Suburb / Locality · Area profile
East Mackay
4 km²
Most people in East Mackay get around by car, though almost every home is within a short walk of a park or bus stop. It is a relatively affluent area with a typical resident aged 42, which is noticeably older than the national figure. The community is a mix of full-time workers and a significant number of people living alone. With a high proportion of homes rented and a growing number of recent overseas arrivals, the neighbourhood feels transitional despite its established feel.
Explore East Mackay by topic
The typical resident is 42, making the area noticeably older than both Queensland and Australia. About 20.2% of the population are seniors, a figure well above the national average, while 5.2% are First Nations people, which is much higher than most similar areas.
The community is predominantly Australian born, with 76.9% born here and 13.2% born overseas. This overseas birth rate is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 83.2% of residents. While 6.6% use another language at home—which is higher than in most similar areas—this is still far below the national average of 22.3%.
Almost half of the population (49.4%) identify as Christian. Those with no religion make up 36.6% of the community, which is a little below the national figure.
The area has fewer people with university degrees than most of the country; only 15% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national average of 26.3%.
Typical personal weekly income is $916, which is much higher than most similar areas and a little above the national figure. About 13.8% of people earn $2,000 or more per week, also well above the national trend.
About 8.1% of residents need help with daily activities, which is much higher than most similar areas. This is higher than the national average of 5.8%.
Unpaid care and housework are less common here than elsewhere, with 9.1% providing unpaid care—much lower than most similar areas. A slightly higher share of residents have served in the Defence Force compared to the national figure.
There are 193 First Nations people in the area, among the largest counts for this level. Their typical personal income is $622, which is a little above the national figure of $540.
A high number of people live alone here (32.5%), well above the national figure of 25.6%. One-parent families are also much more common than in most similar areas, at 16.1%.
Renting is much more common here than in most similar areas, with 37% of households renting, well above the national figure. Typical weekly rent is $320, which is a little below the national average.
Most residents drive to work (75.1%), and very few work from home (4.3%), which is far below the national average. Despite this, the area has a high number of public transport stops relative to the population.
The area is quite mobile, with 39.2% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.8% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas.
Full-time employment is very high at 66.6%, well above the national figure of 58.9%. Many residents work in health care and social assistance, construction, or retail.
While 99.8% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport and nearly all are near a park, the overall walkshed is limited. Only 44.1% of homes can access most daily needs within 15 minutes, far below the state average.