Chelona vs Dunnrock

Chelona is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 54 in Dunnrock. In both, the large majority of households own their home. In Chelona, the large majority of households are couple families. In Dunnrock, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Chelona tends to suit families with children and couples, while Dunnrock suits people living alone and older residents.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Chelona

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 33%)
  • carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 34/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Dunnrock

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $346/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Chelona

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (951.5 km vs 955.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Chelona

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 34/100)
  • But Dunnrock has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 17%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Chelona

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.0% vs -22.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Chelona and Dunnrock drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Chelona Dunnrock
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Chelona Dunnrock
Walkability 23 / 0
Chelona — Walkability: 23/100 Dunnrock — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 76 / 66
Chelona — Safety: 76/100 Dunnrock — Safety: 66/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Chelona — Low fire risk: 100/100 Dunnrock — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Chelona has more residents (120 vs 58); Dunnrock skews older (54 vs 37).

Chelona Dunnrock
Population 120
+52% vs other
 58
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.0% -22.7%
Median age 37 54
Median household income $101,816/yr
+25% vs other
 $76,336/yr
Median weekly rent $346/wk
+22% vs other
 $270/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chelona Dunnrock
0-4 7.5% / —
Chelona — 0-4: 7.5% Dunnrock — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 19.2% / 5.2%
Chelona — 5-14: 19.2% Dunnrock — 5-14: 5.2%
15-19 — / 5.2%
Chelona — 15-19: not among its largest Dunnrock — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 5.0% / 10.3%
Chelona — 20-24: 5.0% Dunnrock — 20-24: 10.3%
25-34 14.2% / 8.6%
Chelona — 25-34: 14.2% Dunnrock — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 15.8% / 10.3%
Chelona — 35-44: 15.8% Dunnrock — 35-44: 10.3%
45-54 15.0% / 20.7%
Chelona — 45-54: 15.0% Dunnrock — 45-54: 20.7%
55-64 10.0% / 22.4%
Chelona — 55-64: 10.0% Dunnrock — 55-64: 22.4%
65-74 12.5% / 19.0%
Chelona — 65-74: 12.5% Dunnrock — 65-74: 19.0%
75-84 4.2% / 12.1%
Chelona — 75-84: 4.2% Dunnrock — 75-84: 12.1%
85+ — / —
Chelona — 85+: not among its largest Dunnrock — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chelona 85.7% couple families
Chelona — Couple Families: 85.7% Chelona — Lone Person: 14.3%
Dunnrock 33.3% couple families
Dunnrock — Couple Families: 33.3% Dunnrock — Lone Person: 66.7%
Couple Families Lone Person

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chelona 11.4% renting
Chelona — Owned Outright: 42.9% Chelona — Mortgage: 45.7% Chelona — Renting: 11.4%
Dunnrock 11.5% renting
Dunnrock — Owned Outright: 26.9% Dunnrock — Mortgage: 61.5% Dunnrock — Renting: 11.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Chelona Dunnrock
England 2.5% / 12.1%
Chelona — England: 2.5% Dunnrock — England: 12.1%
New Zealand — / 5.2%
Chelona — New Zealand: not among its largest Dunnrock — New Zealand: 5.2%
Zimbabwe 3.3% / —
Chelona — Zimbabwe: 3.3% Dunnrock — Zimbabwe: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.1%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Chelona Dunnrock
Certificate III & IV 22.5% / 22.4%
Chelona — Certificate III & IV: 22.5% Dunnrock — Certificate III & IV: 22.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 5.2%
Chelona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Dunnrock — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2%
Bachelor Degree 5.0% / 5.2%
Chelona — Bachelor Degree: 5.0% Dunnrock — Bachelor Degree: 5.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chelona 78.8% townhouses
Chelona — Townhouses: 78.8% Chelona — Houses: 24.2% Chelona — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Dunnrock 55.6% townhouses
Dunnrock — Townhouses: 55.6% Dunnrock — Houses: 29.6% Dunnrock — Flats / Apartments: 14.8%
Townhouses Houses Flats / Apartments

Development activity

Chelona Dunnrock
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Chelona Dunnrock
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 75% of QLD Higher than 47% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 26% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of QLD Higher than 55% of QLD

Liveability

Chelona is more walkable (23 vs 0).

Chelona Dunnrock
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Dunnrock carries more crime risk (34 vs 24).

Chelona Dunnrock
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
24/100
 Low
34/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
87/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Chelona Dunnrock
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Chelona

  • Chelona State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Dunnrock

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Chelona Dunnrock
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Dunnrock sits further from the CBD (955.2 km vs 951.5 km).

Chelona Dunnrock
Walkability score 23/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 951.5 km 955.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 648 min 651 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Chelona Dunnrock
Car (driver) 76.6% / 100.0%
Chelona — Car (driver): 76.6% Dunnrock — Car (driver): 100.0%
Worked from Home 14.9% / —
Chelona — Worked from Home: 14.9% Dunnrock — Worked from Home: not among its largest
Walked Only 8.5% / —
Chelona — Walked Only: 8.5% Dunnrock — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Chelona Dunnrock
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.4 km 1.0 km

NBN connectivity

Chelona Dunnrock
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
39 premises
 0%
32 premises

Climate

Chelona Dunnrock
Annual rainfall 1,517 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.4°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Chelona Dunnrock
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Chelona Dunnrock
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

Chelona Dunnrock
Division Capricornia
same for both
Member Michelle Landry
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Chelona Dunnrock
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chelona

Family River Rural Townhouses

Dunnrock

Coastal Retirees Rural Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chelona

Chelona vs Balberra Chelona vs Sandiford Chelona vs McEwens Beach Chelona vs Rosella

Other comparisons with Dunnrock

Dunnrock vs Balberra Dunnrock vs McEwens Beach Dunnrock vs Coral Sea
Full data on Chelona Full data on Dunnrock
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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