Mcewens Beach vs Rosella
Rosella is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 54 in McEwens Beach. In both, the large majority of households own their home. In McEwens Beach, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, McEwens Beach tends to suit 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
McEwens Beach
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 71/100)
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
Rosella
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $268/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Rosella
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (953.7 km vs 958.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
McEwens Beach
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 71/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 17%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rosella
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-8.2% vs -21.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Mcewens Beach and Rosella drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
McEwens Beach has more residents (159 vs 78); McEwens Beach rents higher ($268/wk vs $200/wk).
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 159 +51% vs other | 78 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -21.3% | -8.2% |
| Median age | 54 | 44 |
| Median household income | $95,316/yr | $100,724/yr +6% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $268/wk +25% vs other | $200/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).
Development activity
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 574 across Mackay same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -6% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 69% of QLD | Higher than 75% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 72% of QLD | Higher than 75% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 42% of QLD | Higher than 41% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 66% of QLD | Higher than 65% of QLD |
Liveability
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Rosella carries more crime risk (71 vs 38).
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 38/100 | High 71/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 96/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
Mobility
McEwens Beach sits further from the CBD (958.6 km vs 953.7 km).
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 958.6 km | 953.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 653 min | 649 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).
Setting
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 1 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 12 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.8 km | 4.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 94 premises | 0% 39 premises |
Climate
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 17.9 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,873/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mackay same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia same for both | |
| Member | Michelle Landry same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Mcewens Beach | Rosella | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Mcewens Beach
Rosella
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Mcewens Beach
Other comparisons with Rosella
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.