routes and a typical weekly income of $1,472. The environment differs sharply as well, with annual rainfall far higher in Mackay at 1,524mm compared to 593mm in Whitsunday.

Both areas share a very similar profile in many ways, including the share of adults with a bachelor degree (around 12%) and a similar percentage of people who have served in the Defence Force. While they have these commonalities, some gaps are shifting. The difference in typical household income has narrowed since 2011, and the gap in the share of people living alone has also narrowed. However, the proportion of people born overseas and those with no religion are both well higher in Whitsunday, and these gaps have widened over the last decade.

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Where they differ most

Population: 84,539 larger in Mackay Unpaid child care: 5.4 pts higher in Mackay 3+ bedrooms: 8.8 pts higher in Mackay Household size: 0.2 larger in Mackay Recent arrivals: 8.8 pts higher in Whitsunday

Demographics & Identity

Population in Mackay in Whitsunday +84,539 larger in Mackay gap steady

121,691 86th pct 37,152 71st pct

Median age in Mackay in Whitsunday +2 yrs older in Whitsunday gap steady

38 yrs 29th pct 40 yrs 38th pct

Age structure

26.2% Young adults (25–44) +1.5 pts ▸ 27.7%

26.6% Older adults (45–64) +0.9 pts ▸ 27.6%

20.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.0 pts 17.2%

15.2% Seniors (65+) +1.6 pts ▸ 16.9%

11.8% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.0 pts 10.8%

Marital status

46.7% Married ◂ +5.0 pts 41.7%

35.1% Never married +4.6 pts ▸ 39.7%

9.5% Divorced +0.8 pts ▸ 10.3%

4.8% Widowed ◂ +0.4 pts 4.4%

3.8% Separated even 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Mackay Whitsunday

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

78.9% Australia ◂ +6.8 pts 72.1%

1.8% England +1.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.3% New Zealand +0.7 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.6% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 1.0%

1.0% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

0.6% India ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.2% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Vietnam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

38.0% English +0.8 pts ▸ 38.8%

38.3% Australian ◂ +2.5 pts 35.8%

10.4% Irish ◂ +0.3 pts 10.1%

10.3% Scottish ◂ +0.3 pts 10.0%

6.2% German ◂ +1.0 pts 5.3%

3.2% Italian even 3.2%

2.0% Filipino ◂ +0.8 pts 1.3%

1.4% Dutch even 1.4%

1.0% Chinese +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.8% Indian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%

0.2% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Language

Language used at home

85.0% English only ◂ +3.1 pts 81.8%

0.8% Tagalog ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

0.3% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Punjabi even 0.1%

0.2% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

0.0% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

50.7% Christianity ◂ +8.3 pts 42.4%

36.9% No religion +5.6 pts ▸ 42.5%

10.5% Not stated +2.6 pts ▸ 13.2%

0.6% Buddhism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%

0.4% Other religions even 0.4%

0.3% Islam even 0.3%

0.0% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Mackay in Whitsunday +41 more in Mackay

58 87th pct 17 69th pct

Schools/1k kids in Mackay in Whitsunday +0.30 more in Whitsunday

2.37 29th pct 2.66 34th pct

Students in Mackay in Whitsunday +16,635 more in Mackay

22,282 86th pct 5,647 67th pct

Avg size in Mackay in Whitsunday +52 larger in Mackay

384 71st pct 332 65th pct

ICSEA in Mackay in Whitsunday +8 higher in Mackay

973 51st pct 965 46th pct

Highest year of school

45.2% Year 12 ◂ +1.6 pts 43.6%

26.5% Year 10 ◂ +1.2 pts 25.3%

9.7% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.3 pts 9.5%

7.6% Year 11 +0.5 pts ▸ 8.2%

Highest qualification level

41.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +4.8 pts 37.2%

15.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +0.6 pts 14.9%

11.4% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.7 pts ▸ 13.1%

3.0% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.2 pts 2.8%

2.6% Certificate I / II +0.2 pts ▸ 2.8%

2.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.6 pts 1.8%

Field of qualification

23.9% Engineering & related ◂ +5.8 pts 18.1%

13.5% Management & commerce ◂ +0.5 pts 13.0%

9.3% Health ◂ +2.0 pts 7.3%

8.1% Society & culture ◂ +0.1 pts 8.0%

5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services +2.5 pts ▸ 7.9%

7.6% Education ◂ +0.9 pts 6.7%

5.4% Architecture & building +1.2 pts ▸ 6.6%

1.5% Agriculture & environment +0.9 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.5% Creative arts +0.6 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.4% Natural & physical sciences +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.0% Information technology ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

Income

Personal income in Mackay in Whitsunday +$71 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$866 74th pct $795 62nd pct

Household income in Mackay in Whitsunday +$381 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$1,853 79th pct $1,472 57th pct

Family income in Mackay in Whitsunday +$359 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$2,215 79th pct $1,856 56th pct

