South Mackay, QLD: suburb profile

The population of South Mackay QLD is 6,918 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in South Mackay is $791 per week ($41,132 per year). Median rent in South Mackay is $290 per week ($1,257 per month). South Mackay has a median age of 39 years, older than the national median of 38. South Mackay has a population density of 941 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in South Mackay is Philippines. The most common religion is No religion (34.2% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Tagalog. The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Mackay is $1,500.

Population
6,918
Census 2021
Median income
$791/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$290/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
39years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

South Mackay vs the typical QLD suburb

The median personal income in South Mackay is $791 a week, 6% above the typical QLD suburb ($747). That ranks 616th of 1,527 QLD suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $290 a week, $30 less than the typical QLD suburb. Rent takes 19.6% of the median household income here, against 20.4% in the typical QLD suburb. The median resident is 39, 3 years younger than in the typical QLD suburb (42).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureSouth MackayTypical QLDDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$791/wk$747/wk +6%$766/wk
Household income$1,477/wk$1,593/wk −7%$1,637/wk
Rent$290/wk$320/wk −9%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,500/mo$1,625/mo −8%$1,733/mo
Median age3942 −3 yrs42
Rent share of household income19.6%20.4% −0.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in South Mackay, the typical QLD suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

South Mackay Population

6,918 residents at the 2021 Census.

South Mackay Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$791/wk
$41,132 per year
Ranked 3,726 of 14,663
Median Rent
$290/wk
$1,257 per month
Ranked 5,154 of 14,663
Median Age
39years
1 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,500/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

South Mackay Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,477/wk
Median rent $290/wk
Rent to income 19.6%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in South Mackay against your income

About $6,400 a month
Median rent $290/wk
Left after rent $1,187/wk
Rent share 19.6%

South Mackay Schools

11
schools nearby
4
government
964
avg ICSEA score
5,870
total students
St Mary's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 384 students
1050
ICSEA
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 569 students
1031
ICSEA
Catherine McAuley College Catholic
Secondary · 7-10 · 606 students
1026
ICSEA
St Patrick's College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,394 students
1009
ICSEA
Mackay West State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 770 students
980
ICSEA
Mackay State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,254 students
936
ICSEA
Victoria Park State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 602 students
927
ICSEA
Mackay Central State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 216 students
908
ICSEA
Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 75 students
811
ICSEA
St Patrick's College - Mercy Campus Catholic
Secondary
Autism Queensland Education & Therapy Centre - East Mackay Campus Independent
Primary

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near South Mackay, with a map

South Mackay Map

South Mackay, Queensland Map data: OpenStreetMap
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People in South Mackay

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.7% (3,439) Female 50.3% (3,480)

Population Density

941
people per km²
6,918 people · 7.3 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,020
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

Philippines
4.8%
New Zealand
2.6%
England
1.4%
South Africa
0.5%
India
0.5%
China
0.4%
Thailand
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Tagalog
2.4%
Filipino
1.5%
Mandarin
0.4%
Thai
0.4%
Vietnamese
0.3%
Spanish
0.3%
Italian
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
36.7%
English
36.4%
Irish
11.2%
Scottish
9.8%
Filipino
5.7%
Australian Aboriginal
5.7%
German
5.4%
Italian
2.8%
Maltese
1.8%
New Zealander
1.2%
Maori
1.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
34.2%
Catholic
27.2%
Anglican
10.9%
Not stated
9.6%
Uniting Church
6.5%
Christian (other)
2.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.9%
Buddhism
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

7.9%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
38.6% 2,177
Separated
4.1% 230
Divorced
11.6% 657
Widowed
6.2% 352
Never married
39.5% 2,231

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
38.5%
Couple: no children
29.4%
One parent: children under 15
12.1%
Couple: no children under 15
12.0%
One parent: no children under 15
8.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
34.0%
2 persons
33.6%
3 persons
14.2%
4 persons
10.8%
5 persons
4.8%
6+ persons
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in South Mackay

Housing Tenure

Of the 2,807 occupied private dwellings in South Mackay at the 2021 Census, 37.7% were rented, 26.8% owned outright and 31.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.1% 30 dwellings
Owned outright
26.8% 753 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
31.8% 892 dwellings
Rented
37.7% 1,058 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
2.9% 80 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
75.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
17.9%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
5.0%
2 bedrooms
24.3%
3 bedrooms
49.4%
4 bedrooms
17.9%
5 bedrooms
2.9%
6+ bedrooms
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
3.9%
$300-$449/mo
2.0%
$450-$599/mo
2.4%
$600-$799/mo
4.8%
$800-$999/mo
7.4%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
26.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
26.2%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
17.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
6.9%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
8.2%
1 vehicle
38.8%
2 vehicles
35.4%
3 vehicles
11.8%
4+ vehicles
5.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in South Mackay

