South Mackay

The community has a strong First Nations presence, with 7.9% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure. The typical resident is 39, and there are more people in de facto relationships here than in most similar areas.

While 77.2% of residents were born in Australia, those born overseas make up 14.8% of the population, a figure higher than most similar areas but far below the national average. Filipino ancestry is particularly common, accounting for 5.7% of the population.

Language diversity is much higher than in similar areas, with 9.2% of people using a language other than English at home. Tagalog is the most common non-English language, spoken by 2.4% of residents.

Religious affiliation is more common here than in other similar areas, as the 34.4% of people reporting no religion is well below the national figure of 38.9%. Over half the population identifies as Christian.

Educational attainment is lower than in most similar areas; only 11% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%. Similarly, the 43.8% who completed Year 12 is far below the national average.

Weekly incomes are typical for this level, with a typical household earning $1,477, which is a little below the Queensland figure. Only 13.8% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, placing the area around the middle for its level.

A higher than usual number of people report needing help with daily activities or living with a mental health condition. Long-term health issues are slightly more common than the national figure, with arthritis and asthma being frequent conditions.

Volunteer rates are much lower than in most similar areas, at 11.7%. Similarly, fewer people spend 15 or more hours on unpaid housework compared to the state and national figures.

The First Nations community is larger than in most similar areas, with a typical personal income of $683 that is well above the national figure. However, the unemployment rate of 14% is a little above the national average.

Household patterns are distinctive, with a much higher rate of people living alone (34.1%) and one-parent families (19.7%) than in most similar areas. Consequently, homes are smaller, with an average of 2.3 people per dwelling.

Rental properties are much more common here than in most similar areas, at 37.7%. This is consistent with the fact that fewer homes are owned outright compared to the national average, and there are far fewer large three-bedroom homes.

Public transport is more accessible than in most areas, with 97.2% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop. However, very few people actually use it to commute, and working from home is far less common than the national average.

The area is seeing significant movement, with 38.5% of people having moved house in the last five years. This includes a high number of recent arrivals from overseas, which is well above the state average.

Full-time employment is more common here than in most similar areas, at 62.7%. The workforce is concentrated in health care, retail, and construction, with technicians and trades making up the largest occupational group.

South Mackay is very walkable, with a score of 6.7, well above the Queensland average. Nearly all residents can reach a park, grocery store, or public transport stop within a 15-minute walk.