State Electorate · Area profile
Mackay
80 km²
Full-time employment is much more common in Mackay than in most similar areas, with 64.8% of the workforce in permanent roles. This is a growing community of over 55,000 people where a typical personal weekly income of $834 sits above the national figure. While the area is largely Australian-born, there is a significant and growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. It is a walkable urban hub where most residents live close to parks, schools, and shops.
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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 7.2%, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The typical resident is 39 years old, and there is a higher rate of de facto relationships than in most similar areas.
Australia-born residents make up 77.4% of the community, and the proportion of people born overseas has fallen to 14.1%. This is far below the national average of 27.7%.
English is the main language for 83.2% of the population. Only 8.2% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.
Over half of the community (50.9%) identify as Christian. Those reporting no religion make up 36.5%, which is lower than the national figure of 38.9%.
Qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 13.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 46.4%.
Personal incomes are higher than in most areas, with 12% of people earning $2,000 or more a week. Typical family weekly income is $2,089, which is about the same as the Queensland average.
People needing help with daily activities (6.3%) and those with long-term health conditions (28.9%) are slightly more common here than in most similar areas.
Volunteering has fallen to 12.9% since 2011. The area also has a much lower rate of people providing unpaid care or doing significant housework than most similar areas.
One-parent families (17.3%) and people living alone (29.8%) are both much more common here than in most other areas. Typical homes are small, with 2.4 people per dwelling.
Renting is more common than usual at 34.6%. While separate houses are the most frequent type of home, typical weekly rents are $320, which is lower than the national figure.
Public transport use for commuting has fallen sharply to just 1.3%. Very few people work from home (4.0%), a figure far below the national average of 21%.
About 40.1% of the population moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15.4% of the community, which is higher than most similar areas.
The local workforce is dominated by health care and social assistance (15.3%) and mining (9.8%). Technicians and trades are the most common occupations at 19.5%.
The area is very walkable, with 99.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park and 80.5% within a 15-minute walk of a school.