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Mackay vs Hamilton Island

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

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 83 km apart · Mackay profile · Hamilton Island profile

Mackay Hamilton Island

Mackay and Hamilton Island are two distinct Queensland locations with very different lifestyles. Mackay is a larger, family-oriented area where 20.1% of people are children and most live in separate houses, with 80.6% of homes being detached. In contrast, Hamilton Island is a smaller, transient hub where people are far more likely to be born overseas (29.4% compared to 14.2% in Mackay) and live in rented accommodation (65.5% versus 33.6% in Mackay). The two areas also differ in their daily needs; 58.6% of Hamilton Island homes have no motor vehicle, while Mackay has much higher rates of car ownership.

The gap in the number of people born overseas has widened since 2011, reflecting a growing difference in the makeup of these two populations. Despite this, they share very similar typical weekly incomes, with both areas seeing a typical household earn around $1,800 to $1,900. They also have a similar share of people who speak little or no English, each sitting well below the national figure.

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Where they differ most

Renting: 32.0 pts higher in Hamilton Island Separate houses: 57.1 pts higher in Mackay 3+ bedrooms: 46.3 pts higher in Mackay No car: 53.3 pts higher in Hamilton Island Recent arrivals: 36.4 pts higher in Hamilton Island

Demographics & Identity

Population in Mackay in Hamilton Island +78,696 larger in Mackay gap narrowing

80,455 86th pct 1,759 69th pct

Median age in Mackay in Hamilton Island +8 yrs older in Mackay gap steady

37 yrs 21st pct 29 yrs 5th pct

Age structure

27.4% Young adults (25–44) +21.8 pts ▸ 49.2%

25.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +9.4 pts 16.1%

12.2% Youth (15–24) +11.7 pts ▸ 23.8%

20.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +15.7 pts 4.4%

14.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +8.8 pts 6.1%

Marital status

37.1% Never married +33.2 pts ▸ 70.3%

43.9% Married ◂ +23.1 pts 20.9%

9.9% Divorced ◂ +4.2 pts 5.6%

5.1% Widowed ◂ +3.6 pts 1.5%

4.0% Separated ◂ +2.4 pts 1.7%

Age & sex structure

Mackay Hamilton Island

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

77.5% Australia ◂ +27.7 pts 49.8%

2.6% New Zealand +2.0 pts ▸ 4.5%

2.0% England +1.4 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.0% Philippines ◂ +0.4 pts 1.6%

1.3% South Africa ◂ +0.8 pts 0.6%

0.3% China +0.7 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.8% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.4%

0.1% Vietnam +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Nepal +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

Ancestry

38.3% English ◂ +6.7 pts 31.7%

36.4% Australian ◂ +12.8 pts 23.5%

10.7% Irish ◂ +2.1 pts 8.6%

10.4% Scottish ◂ +3.5 pts 6.9%

6.1% German ◂ +1.9 pts 4.2%

3.2% Italian +1.9 pts ▸ 5.1%

2.5% Filipino ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%

1.2% Chinese +1.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

1.4% Dutch +0.2 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.1% Indian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.3% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

Language

Language used at home

83.9% English only ◂ +23.0 pts 60.9%

0.5% Mandarin +1.2 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.0% Tagalog ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Italian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.0% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Cantonese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Punjabi ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.2% Hindi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.1% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

49.7% Christianity ◂ +22.7 pts 26.9%

38.2% No religion +8.2 pts ▸ 46.3%

9.8% Not stated +13.0 pts ▸ 22.7%

0.7% Buddhism +0.7 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.8% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% Islam +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.5% Other religions ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.0% Judaism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

48.1% Year 12 +15.8 pts ▸ 63.9%

25.0% Year 10 ◂ +17.3 pts 7.7%

9.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +7.3 pts 1.8%

7.5% Year 11 ◂ +1.8 pts 5.8%

Highest qualification level

40.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +17.7 pts 22.5%

17.6% Bachelor degree +5.9 pts ▸ 23.5%

11.9% Advanced diploma / diploma +3.2 pts ▸ 15.2%

3.6% Postgraduate degree +0.4 pts ▸ 4.0%

2.6% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.7 pts 0.9%

2.5% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 2.3%

Field of qualification

22.2% Engineering & related ◂ +13.2 pts 9.0%

14.3% Management & commerce +4.7 pts ▸ 19.0%

5.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +10.7 pts ▸ 16.3%

10.3% Health ◂ +6.4 pts 3.9%

8.9% Society & culture ◂ +1.7 pts 7.2%

7.9% Education ◂ +5.0 pts 2.9%

5.5% Architecture & building ◂ +1.7 pts 3.8%

1.6% Creative arts +2.4 pts ▸ 4.0%

1.2% Agriculture & environment +0.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

