Mackay vs Mount Pleasant

Mackay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 41 in Mount Pleasant. In Mackay, most households rent and most households are people living alone. In Mount Pleasant, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Mount Pleasant: a median of $711,000, against $540,000 in Mackay, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mackay tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Mount Pleasant suits families with children 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

Mount Pleasant

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 98/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (92% vs 26%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (55% vs 30%)
  • But Mackay has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Mackay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($540,000 vs $711,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mackay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (68% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $390/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mackay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 84/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (966.7 km vs 969.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mackay

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (74% vs 8%)
  • has more GPs (11 vs 4)
  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 84/100)
  • But Mount Pleasant carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 98/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Mackay and Mount Pleasant 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 Mount Pleasant
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 Mount Pleasant
Walkability 92 / 84
Mackay — Walkability: 92/100 Mount Pleasant — Walkability: 84/100
Safety 2 / 89
Mackay — Safety: 2/100 Mount Pleasant — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mackay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mount Pleasant — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Pleasant rents higher ($390/wk vs $270/wk); Mount Pleasant has higher household incomes ($87,672 vs $64,428).

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Population 4,026 4,694
+17% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.0% +5.6%
Median age 38 41
Median household income $64,428/yr $87,672/yr
+36% vs other
Median weekly rent $270/wk $390/wk
+44% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mackay Mount Pleasant
0-4 3.9% / 5.2%
Mackay — 0-4: 3.9% Mount Pleasant — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 8.3% / 13.7%
Mackay — 5-14: 8.3% Mount Pleasant — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 4.6% / 4.7%
Mackay — 15-19: 4.6% Mount Pleasant — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 9.9% / 5.5%
Mackay — 20-24: 9.9% Mount Pleasant — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 18.5% / 12.2%
Mackay — 25-34: 18.5% Mount Pleasant — 25-34: 12.2%
35-44 14.7% / 13.2%
Mackay — 35-44: 14.7% Mount Pleasant — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 13.4% / 11.0%
Mackay — 45-54: 13.4% Mount Pleasant — 45-54: 11.0%
55-64 13.6% / 10.7%
Mackay — 55-64: 13.6% Mount Pleasant — 55-64: 10.7%
65-74 7.9% / 11.7%
Mackay — 65-74: 7.9% Mount Pleasant — 65-74: 11.7%
75-84 3.7% / 9.2%
Mackay — 75-84: 3.7% Mount Pleasant — 75-84: 9.2%
85+ 1.6% / 2.8%
Mackay — 85+: 1.6% Mount Pleasant — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mackay 59.6% lone person
Mackay — Lone Person: 59.6% Mackay — Couple Families: 16.7% Mackay — One Parent Families: 13.2% Mackay — Group Household: 7.8% Mackay — Other Families: 2.8%
Mount Pleasant 40.3% lone person
Mount Pleasant — Lone Person: 40.3% Mount Pleasant — Couple Families: 40.1% Mount Pleasant — One Parent Families: 14.5% Mount Pleasant — Group Household: 4.1% Mount Pleasant — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mackay 67.8% renting
Mackay — Owned Outright: 17.0% Mackay — Mortgage: 15.2% Mackay — Renting: 67.8%
Mount Pleasant 25.4% renting
Mount Pleasant — Owned Outright: 37.6% Mount Pleasant — Mortgage: 37.0% Mount Pleasant — Renting: 25.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 18.3%
Mackay — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Mount Pleasant — Certificate III & IV: 18.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.4% / 10.1%
Mackay — Bachelor Degree: 9.4% Mount Pleasant — Bachelor Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.3% / 5.9%
Mackay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3% Mount Pleasant — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 2.0%
Mackay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Mount Pleasant — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.6%
Mackay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Mount Pleasant — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

