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Rockhampton vs Mackay
Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 268 km apart · Rockhampton profile · Mackay profile
Rockhampton Mackay
Mackay and Rockhampton are two large Queensland hubs with similar populations of around 121,000 people. The most striking differences are in climate and infrastructure; Mackay is much wetter, with an average annual rainfall of 1,524mm compared to 664mm in Rockhampton. Public transport is far more available in Mackay, where 59% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of a stop, whereas Rockhampton has no public transport stops or routes. Mackay also has more high earners, with 21.9% of households making $3,000 or more a week, compared to 17.2% in Rockhampton.
These two areas share many core characteristics, with nearly identical shares of children under 15 and people who do not identify with a religion. They are also very similar in their school profiles, including the typical school size and the number of schools per child. While Mackay has a higher rate of adults working or looking for work, this gap has narrowed since 2011. Similarly, the gap between the two in the share of people earning $2,000 or more a week has also narrowed over the last decade.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 109,336
- First area, 2016: 116,000
- First area, 2021: 121,360
- Second area, 2011: 112,798
- Second area, 2016: 114,969
- Second area, 2021: 121,691
- First area, 2011: 37 yrs
- First area, 2016: 38 yrs
- First area, 2021: 39 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 36 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 37 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 38 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Rockhampton: 0.8% males, 1.2% females; 85+ in Mackay: 0.7% males, 1.0% females
- 80–84 in Rockhampton: 1.0% males, 1.3% females; 80–84 in Mackay: 0.8% males, 0.9% females
- 75–79 in Rockhampton: 1.6% males, 1.7% females; 75–79 in Mackay: 1.4% males, 1.5% females
- 70–74 in Rockhampton: 2.3% males, 2.3% females; 70–74 in Mackay: 2.0% males, 2.0% females
- 65–69 in Rockhampton: 2.8% males, 2.7% females; 65–69 in Mackay: 2.6% males, 2.4% females
- 60–64 in Rockhampton: 3.2% males, 3.3% females; 60–64 in Mackay: 3.3% males, 3.0% females
- 55–59 in Rockhampton: 3.3% males, 3.3% females; 55–59 in Mackay: 3.5% males, 3.4% females
- 50–54 in Rockhampton: 3.0% males, 3.2% females; 50–54 in Mackay: 3.5% males, 3.4% females
- 45–49 in Rockhampton: 3.0% males, 3.1% females; 45–49 in Mackay: 3.3% males, 3.3% females
- 40–44 in Rockhampton: 3.0% males, 3.0% females; 40–44 in Mackay: 3.2% males, 3.2% females
- 35–39 in Rockhampton: 3.3% males, 3.3% females; 35–39 in Mackay: 3.4% males, 3.5% females
- 30–34 in Rockhampton: 3.2% males, 3.2% females; 30–34 in Mackay: 3.1% males, 3.4% females
- 25–29 in Rockhampton: 3.1% males, 3.1% females; 25–29 in Mackay: 3.1% males, 3.2% females
- 20–24 in Rockhampton: 2.9% males, 2.8% females; 20–24 in Mackay: 2.9% males, 2.8% females
- 15–19 in Rockhampton: 3.4% males, 3.0% females; 15–19 in Mackay: 3.1% males, 3.0% females
- 10–14 in Rockhampton: 3.7% males, 3.5% females; 10–14 in Mackay: 3.7% males, 3.5% females
- 5–9 in Rockhampton: 3.4% males, 3.3% females; 5–9 in Mackay: 3.5% males, 3.3% females
- 0–4 in Rockhampton: 3.0% males, 2.8% females; 0–4 in Mackay: 3.2% males, 3.0% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $578
- First area, 2016: $623
- First area, 2021: $761
- Second area, 2011: $704
- Second area, 2016: $698
- Second area, 2021: $866
- First area, 2011: $1,167
- First area, 2016: $1,268
- First area, 2021: $1,512
- Second area, 2011: $1,579
- Second area, 2016: $1,456
- Second area, 2021: $1,853
- First area, 2011: $1,435
- First area, 2016: $1,555
- First area, 2021: $1,927
- Second area, 2011: $1,820
- Second area, 2016: $1,774
- Second area, 2021: $2,215
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 2.6
- First area, 2016: 2.5
- First area, 2021: 2.5
- Second area, 2011: 2.7
- Second area, 2016: 2.5
- Second area, 2021: 2.6
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $250
- First area, 2016: $275
- First area, 2021: $300
- Second area, 2011: $315
- Second area, 2016: $277
- Second area, 2021: $340
- First area, 2011: $1,690
- First area, 2016: $1,625
- First area, 2021: $1,517
- Second area, 2011: $2,167
- Second area, 2016: $1,950
- Second area, 2021: $1,733
- First area, 2011: 1.10
- First area, 2016: 0.80
- First area, 2021: 0.80
- Second area, 2011: 1.10
- Second area, 2016: 0.80
- Second area, 2021: 0.80
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Economy & Advantage
Environment & Climate
Walkability
Compare Rockhampton with nearby areas
Compare Mackay with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Rockhampton vs Mackay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/30803/rockhampton/vs/31202/mackay