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

1.1% Information technology +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

Income

Personal income in Mackay in Hamilton Island +$61 higher in Hamilton Island gap narrowing

$883 86th pct $944 88th pct

Household income in Mackay in Hamilton Island +$80 higher in Hamilton Island gap narrowing

$1,810 80th pct $1,890 84th pct

Family income in Mackay in Hamilton Island +$27 higher in Hamilton Island gap narrowing

$2,207 85th pct $2,234 86th pct

Household income distribution

29.4% $1,500–$2,999 +12.6 pts ▸ 42.0%

22.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.4 pts 19.3%

15.1% Under $650 ◂ +8.4 pts 6.7%

11.0% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.4 pts 7.6%

10.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.9 pts 8.4%

Personal income distribution

30.3% $650–$1,499 +29.9 pts ▸ 60.3%

34.6% Under $650 ◂ +26.3 pts 8.3%

20.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +11.7 pts 8.3%

4.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 2.6%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

8.5% Mental health ◂ +3.4 pts 5.1%

8.0% Arthritis ◂ +6.0 pts 2.0%

7.9% Asthma ◂ +2.6 pts 5.2%

7.0% Other condition ◂ +4.0 pts 3.1%

4.7% Diabetes ◂ +3.8 pts 0.9%

4.2% Heart disease ◂ +2.8 pts 1.4%

2.7% Cancer ◂ +2.1 pts 0.6%

1.9% Lung condition ◂ +1.5 pts 0.4%

0.9% Stroke ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

0.7% Dementia ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.5% None +3.5 pts ▸ 65.0%

18.3% One condition ◂ +7.8 pts 10.6%

5.6% Two conditions ◂ +3.7 pts 1.9%

3.1% Three or more ◂ +2.6 pts 0.5%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Mackay in Hamilton Island +0.5 larger in Mackay gap widening

2.5 64th pct 2.0 14th pct

Family composition

55.5% Couples with children ◂ +13.5 pts 42.0%

27.2% Couples without children +24.2 pts ▸ 51.4%

16.1% One-parent families ◂ +6.7 pts 9.4%

1.2% Other families ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

Household size

26.3% 1 person +14.1 pts ▸ 40.3%

34.5% 2 people +4.1 pts ▸ 38.7%

15.3% 3 people ◂ +1.9 pts 13.4%

14.5% 4 people ◂ +6.1 pts 8.4%

6.4% 5 people ◂ +3.0 pts 3.4%

3.0% 6 or more ◂ +3.0 pts 0.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Mackay in Hamilton Island +$13 higher in Hamilton Island gap narrowing

$345 74th pct $358 77th pct

Mortgage in Mackay in Hamilton Island +$216 higher in Mackay gap narrowing

$1,716 76th pct $1,500 62nd pct

People / bedroom in Mackay in Hamilton Island +0.30 higher in Hamilton Island gap widening

0.80 57th pct 1.10 92nd pct

How homes are owned or rented

33.6% Rented +32.0 pts ▸ 65.5%

36.2% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +28.7 pts 7.6%

26.0% Owned outright ◂ +8.4 pts 17.6%

2.1% Not stated +5.5 pts ▸ 7.6%

2.1% Other tenure +4.6 pts ▸ 6.7%

Types of homes

80.6% Separate house ◂ +57.1 pts 23.5%

12.7% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +7.7 pts 5.0%

1.2% Other dwelling +9.8 pts ▸ 10.9%

5.0% Flat or apartment +3.4 pts ▸ 8.4%

Bedrooms per home

41.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +21.5 pts 20.2%

32.2% 4 bedrooms ◂ +19.6 pts 12.6%

3.8% 1 bedroom +19.7 pts ▸ 23.5%

14.7% 2 bedrooms +7.2 pts ▸ 21.8%

0.4% Studio / none +18.1 pts ▸ 18.5%

5.2% 5 or more ◂ +5.2 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

43.6% $350–$549 ◂ +19.3 pts 24.4%

35.1% $200–$349 ◂ +17.2 pts 17.9%

0.5% $750 or more +13.6 pts ▸ 14.1%

13.1% Under $200 ◂ +2.9 pts 10.3%

3.7% $550–$749 +9.1 pts ▸ 12.8%

Monthly mortgage distribution

31.8% $1,800–$2,999 +12.7 pts ▸ 44.4%

40.9% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +40.9 pts 0.0%

13.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +13.6 pts 0.0%

8.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +8.0 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

