Mackay, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Mackay is a city on the Coral Sea coast of central Queensland, set on the Pioneer River around 800 kilometres north of Brisbane. The district was originally inhabited by the Yuibera (Yuwibara) people. Established in 1862 and first called Alexandra after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, it was soon renamed for John Mackay, who had led an expedition into the Pioneer Valley two years earlier. Sugarcane was first planted in 1865 and the first mill built in 1868, earning Mackay its reputation as a sugar capital of Australia. The city anchors the Mackay-Whitsunday region and serves as a gateway to the Pioneer Valley, while also handling vast coal exports from the Bowen Basin through the nearby Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay terminals.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Mackay is more socio-economically advantaged than about 13% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 906, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Mackay at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 4,026
- Median age
- 38
- Median weekly household income
- $1,239
- SEIFA score
- 906
- Coordinates
- -21.1432, 149.1858
Mackay demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Mackay using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 33%, 64% of homes are rented, and 28% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 494 | 12% |
| Youth (15–24) | 581 | 14% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,338 | 33% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,087 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 534 | 13% |
Share of the 4,034 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 262 | 16% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 234 | 14% |
| Rented | 1,043 | 64% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 423 | 26% |
| Townhouses & semis | 691 | 43% |
| Flats & apartments | 456 | 28% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,617 occupied private dwellings in Mackay.
- Median weekly rent
- $270
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,387
- Average household size
- 1.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,827
- Median weekly personal income
- $835
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 947 (28%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 664 (20%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 304 (8%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,585 (46%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56%
- Unemployment rate
- 7.2%
- Employed full-time
- 1,245
- Employed part-time
- 481
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Mackay
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Mackay is February (average daytime high around 29.5°C) and the coolest is July (around 22.2°C). The area receives roughly 1111 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.2°C | 24.3°C | 242 mm |
| Feb | 29.5°C | 24.2°C | 164 mm |
| Mar | 28.7°C | 23.8°C | 190 mm |
| Apr | 26.8°C | 21.7°C | 105 mm |
| May | 24.6°C | 18.3°C | 60 mm |
| Jun | 22.8°C | 16.2°C | 29 mm |
| Jul | 22.2°C | 14.9°C | 62 mm |
| Aug | 23.2°C | 15.4°C | 23 mm |
| Sep | 25°C | 17.9°C | 17 mm |
| Oct | 27.1°C | 20.6°C | 30 mm |
| Nov | 28.5°C | 22.4°C | 55 mm |
| Dec | 29.3°C | 23.8°C | 134 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Mackay
Where is Mackay?
Mackay is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Mackay?
At the 2021 Census, Mackay had a population of about 4,026.
Is Mackay an advantaged area?
Mackay has an ABS SEIFA score of 906, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 13 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 13% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Mackay?
Mackay has average daytime highs of about 26.4°C and overnight lows of about 20.3°C, with roughly 1,111 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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