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 Mount Pleasant
Philippines 6.0% / 1.6%
Mackay — Philippines: 6.0% Mount Pleasant — Philippines: 1.6%
New Zealand 2.9% / 1.9%
Mackay — New Zealand: 2.9% Mount Pleasant — New Zealand: 1.9%
England 1.8% / 2.1%
Mackay — England: 1.8% Mount Pleasant — England: 2.1%
India 2.5% / 0.8%
Mackay — India: 2.5% Mount Pleasant — India: 0.8%
China 0.9% / 0.4%
Mackay — China: 0.9% Mount Pleasant — China: 0.4%
South Africa — / 1.2%
Mackay — South Africa: not among its largest Mount Pleasant — South Africa: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mackay 26.1% houses
Mackay — Houses: 26.1% Mackay — Townhouses: 42.7% Mackay — Flats / Apartments: 31.1%
Mount Pleasant 92.3% houses
Mount Pleasant — Houses: 92.3% Mount Pleasant — Townhouses: 6.4% Mount Pleasant — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Median house price $540,000 $711,000
Median unit price $400,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 42 sales
 27 days
from 59 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 Mount Pleasant
3 bed $550K / $690K
Mackay — 3 bed: $550K (37 sales) Mount Pleasant — 3 bed: $690K (56 sales)

37 vs 56 sales

4 bed $650K / $775K
Mackay — 4 bed: $650K (17 sales) Mount Pleasant — 4 bed: $775K (38 sales)

17 vs 38 sales

5 bed $755K / $808K
Mackay — 5 bed: $755K (7 sales) Mount Pleasant — 5 bed: $808K (14 sales)

7 vs 14 sales

Development activity

Mackay Mount Pleasant
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 Mount Pleasant
Houses 4.8%
$500/wk on $539K
 5.0%
$672/wk on $699K
Units 5.8%
$500/wk on $449K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Mackay Mount Pleasant
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of QLD Higher than 61% of QLD
Schools Higher than 40% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 99% of QLD Higher than 97% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 40% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of QLD Higher than 78% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 87% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 86% of QLD —

Liveability

Mount Pleasant scores higher overall (72 vs 31); Mackay is more walkable (92 vs 84).

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Grade D A
Score 31/100 72/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Mackay carries more crime risk (98 vs 11).

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 Low
11/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Mackay

  • Mackay Central State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Patrick's College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School Independent · Secondary · Special school below peers

Schools in Mount Pleasant

  • Emmanuel Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Holy Spirit College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Northview State School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Supermarkets 5 2
Cafes & restaurants 20 1
Parks & reserves 7 3
Childcare 4 6
GPs 11 4
Pharmacies 7 3
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 13 5
Fuel stations 5 0
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

Mount Pleasant sits further from the CBD (969.3 km vs 966.7 km).

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Walkability score 92/100 84/100
Distance to Brisbane 966.7 km 969.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 663 min 666 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 56/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 60.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 19.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 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 Mount Pleasant
Car (driver) 72.9% / 84.1%
Mackay — Car (driver): 72.9% Mount Pleasant — Car (driver): 84.1%
Car (passenger) 9.8% / 5.7%
Mackay — Car (passenger): 9.8% Mount Pleasant — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Walked Only 9.3% / 1.6%
Mackay — Walked Only: 9.3% Mount Pleasant — Walked Only: 1.6%
Worked from Home 3.4% / 7.1%
Mackay — Worked from Home: 3.4% Mount Pleasant — Worked from Home: 7.1%
Bus 1.8% / 1.3%
Mackay — Bus: 1.8% Mount Pleasant — Bus: 1.3%
Bicycle 2.8% / 0.2%
Mackay — Bicycle: 2.8% Mount Pleasant — Bicycle: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.1%).

Setting

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Elevation 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 21 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.8 km
2.6 km to a named beach
 6.1 km

NBN connectivity

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Connectivity score 97/100 69/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 92%
4,433 premises
 40%
2,368 premises

Climate

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Annual rainfall 1,517 mm 1,633 mm
Summer max (Jan) 30.8°C 30.6°C
Winter min (Jul) 12.4°C 14.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Mackay Mount Pleasant
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Mackay Mount Pleasant
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

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

Tags

Mackay

Affordable Coastal Nightlife Parks Townhouses

Mount Pleasant

Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mackay

Mackay vs South Mackay Mackay vs West Mackay Mackay vs North Mackay Mackay vs East Mackay

Other comparisons with Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant vs Andergrove Mount Pleasant vs West Mackay Mount Pleasant vs North Mackay Mount Pleasant vs Beaconsfield Mount Pleasant vs Glenella Mount Pleasant vs Richmond
Full data on Mackay Full data on Mount Pleasant
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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