72.3% Car (driver) ◂ +63.9 pts 8.4%

1.7% Walked +35.0 pts ▸ 36.7%

1.4% Bus +7.7 pts ▸ 9.1%

5.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.7 pts 3.0%

4.1% Worked at home ◂ +2.6 pts 1.5%

0.7% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

5.2% No vehicle +53.3 pts ▸ 58.6%

39.4% 2 vehicles ◂ +33.1 pts 6.3%

34.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +5.8 pts 28.8%

14.0% 3 vehicles ◂ +9.5 pts 4.5%

6.8% 4 or more ◂ +6.8 pts 0.0%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

6.6% Accommodation & food +67.1 pts ▸ 73.7%

15.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +13.3 pts 1.9%

11.0% Mining ◂ +10.7 pts 0.2%

9.8% Retail trade ◂ +6.8 pts 3.0%

8.2% Construction ◂ +6.6 pts 1.5%

7.5% Education & training ◂ +6.1 pts 1.5%

5.7% Manufacturing ◂ +4.9 pts 0.8%

5.2% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 4.4%

5.0% Other services ◂ +4.0 pts 1.0%

4.5% Professional & technical ◂ +2.9 pts 1.6%

4.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +3.8 pts 0.6%

3.3% Administrative & support +0.6 pts ▸ 3.9%

Occupations people work in

11.2% Community & personal service +14.1 pts ▸ 25.4%

19.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.8 pts 18.7%

10.1% Labourers +8.5 pts ▸ 18.6%

16.8% Professionals ◂ +9.2 pts 7.6%

8.9% Managers +4.5 pts ▸ 13.4%

11.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +6.1 pts 5.4%

11.1% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +7.4 pts 3.6%

9.0% Sales workers ◂ +4.1 pts 4.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Mackay in Hamilton Island +1.3 higher in Mackay

5.4 72nd pct 4.2 48th pct

Types ≤15 min in Mackay in Hamilton Island +0.6 more in Mackay

5.2 60th pct 4.6 50th pct

15-min city in Mackay in Hamilton Island +6.5 pts higher in Mackay

59.4% 50th pct 53.0% 45th pct

Walk to shops in Mackay in Hamilton Island +16.5 pts higher in Mackay

67.1% 57th pct 50.6% 43rd pct

Walk to transit in Mackay in Hamilton Island +85.1 pts higher in Mackay

85.1% 77th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to school in Mackay in Hamilton Island +4.2 pts higher in Mackay

67.0% 48th pct 62.8% 44th pct

Walk to a park in Mackay in Hamilton Island +5.8 pts higher in Mackay

98.6% 77th pct 92.9% 51st pct

Walk to health in Mackay in Hamilton Island +2.9 pts higher in Hamilton Island

45.6% 59th pct 48.5% 61st pct

Amenities/1k in Mackay in Hamilton Island +15.7 more in Hamilton Island

14.4 38th pct 30.1 73rd pct

Intersections/km² in Mackay in Hamilton Island +31 higher in Mackay

64 82nd pct 33 52nd pct

Mean slope in Mackay in Hamilton Island +16.5 pts higher in Hamilton Island

3.7% 35th pct 20.2% 100th pct

Compare Mackay with nearby areas

Farleigh Erakala Bakers Creek Walkerston Marian Hay Point Haliday Bay - Ball Bay Eton

Compare Hamilton Island with nearby areas

Airlie Beach - Cannonvale Mount Julian Midge Point Proserpine Hideaway Bay - Dingo Beach Seaforth Haliday Bay - Ball Bay Mackay

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Mackay vs Hamilton Island [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL311003/mackay/vs/UCL315040/hamilton-island