Mackay Harbour vs North Mackay

North Mackay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 50 in Mackay Harbour. In both, most households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. In Mackay Harbour, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In North Mackay, the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in North Mackay: a median of $598,000, against $270,000 in Mackay Harbour, though rent is higher in Mackay Harbour. On these figures, Mackay Harbour tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

North Mackay

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (76% vs 8%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Mackay Harbour

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($270,000 vs $597,500)
  • has cheaper land ($270,000 vs $509,000)
  • But North Mackay has cheaper units ($399,000 vs $636,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Mackay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Mackay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (67/100 vs 13/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

North Mackay

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (67/100 vs 13/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But Mackay Harbour has more units and townhouses to downsize into (92% vs 24%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Mackay Harbour is growing faster (23.6% vs 4.4%)
  • North Mackay returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.7% vs 3.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
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.

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Walkability 13 / 67
Mackay Harbour — Walkability: 13/100 North Mackay — Walkability: 67/100
Safety 10 / 19
Mackay Harbour — Safety: 10/100 North Mackay — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mackay Harbour — Low fire risk: 100/100 North Mackay — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

North Mackay has more residents (6,194 vs 686); Mackay Harbour rents higher ($500/wk vs $300/wk).

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Population 686 6,194
+803% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +23.6% +4.4%
Median age 50 40
Median household income $108,108/yr
+34% vs other
 $71,500/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+40% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
0-4 3.2% / 5.7%
Mackay Harbour — 0-4: 3.2% North Mackay — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 8.0% / 11.4%
Mackay Harbour — 5-14: 8.0% North Mackay — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 6.1% / 5.1%
Mackay Harbour — 15-19: 6.1% North Mackay — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 4.5% / 6.6%
Mackay Harbour — 20-24: 4.5% North Mackay — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 9.0% / 14.5%
Mackay Harbour — 25-34: 9.0% North Mackay — 25-34: 14.5%
35-44 12.2% / 12.4%
Mackay Harbour — 35-44: 12.2% North Mackay — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 15.7% / 12.2%
Mackay Harbour — 45-54: 15.7% North Mackay — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 25.2% / 12.4%
Mackay Harbour — 55-64: 25.2% North Mackay — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 13.8% / 9.2%
Mackay Harbour — 65-74: 13.8% North Mackay — 65-74: 9.2%
75-84 4.4% / 7.0%
Mackay Harbour — 75-84: 4.4% North Mackay — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ 0.7% / 3.6%
Mackay Harbour — 85+: 0.7% North Mackay — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mackay Harbour 52.2% lone person
Mackay Harbour — Lone Person: 52.2% Mackay Harbour — Couple Families: 34.6% Mackay Harbour — One Parent Families: 10.7% Mackay Harbour — Group Household: 2.5% Mackay Harbour — Other Families: 0.0%
North Mackay 45.6% lone person
North Mackay — Lone Person: 45.6% North Mackay — Couple Families: 29.1% North Mackay — One Parent Families: 18.2% North Mackay — Group Household: 5.1% North Mackay — Other Families: 2.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mackay Harbour 40.6% renting
Mackay Harbour — Owned Outright: 40.2% Mackay Harbour — Mortgage: 19.2% Mackay Harbour — Renting: 40.6%
North Mackay 39.6% renting
North Mackay — Owned Outright: 28.6% North Mackay — Mortgage: 31.8% North Mackay — Renting: 39.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Certificate III & IV 14.7% / 19.5%
Mackay Harbour — Certificate III & IV: 14.7% North Mackay — Certificate III & IV: 19.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.5% / 7.8%
Mackay Harbour — Bachelor Degree: 10.5% North Mackay — Bachelor Degree: 7.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 5.4%
Mackay Harbour — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% North Mackay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 1.2%
Mackay Harbour — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% North Mackay — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.1%
Mackay Harbour — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% North Mackay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

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.

