Mackay Whitsunday, QLD
sugarcane · art-deco · tropical · reef-access
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Move Regional compares towns across QLD, NSW and WA on price, work, schools and lifestyle, so you can find the one that fits.
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Drive to the coast
4 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
7 min
By road
Airport access
10 min
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
27.6°C
Rainfall
Wet
Mackay is a tropical regional city whose everyday economy is tied as much to work and services as to the coast. Around 80,000 people live in the urban area, with growth of roughly 10% since 2016, and it functions with city-level schools, healthcare and shopping. Housing remains relatively accessible, with a median around $680,000 and three-bedroom rents near $650 a week.
The coast is only a few minutes away and the airport about ten, which makes both beach time and travel straightforward. Bluewater Lagoon, the botanic gardens, Cape Hillsborough and the road towards Eungella give residents several different kinds of outdoor escape, from city recreation to rainforest and beaches.
The climate is the main adjustment for southern movers: summers are hot, humidity is high and rainfall is substantial. Mackay is also spread out and car-oriented rather than a compact centre you can cross on foot. Brisbane is more than 11 hours away by road, so the city needs to work as a self-contained base, and for most residents it does.
The fit is strongest for people who want regional employment, full services and tropical access without paying south-east Queensland coastal prices; it is weaker for anyone looking for a tiny beach community or a highly walkable resort atmosphere.
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Families, tradespeople, engineers, healthcare workers and people linked to mining, ports or agriculture are obvious fits. It also suits movers who want a tropical coast but need a strong local employment market and city services rather than relying on tourism or remote work.
The climate is humid and wet, with hot summers, and Brisbane is about 11 hours 25 minutes away by road. The city is car-oriented and some neighbourhoods feel more functional than lifestyle-led. People seeking a small-town community or a walkable resort centre may find the scale less appealing.
Swim at Bluewater Lagoon
Walk Cape Hillsborough at sunrise
Visit Eungella National Park
Explore Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens
Median house price
$680,000
27% below the QLD median
Median attached price (townhouse/apartment)
$420,500
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$650
≈ $2,817/month
Sourced from Queensland Government Statistician's Office · 12 months ending 31 March 2026
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Excellent
10+ shopping centres within 20km — a real retail hub
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 31 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Trades — 16.4%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Airlie Beach and Bowen.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Mackay (UCL 311003) · 2021 Census
The age profile is close to the national one, with 14.9% aged 65 or over against 17.2% and 20.1% children against 18.2%.
Population
80,455
Population growth
+9.5%
Mackay (SA2 312021346)
Median age
37 years
Labour force participation
64.1%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$883
Per week · ≈ $45,916/year
Median family income
$2,207
Per week
Median household income
$1,810
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
62.3%
Rented
33.6%
Born in Australia
77.5%
Born overseas
14.2%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.