North Mackay

First Nations people make up 7.8% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is ageing, with 19.6% now aged 65 or over, a figure that rose 4.1 percentage points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (12.2%) compared to the national average of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the main language for 85.3% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the Australian average.

Half of the population identifies as Christian, while 37.5% report no religion. This last group grew significantly, rising 16 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than in most similar areas, with only 12.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the area is a hub for schooling, with five schools and high enrolment numbers.

Typical weekly household income is $1,372, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While incomes have risen since 2011, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week remains low.

Long-term health issues are much more common here than in most areas, with 32.9% of people reporting a condition. This is reflected in the 7.0% of residents who need help with daily activities.

The area has a higher rate of former Defence Force members (4.0%) than most other areas. However, volunteering has fallen by 2.6 percentage points since 2011.

The First Nations community is larger than in 80% of similar areas. Residents are noticeably older than the state average, and 45.4% have completed Year 12, which is well above the national figure.

Homes here are smaller than usual, with only 2.2 people per home. There is a high number of people living alone (34.2%) and a much higher rate of one-parent families compared to the rest of the state.

Renting is more common here than across Australia, and typical weekly rent is $300, which is well below the national figure. Most people live in separate houses, though homes with three or more bedrooms are far less common than in other areas.

Cars are the primary way to get to work for 72.1% of people, and very few residents work from home (3.7%). Public transport use is low, though most homes are within a 10-minute walk of a stop.

The area has seen significant movement, with 42.0% of residents moving in the last five years. The proportion of recent overseas arrivals has fallen sharply by 18 percentage points since 2011.

Full-time employment is well above the national average at 64.4%. The local workforce is largely employed in health care, retail, mining and construction.

Overall advantage and access to resources are low, ranking in the bottom 20% of similar areas. Population growth since 2021 has also been much lower than the state average.

The area is much wetter than the Queensland average, with annual rainfall of 1,398mm. Minimum temperatures are also slightly higher than the state typical.

North Mackay is very walkable, with 93.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of city amenities. Almost every home is within 15 minutes of a park and 90.4% are near groceries.