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
New Zealand 4.7% / 2.1%
Mackay Harbour — New Zealand: 4.7% North Mackay — New Zealand: 2.1%
England 2.5% / 1.6%
Mackay Harbour — England: 2.5% North Mackay — England: 1.6%
South Africa 2.3% / 1.0%
Mackay Harbour — South Africa: 2.3% North Mackay — South Africa: 1.0%
Philippines 0.4% / 2.0%
Mackay Harbour — Philippines: 0.4% North Mackay — Philippines: 2.0%
India 0.6% / 0.8%
Mackay Harbour — India: 0.6% North Mackay — India: 0.8%
Netherlands 1.0% / —
Mackay Harbour — Netherlands: 1.0% North Mackay — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mackay Harbour 79.3% flats / apartments
Mackay Harbour — Flats / Apartments: 79.3% Mackay Harbour — Houses: 8.3% Mackay Harbour — Townhouses: 12.3%
North Mackay 16.4% flats / apartments
North Mackay — Flats / Apartments: 16.4% North Mackay — Houses: 76.4% North Mackay — Townhouses: 7.3%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Median house price $270,000 $597,500
Median unit price $636,000 $399,000
Median land price $270,000 $509,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 3 sales
 28 days
from 67 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
3 bed $625K / $600K
Mackay Harbour — 3 bed: $625K (5 sales) North Mackay — 3 bed: $600K (94 sales)

5 vs 94 sales

4 bed $350K / $698K
Mackay Harbour — 4 bed: $350K (7 sales) North Mackay — 4 bed: $698K (52 sales)

7 vs 52 sales

Development activity

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

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Houses 3.4%
$850/wk on $1.3M
 4.7%
$590/wk on $649K
Units — 6.0%
$475/wk on $410K

Ranking within QLD

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 39% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 48% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 75% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 40% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of QLD Higher than 74% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 21% of QLD Higher than 84% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 90% of QLD

Liveability

North Mackay is more walkable (67 vs 13).

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 40/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
90/100
 High
81/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
85/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Inside the suburb 0 6
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 4
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Mackay Harbour

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

Schools in North Mackay

  • Mackay North State High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Fitzgerald State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mackay Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Mackay North State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Mackay Christian College - Providence Junior Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 5 13
Childcare 0 9
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 3
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 2 4

Mobility

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Walkability score 13/100 67/100
Distance to Brisbane 971.5 km 970 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 669 min 668 min
Public transport score 28/100
Bus
 70/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 26.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 5 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
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.

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Car (driver) 85.4% / 83.9%
Mackay Harbour — Car (driver): 85.4% North Mackay — Car (driver): 83.9%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 6.6%
Mackay Harbour — Car (passenger): 5.0% North Mackay — Car (passenger): 6.6%
Worked from Home 4.6% / 4.3%
Mackay Harbour — Worked from Home: 4.6% North Mackay — Worked from Home: 4.3%
Walked Only 5.0% / 2.1%
Mackay Harbour — Walked Only: 5.0% North Mackay — Walked Only: 2.1%
Bus — / 1.9%
Mackay Harbour — Bus: not among its largest North Mackay — Bus: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.4%).

Setting

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.1 km
1.9 km to a named beach
 4.0 km
4.1 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Connectivity score 54/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
514 premises
 34%
3,397 premises

Climate

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Annual rainfall 1,633 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 14.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Division Dawson
same for both
Member Andrew Willcox
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mackay Harbour North Mackay
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mackay Harbour

Apartments Coastal Rural

North Mackay

Affordable Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mackay Harbour

Mackay Harbour vs Andergrove Mackay Harbour vs Slade Point Mackay Harbour vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with North Mackay

North Mackay vs Andergrove North Mackay vs West Mackay North Mackay vs Beaconsfield North Mackay vs Mount Pleasant North Mackay vs Mackay
Full data on Mackay Harbour Full data on North Mackay
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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