Employment

Employed full-time
42.4% 2,101 people
Employed part-time
20.7% 1,026 people
Unemployed
3.4% 169 people
Not in labour force
33.4% 1,654 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Technicians & Trade Workers
26.5%
Professionals
19.9%
Community & Personal Service
14.1%
Clerical & Administrative
10.0%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
9.2%
Managers
8.0%
Labourers
7.1%
Sales Workers
5.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.9%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
2.1%
$300-$399/wk
3.7%
$400-$499/wk
9.3%
$500-$649/wk
5.6%
$650-$799/wk
6.7%
$800-$999/wk
6.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.0%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
13.3%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.0%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.5%
$4,000+/wk
5.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.7%
$1-$149/wk
3.6%
$150-$299/wk
5.8%
$300-$399/wk
4.6%
$400-$499/wk
4.2%
$500-$649/wk
3.3%
$650-$799/wk
10.4%
$800-$999/wk
11.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.4%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
10.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.2%
$3,500+/wk
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
75.4%
Did not go to work
10.4%
Car (passenger)
6.5%
Walked only
2.1%
Bicycle
1.4%
Bus
1.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.9%
Truck
0.8%
Other
0.7%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
52.0%
Year 10 or equivalent
31.9%
Year 11 or equivalent
9.8%
Year 9 or equivalent
6.3%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
56.6%
Bachelor Degree
19.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.5%
Certificate I/II
3.8%
Postgraduate Degree
2.8%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Engineering
27.0%
Management & Commerce
18.0%
Health
11.3%
Society & Culture
11.2%
Education
9.1%
Architecture & Building
8.5%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.6%
Agriculture & Environment
2.1%
Information Technology
2.0%
Natural & Physical Sciences
1.6%
Creative Arts
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.5%
Secondary: Government
19.7%
Primary: Catholic
13.4%
Secondary: Catholic
13.4%
Vocational Education
11.5%
Pre-school
8.4%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
86.2%
Has need for assistance
5.7%
Need for assistance not stated
8.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
649
Arthritis
227
Asthma
216
Diabetes
204
Lung condition
186
Heart disease
185
Cancer
113
Kidney disease
94
Stroke
81
Dementia
19

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
11.4% 585
Did not provide
88.6% 4,532

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
12.8% 662
Not a volunteer
87.2% 4,491

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
3.0% 154
Never served
97.0% 5,025

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
31.8%
1 child
13.8%
2 children
26.7%
3 children
17.1%
4 children
7.8%
5+ children
2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
13
1951: 1960
36
1961: 1970
51
1971: 1980
65
1981: 1990
82
1991: 2000
59
2001: 2010
283
2011: 2015
202
2016
33
2017
35
2018
34
2019
56
2020
31
2021
16

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

16.5%
moved in the last year
42.4%
moved in the last 5 years
4.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
62.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
5,215
Moved from QLD
762
Moved: same area (SA2)
160
Moved from overseas
30
Moved from NSW
28
Moved from VIC
22
Moved from WA
10
Moved from NT
4
Moved from TAS
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.2%
5: 14 hours
28.2%
15: 29 hours
12.0%
30+ hours
8.8%
Did not do domestic work
29.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
75.6%
Step family: no other children
15.7%
Blended family: no other children
5.8%
Intact family: other children present
1.2%
Other couple: children only
0.9%
Step family: other children present
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near South Mackay

The closest suburb to South Mackay is West Mackay, 2.3 km away.

West Mackay
2.3 km away · income $838/wk · rent $320/wk
Mackay
2.4 km away · income $835/wk · rent $270/wk
East Mackay
2.7 km away · income $916/wk · rent $320/wk
Ooralea
4.1 km away · income $996/wk · rent $440/wk
North Mackay
4.9 km away · income $786/wk · rent $300/wk
Mount Pleasant (Mackay - Qld)
5.4 km away · income $853/wk · rent $390/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About South Mackay

What is the population of South Mackay QLD?

The population of South Mackay QLD is 6,918 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 941 people per km². South Mackay is ranked #1,078 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in South Mackay?

The median personal income in South Mackay QLD is $791 per week, or $41,132 per year. The median household income is $1,477 per week. Family income is $2,020 per week. South Mackay is ranked #3,726 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in South Mackay?

Median rent in South Mackay QLD is $290 per week ($1,257 per month). Rent represents 19.6% of household income, which is considered affordable. South Mackay ranks #5,154 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in South Mackay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Mackay QLD is $1,500. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in South Mackay?

The median age in South Mackay QLD is 39 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is South Mackay a good suburb to live in?

South Mackay is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 6,918. The median income is $791/wk, which is above the typical QLD suburb ($747/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 32594. All dollar figures in AUD.