South Mackay

South Mackay has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

South Mackay's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 7,196 people. This reflects an increase of 278 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,918 people. The growth was inferred from AreaSearch's examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and two validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 979 persons per square kilometer, comparable with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. South Mackay's growth rate of 4.0% since census positions it within 2.8 percentage points of the SA3 area (6.8%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 52.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) are applied for each age cohort. Considering projected demographic shifts, over this period, South Mackay's population is expected to decline by 378 persons by 2041 according to these methodologies. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 25 to 34 age group, which is projected to expand by 233 people.

Residential development activity is lower than average in South Mackay according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

South Mackay had minimal residential development activity with 2 dwelling approvals annually over the past five years, totalling 10. This low level of development is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and limited construction activity influenced by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably with such low approval numbers, as noted.

South Mackay's development activity is notably lower than that of the Rest of Qld and below national patterns. Recent building activity consists solely of standalone homes, reflecting the rural character of the area where larger properties are common. Interestingly, developers are constructing more traditional houses (73.0% at Census) than current trends suggest, indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. The location has approximately 7155 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

With population projections showing stability or decline, South Mackay is expected to experience reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

South Mackay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects that may impact the region. Notable ones are Milton Precinct, Mackay Airport Expansion, Mackay Base Hospital Expansion, and Great Barrier Reef Arena Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant:.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis indicates South Mackay maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

South Mackay has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, and an unemployment rate of 3.9%. In the past year, ending September 2025, employment grew by 4.1%.

The area's unemployment rate was 0.2% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%, with workforce participation at 62.2%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Mining is particularly strong, employing 2.3 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.8% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 4.5%. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment in South Mackay increased by 4.1%, while labour force grew by 4.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points.

In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. As of 25-Nov-25, Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01%, losing 1,210 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Mackay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows South Mackay's median income among taxpayers is $54,878, with an average of $68,618. This is slightly above the national averages of $52,974 (median) and $67,043 (average). In Queensland excluding Brisbane, the median income was $53,146 with an average of $66,593. Using Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for South Mackay as of September 2025 would be approximately $60,316 (median) and $75,418 (average). Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in South Mackay rank modestly, between the 34th and 47th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 34.1% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually (2,453 people), which is similar to the broader area where this group represents 31.7%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in South Mackay, with only 84.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 35th percentile nationally.

South Mackay is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In South Mackay, as per the latest Census evaluation, 73.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 26.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Non-Metro Qld's figures of 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Mackay stood at 27.7%, with mortgaged properties at 32.9% and rented ones at 39.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in South Mackay was $290, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $340. Nationally, South Mackay's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,500 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

South Mackay features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 62.8% of all households, including 23.1% couples with children, 24.6% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.2%, with lone person households at 33.9% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

Educational outcomes in South Mackay fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 13.7%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.7% and certificates at 34.5%. Educational participation is high, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.7% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 3.5% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis shows 25 active transport stops in South Mackay, consisting of buses. These stops are served by 4 routes, offering a total of 222 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents located an average of 246 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 31 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 8 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in South Mackay is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

South Mackay faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 54% (~3,913 people) have private health cover, compared to 58.1% across Rest of Qld.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 8.5% and 8.5% of residents respectively. 66.6% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.7% across Rest of Qld. As of 2016, 18.7% (1,345 people) are aged 65 and over, higher than the 16.2% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

South Mackay ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

South Mackay's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 85.0% of its population being Australian citizens and 83.9% having been born in Australia. Additionally, 90.0% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in South Mackay, comprising 59.8% of people, compared to 56.8% across the rest of Queensland.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (27.5%), English (27.3%), and Irish (8.4%). Notably, Filipino representation was higher at 4.3% in South Mackay compared to 1.5% regionally, while Maltese was lower at 1.4% versus 2.4%, and New Zealand representation was slightly higher at 0.9% versus 0.7%.

South Mackay's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in South Mackay is 39 years, which is lower than the Rest of Queensland's average of 41 but close to the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 15.8%, while the 45-54 group is smaller at 10.7% compared to the Rest of Queensland. Between 2021 and the present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 13.8% to 15.8% of the population, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 12.4% to 10.7%. By 2041, projections show that the 25-34 age cohort is expected to increase by 168 people (15%), from 1,136 to 1,305. Conversely, both the 65-74 and 35-44 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.