Mount Ossa vs Mount Pelion

Mount Ossa is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 47 in Mount Pelion. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mount Ossa, most households are couple families. On these figures, Mount Ossa tends to suit families with children, couples, and older residents, while Mount Pelion suits people living alone.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Mount Ossa is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 60%)
  • Mount Pelion carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 58/100)

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

Mount Ossa

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($228/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mount Ossa

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (1006.7 km vs 1012.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Mount Ossa has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 11%)
  • Mount Pelion carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 58/100)

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

Investors

Mount Ossa

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.6% vs -28.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
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.

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Walkability 0 / 0
Mount Ossa — Walkability: 0/100 Mount Pelion — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 42 / 82
Mount Ossa — Safety: 42/100 Mount Pelion — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mount Ossa — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mount Pelion — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Ossa has more residents (250 vs 90); Mount Pelion skews older (47 vs 42).

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Population 250
+64% vs other
 90
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.6% -28.0%
Median age 42 47
Median household income $92,040/yr
+5% vs other
 $87,724/yr
Median weekly rent $228/wk $250/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
0-4 6.0% / 4.4%
Mount Ossa — 0-4: 6.0% Mount Pelion — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 12.8% / 7.8%
Mount Ossa — 5-14: 12.8% Mount Pelion — 5-14: 7.8%
15-19 6.0% / 12.2%
Mount Ossa — 15-19: 6.0% Mount Pelion — 15-19: 12.2%
20-24 4.8% / 10.0%
Mount Ossa — 20-24: 4.8% Mount Pelion — 20-24: 10.0%
25-34 12.4% / 11.1%
Mount Ossa — 25-34: 12.4% Mount Pelion — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 10.8% / 3.3%
Mount Ossa — 35-44: 10.8% Mount Pelion — 35-44: 3.3%
45-54 12.8% / 23.3%
Mount Ossa — 45-54: 12.8% Mount Pelion — 45-54: 23.3%
55-64 13.2% / 23.3%
Mount Ossa — 55-64: 13.2% Mount Pelion — 55-64: 23.3%
65-74 15.2% / 3.3%
Mount Ossa — 65-74: 15.2% Mount Pelion — 65-74: 3.3%
75-84 6.0% / 7.8%
Mount Ossa — 75-84: 6.0% Mount Pelion — 75-84: 7.8%
85+ — / —
Mount Ossa — 85+: not among its largest Mount Pelion — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Ossa 59.5% couple families
Mount Ossa — Couple Families: 59.5% Mount Ossa — Lone Person: 23.8% Mount Ossa — One Parent Families: 9.5% Mount Ossa — Group Household: 7.1%
Mount Pelion 40.0% couple families
Mount Pelion — