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Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday vs Townsville

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

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 266 km apart · Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday profile · Townsville profile

Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Townsville

Townsville and Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday are two major Queensland hubs with distinct economic and social profiles. Townsville has a much stronger transport network, with far more public transport stops and 55.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop, compared to 36.0% in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday. Townsville also has a larger First Nations population (9.0% compared to 6.0%) and a higher share of Defence Force veterans. In contrast, Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday has a higher share of high-earners, with 22.0% of households earning $3,000 or more a week, well higher than Townsville's 17.4%.

These two areas share many common traits, including very similar shares of children under 15 and people born overseas. They also have nearly identical typical weekly incomes, sitting at $826 in Townsville and $878 in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday. While the gap in higher education has widened since 2011, with Townsville now well higher in bachelor degrees, other differences like the share of Year 12 graduates have remained little changed over the same period.

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Where they differ most

One-parent: 3.6 pts higher in Townsville Unemployment: 1.1 pts higher in Townsville No car: 1.3 pts higher in Townsville Population: 53,389 larger in Townsville Bachelor+: 4.6 pts higher in Townsville

Demographics & Identity

Population in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +53,389 larger in Townsville gap steady

180,894 42nd pct 234,283 54th pct

Median age in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +1 yrs older in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday gap steady

38 yrs 36th pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

27.6% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +1.3 pts 26.3%

26.6% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.6 pts 25.0%

19.7% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.7 pts 18.9%

14.6% Seniors (65+) +1.4 pts ▸ 15.9%

11.6% Youth (15–24) +2.3 pts ▸ 13.9%

Marital status

45.2% Married ◂ +3.5 pts 41.7%

36.9% Never married +3.5 pts ▸ 40.4%

9.6% Divorced ◂ +0.2 pts 9.4%

4.4% Widowed +0.3 pts ▸ 4.7%

3.9% Separated ◂ +0.1 pts 3.8%

Age & sex structure

Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Townsville

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

76.3% Australia +2.9 pts ▸ 79.2%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.6 pts 2.0%

2.0% England +0.3 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.5% Philippines ◂ +0.5 pts 1.0%

0.9% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%

0.5% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Italy +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% China even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

37.6% English ◂ +0.8 pts 36.9%

37.6% Australian ◂ +0.7 pts 36.9%

10.2% Irish +0.9 pts ▸ 11.1%

10.0% Scottish +0.2 pts ▸ 10.2%

3.0% Italian +3.6 pts ▸ 6.6%

5.9% German ◂ +0.7 pts 5.2%

1.9% Filipino ◂ +0.5 pts 1.4%

1.3% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

1.0% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.7% Indian +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.3% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

83.0% English only +0.8 pts ▸ 83.9%

0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

0.2% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Punjabi even 0.2%

0.0% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi even 0.2%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.7% Christianity +2.4 pts ▸ 50.1%

37.9% No religion ◂ +0.2 pts 37.7%

12.5% Not stated ◂ +2.7 pts 9.8%

0.6% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.5% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

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 - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +19 more in Townsville

93 37th pct 112 55th pct

Schools/1k kids in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +0.09 more in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

2.61 61st pct 2.53 59th pct

Students in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +12,472 more in Townsville

31,284 32nd pct 43,756 54th pct

Avg size in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +54 larger in Townsville

336 36th pct 391 42nd pct

ICSEA in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +6 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

969 19th pct 963 14th pct

Highest year of school

44.4% Year 12 +6.6 pts ▸ 51.0%

25.6% Year 10 ◂ +2.4 pts 23.2%

9.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.1 pts 9.2%

7.6% Year 11 ◂ +0.3 pts 7.3%

Highest qualification level

39.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +4.2 pts 35.7%

14.8% Bachelor degree +5.0 pts ▸ 19.8%

11.3% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.8 pts ▸ 13.2%

2.8% Postgraduate degree +2.4 pts ▸ 5.2%

2.1% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.9 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.6% Certificate I / II even 2.6%

Field of qualification

22.3% Engineering & related ◂ +5.4 pts 16.9%

13.0% Management & commerce +1.1 pts ▸ 14.0%

8.3% Health +3.5 pts ▸ 11.7%

7.6% Society & culture +4.0 pts ▸ 11.6%

7.2% Education +0.9 pts ▸ 8.0%

5.9% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.4 pts 5.5%

5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 5.3%

1.4% Natural & physical sciences +1.3 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.5% Creative arts +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%

1.8% Agriculture & environment even 1.9%

0.9% Information technology +0.5 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$52 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday gap narrowing

$878 72nd pct $826 61st pct

Household income in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$222 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday gap narrowing

$1,843 67th pct $1,621 47th pct

Family income in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$185 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday gap narrowing

$2,201 68th pct $2,016 53rd pct

Household income distribution

29.0% $1,500–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 30.9%

22.7% $650–$1,499 +4.3 pts ▸ 27.1%

14.3% Under $650 +1.1 pts ▸ 15.4%

11.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.5 pts 9.6%

10.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.1 pts 7.8%

Personal income distribution

33.3% Under $650 +3.5 pts ▸ 36.8%

29.1% $650–$1,499 +3.3 pts ▸ 32.4%

18.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.0 pts 17.9%

5.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.4 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

7.6% Mental health +2.3 pts ▸ 9.9%

7.5% Arthritis +1.6 pts ▸ 9.1%

6.3% Other condition +1.7 pts ▸ 8.0%

7.5% Asthma +0.5 pts ▸ 8.0%

4.3% Diabetes +0.6 pts ▸ 4.9%

3.8% Heart disease +0.5 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.6% Cancer +0.4 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.8% Lung condition +0.3 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.8% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

60.9% None ◂ +0.8 pts 60.0%

17.3% One condition +1.8 pts ▸ 19.1%

5.2% Two conditions +1.1 pts ▸ 6.3%

2.8% Three or more +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +10,351 larger in Townsville

10,829 74th pct 21,180 88th pct

Median age in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville even

22 yrs 14th pct 22 yrs 14th pct

Median income in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$165 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

$717 79th pct $552 33rd pct

Household income in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$398 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

$1,859 79th pct $1,461 42nd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville even gap narrowing

2.5 57th pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

56.6% Couples with children ◂ +4.1 pts 52.6%

28.7% Couples without children +0.1 pts ▸ 28.8%

13.7% One-parent families +3.6 pts ▸ 17.3%

1.0% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

35.6% 2 people +0.2 pts ▸ 35.8%

24.8% 1 person +2.0 pts ▸ 26.8%

14.9% 3 people +0.4 pts ▸ 15.3%

14.6% 4 people ◂ +1.4 pts 13.2%

6.9% 5 people ◂ +1.1 pts 5.7%

3.1% 6 or more even 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$9 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday gap steady

$309 35th pct $300 31st pct

Mortgage in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +$195 higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday gap narrowing

$1,712 41st pct $1,517 29th pct

People / bedroom in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.4% Rented +2.6 pts ▸ 35.0%

34.5% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.7 pts 33.8%

28.6% Owned outright ◂ +0.8 pts 27.8%

2.5% Other tenure ◂ +0.7 pts 1.8%

2.0% Not stated ◂ +0.3 pts 1.7%

Types of homes

83.5% Separate house ◂ +1.0 pts 82.5%

9.9% Townhouse / semi-detached +0.4 pts ▸ 10.3%

4.5% Flat or apartment +1.5 pts ▸ 6.0%

1.5% Other dwelling ◂ +0.6 pts 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

41.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.1 pts 40.7%

31.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +0.4 pts 30.7%

14.6% 2 bedrooms +2.2 pts ▸ 16.8%

5.6% 5 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 5.8%

4.0% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.3 pts 3.7%

0.8% Studio / none ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

34.4% $200–$349 +15.0 pts ▸ 49.4%

35.5% $350–$549 ◂ +6.3 pts 29.2%

21.6% Under $200 ◂ +5.7 pts 16.0%

3.6% $550–$749 ◂ +1.9 pts 1.7%

0.5% $750 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.8% $1,000–$1,799 +5.7 pts ▸ 43.5%

31.2% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +6.7 pts 24.6%

15.7% Under $1,000 +3.9 pts ▸ 19.6%

8.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +359 more in Townsville

277 8th pct 636 26th pct

Stops/1k in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +1.18 more in Townsville

1.53 7th pct 2.71 14th pct

Departures/1k in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +386.2 more in Townsville

101.8 9th pct 487.9 38th pct

PT routes in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +5 more in Townsville

11 7th pct 16 10th pct

How people get to work

66.9% Car (driver) +2.7 pts ▸ 69.6%

5.9% Worked at home ◂ +0.3 pts 5.6%

5.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.1 pts 5.4%

3.7% Walked ◂ +1.0 pts 2.7%

1.8% Bus ◂ +0.8 pts 1.0%

0.5% Bicycle +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.7% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.2 pts 39.4%

32.1% 1 vehicle +2.7 pts ▸ 34.8%

15.4% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.0 pts 13.4%

8.5% 4 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 6.8%

4.3% No vehicle +1.3 pts ▸ 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

11.1% Health care & social assistance +5.6 pts ▸ 16.7%

14.0% Mining ◂ +10.7 pts 3.2%

3.9% Public administration & safety +7.5 pts ▸ 11.4%

6.9% Education & training +2.6 pts ▸ 9.5%

8.5% Retail trade +0.6 pts ▸ 9.1%

8.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.0 pts 7.2%

7.9% Construction +0.1 pts ▸ 8.1%

5.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.7 pts 4.1%

5.1% Manufacturing +0.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

4.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +1.6 pts 3.2%

4.5% Other services ◂ +0.6 pts 3.9%

3.6% Professional & technical +0.6 pts ▸ 4.2%

Occupations people work in

19.2% Technicians & trades ◂ +4.6 pts 14.7%

13.7% Professionals +4.8 pts ▸ 18.5%

10.2% Community & personal service +5.1 pts ▸ 15.4%

13.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +5.5 pts 8.1%

10.9% Clerical & administrative +1.1 pts ▸ 12.0%

11.5% Labourers ◂ +1.3 pts 10.2%

10.8% Managers +0.1 pts ▸ 10.9%

8.0% Sales workers +0.5 pts ▸ 8.5%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +55,284 higher in Townsville

193,813 30th pct 249,097 44th pct

Growth in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +0.9 pts higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

5.8% 48th pct 4.9% 38th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +76 higher in Townsville

593 25th pct 669 33rd pct

Max temp in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +1.1 higher in Townsville

30.5 92nd pct 31.6 94th pct

Min temp in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +1.3 higher in Townsville

15.6 88th pct 17.0 92nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +0.6 higher in Townsville

3.5 13th pct 4.1 27th pct

Types ≤15 min in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +0.5 more in Townsville

3.6 13th pct 4.1 27th pct

15-min city in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +8.5 pts higher in Townsville

40.0% 14th pct 48.4% 29th pct

Walk to shops in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +2.0 pts higher in Townsville

44.7% 22nd pct 46.6% 27th pct

Walk to transit in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +19.7 pts higher in Townsville

36.0% 13th pct 55.7% 26th pct

Walk to school in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +5.4 pts higher in Townsville

48.4% 17th pct 53.8% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +2.0 pts higher in Townsville

75.5% 31st pct 77.5% 34th pct

Walk to health in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +6.4 pts higher in Townsville

32.2% 18th pct 38.6% 39th pct

Amenities/1k in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +7.3 more in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

17.2 60th pct 10.0 1st pct

Intersections/km² in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville even

0 7th pct 0 12th pct

Mean slope in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday in Townsville +1.7 pts higher in Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday

5.5% 48th pct 3.9% 14th pct

Compare Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday with nearby areas

Townsville Central Queensland Cairns Wide Bay Darling Downs - Maranoa Queensland - Outback Moreton Bay - North Sunshine Coast Toowoomba Moreton Bay - South Ipswich Brisbane - West

Compare Townsville with nearby areas

Cairns Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday Queensland - Outback Central Queensland Wide Bay Darling Downs - Maranoa Moreton Bay - North Sunshine Coast Toowoomba Moreton Bay - South Ipswich Brisbane - West

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday vs Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/312/mackay-isaac-whitsunday/vs/318/townsville