Household income distribution

29.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 28.3%

22.3% $650–$1,499 +5.7 pts ▸ 28.0%

14.4% Under $650 +2.9 pts ▸ 17.2%

11.3% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.8 pts 8.4%

10.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.8 pts 6.8%

Personal income distribution

35.1% Under $650 ◂ +0.5 pts 34.6%

29.2% $650–$1,499 +5.0 pts ▸ 34.1%

19.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.5 pts 14.1%

4.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 3.3%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

8.1% Arthritis ◂ +0.2 pts 7.9%

8.0% Mental health ◂ +0.5 pts 7.5%

7.8% Asthma ◂ +1.0 pts 6.8%

6.7% Other condition ◂ +0.4 pts 6.3%

4.7% Diabetes ◂ +0.6 pts 4.1%

4.2% Heart disease ◂ +0.5 pts 3.8%

2.7% Cancer +0.1 pts ▸ 2.8%

1.9% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.9% Stroke even 0.9%

0.7% Dementia even 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.2% None ◂ +0.3 pts 60.9%

18.1% One condition ◂ +1.0 pts 17.0%

5.6% Two conditions ◂ +0.5 pts 5.1%

3.0% Three or more ◂ +0.2 pts 2.9%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Mackay in Whitsunday +5,351 larger in Mackay

7,507 89th pct 2,156 80th pct

Median age in Mackay in Whitsunday +2 yrs older in Whitsunday

22 yrs 21st pct 24 yrs 43rd pct

Median income in Mackay in Whitsunday +$25 higher in Mackay

$690 78th pct $665 75th pct

Household income in Mackay in Whitsunday +$333 higher in Mackay

$1,847 83rd pct $1,514 63rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Mackay in Whitsunday +0.2 larger in Mackay gap narrowing

2.6 79th pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

56.8% Couples with children ◂ +5.1 pts 51.6%

28.2% Couples without children +5.2 pts ▸ 33.4%

14.0% One-parent families ◂ +0.1 pts 14.0%

1.0% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%

Household size

35.6% 2 people +2.0 pts ▸ 37.6%

23.9% 1 person +3.5 pts ▸ 27.5%

15.3% 3 people ◂ +1.8 pts 13.6%

14.9% 4 people ◂ +2.0 pts 12.9%

6.9% 5 people ◂ +1.2 pts 5.7%

3.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 2.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Mackay in Whitsunday +$40 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$340 74th pct $300 63rd pct

Mortgage in Mackay in Whitsunday +$121 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$1,733 71st pct $1,612 63rd pct

People / bedroom in Mackay in Whitsunday even gap steady

0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

38.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +7.8 pts 30.3%

28.6% Rented +5.3 pts ▸ 33.9%

29.1% Owned outright +2.7 pts ▸ 31.9%

2.1% Other tenure ◂ +0.3 pts 1.9%

2.0% Not stated +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

Types of homes

84.7% Separate house ◂ +7.0 pts 77.7%

10.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.2 pts 8.9%

3.6% Flat or apartment +5.6 pts ▸ 9.3%

1.1% Other dwelling +1.5 pts ▸ 2.7%

Bedrooms per home

41.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.3 pts 40.2%

32.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +6.7 pts 26.0%

13.8% 2 bedrooms +5.5 pts ▸ 19.3%

5.7% 5 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 4.9%

3.7% 1 bedroom +2.0 pts ▸ 5.7%

0.5% Studio / none +1.1 pts ▸ 1.6%

Weekly rent distribution

42.3% $350–$549 ◂ +10.4 pts 31.9%

36.1% $200–$349 +5.0 pts ▸ 41.2%

13.6% Under $200 +4.5 pts ▸ 18.1%

3.4% $550–$749 +0.9 pts ▸ 4.3%

0.4% $750 or more +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%

Monthly mortgage distribution

38.2% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +1.3 pts 36.9%

32.8% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +4.2 pts 28.6%

13.6% Under $1,000 +5.3 pts ▸ 18.9%

9.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 8.6%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Mackay in Whitsunday +277 more in Mackay

277 75th pct 0 0th pct

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

2.28 40th pct 0.00 0th pct

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

151.3 59th pct 0.0 0th pct

PT routes in Mackay in Whitsunday +11 more in Mackay

11 58th pct 0 0th pct

How people get to work

71.1% Car (driver) ◂ +13.7 pts 57.4%

2.0% Walked +6.2 pts ▸ 8.2%

5.2% Worked at home +1.8 pts ▸ 7.0%

5.1% Car (passenger) +0.8 pts ▸ 6.0%

1.3% Bus +1.1 pts ▸ 2.4%

0.5% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

40.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.0 pts 38.0%

31.3% 1 vehicle +4.7 pts ▸ 36.0%

15.8% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.5 pts 13.3%

8.7% 4 or more ◂ +1.6 pts 7.1%

4.2% No vehicle +1.5 pts ▸ 5.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

5.9% Accommodation & food +11.3 pts ▸ 17.2%

13.3% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.2 pts 8.1%

12.1% Mining ◂ +4.6 pts 7.5%

9.2% Retail trade ◂ +0.7 pts 8.5%

8.1% Construction +0.7 pts ▸ 8.9%

2.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +5.2 pts ▸ 8.0%

7.3% Education & training ◂ +1.5 pts 5.8%

5.9% Transport & warehousing +1.0 pts ▸ 6.9%

6.1% Manufacturing ◂ +2.5 pts 3.6%

5.0% Other services ◂ +1.3 pts 3.7%

3.2% Administrative & support +1.3 pts ▸ 4.6%

4.2% Professional & technical ◂ +1.1 pts 3.0%

Occupations people work in

20.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +3.3 pts 16.7%

10.2% Labourers +5.2 pts ▸ 15.4%

15.0% Professionals ◂ +3.7 pts 11.3%

9.9% Managers +2.9 pts ▸ 12.8%

12.5% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.6 pts 10.9%

10.3% Community & personal service +2.2 pts ▸ 12.5%

11.6% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.7 pts 9.8%

8.4% Sales workers +0.2 pts ▸ 8.6%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Mackay in Whitsunday +2 higher in Mackay

6 57th pct 4 36th pct

IRSD decile in Mackay in Whitsunday +2 higher in Mackay

7 64th pct 5 43rd pct

IER decile in Mackay in Whitsunday +3 higher in Mackay

8 71st pct 5 43rd pct

IEO decile in Mackay in Whitsunday +2 higher in Mackay

4 36th pct 2 14th pct

IRSAD score in Mackay in Whitsunday +26 higher in Mackay

961 57th pct 935 36th pct

ERP in Mackay in Whitsunday +87,879 higher in Mackay

129,253 86th pct 41,374 70th pct

Growth in Mackay in Whitsunday +5.0 pts higher in Whitsunday

5.0% 62nd pct 9.9% 87th pct

Businesses in Mackay in Whitsunday +6,900 higher in Mackay

11,184 86th pct 4,284 71st pct

Approvals in Mackay in Whitsunday +343 higher in Mackay

550 83rd pct 207 71st pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Mackay in Whitsunday +931 higher in Mackay

1,524 91st pct 593 42nd pct

Max temp in Mackay in Whitsunday +3.2 higher in Whitsunday

28.6 79th pct 31.7 91st pct

Min temp in Mackay in Whitsunday +0.5 higher in Mackay

17.7 89th pct 17.2 88th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Mackay in Whitsunday +3,528 higher in Whitsunday

12,856 75th pct 16,384 86th pct

Assault/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +442 higher in Whitsunday

1,339 69th pct 1,782 79th pct

Sexual/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +103 higher in Whitsunday

296 59th pct 398 80th pct

Robbery/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +10 higher in Whitsunday

33 64th pct 43 75th pct

Burglary/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +115 higher in Mackay

763 74th pct 649 66th pct

Theft/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +474 higher in Mackay

2,611 87th pct 2,137 78th pct

Vehicle theft/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +42 higher in Mackay

338 49th pct 296 43rd pct

Property damage/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +6 higher in Whitsunday

1,025 72nd pct 1,031 72nd pct

Drugs/100k in Mackay in Whitsunday +1,557 higher in Whitsunday

1,644 86th pct 3,200 93rd pct

5-yr change in Mackay in Whitsunday +30.5 pts higher in Whitsunday

10.0% 53rd pct 40.5% 86th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Mackay in Whitsunday +1.2 higher in Mackay

4.0 57th pct 2.8 25th pct

Types ≤15 min in Mackay in Whitsunday +0.8 more in Mackay

3.8 46th pct 3.1 26th pct

15-min city in Mackay in Whitsunday +5.5 pts higher in Mackay

41.9% 39th pct 36.4% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Mackay in Whitsunday +4.4 pts higher in Mackay

47.2% 49th pct 42.8% 41st pct

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

59.0% 60th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Mackay in Whitsunday +2.4 pts higher in Mackay

47.9% 38th pct 45.5% 34th pct

Walk to a park in Mackay in Whitsunday +7.7 pts higher in Mackay

78.4% 62nd pct 70.7% 52nd pct

Walk to health in Mackay in Whitsunday +1.4 pts higher in Mackay

32.7% 40th pct 31.2% 37th pct

Amenities/1k in Mackay in Whitsunday +8.4 more in Whitsunday

14.5 32nd pct 22.9 60th pct

Intersections/km² in Mackay in Whitsunday +1 higher in Mackay

2 58th pct 0 22nd pct

Mean slope in Mackay in Whitsunday +4.0 pts higher in Whitsunday

4.7% 51st pct 8.7% 90th pct

Compare Mackay with nearby areas

Isaac Whitsunday Burdekin Livingstone Townsville Rockhampton Woorabinda Charters Towers

Compare Whitsunday with nearby areas

Burdekin Mackay Isaac Townsville Charters Towers Palm Island Hinchinbrook Barcaldine

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Mackay vs Whitsunday [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA34770/mackay/vs/LGA37340/whitsunday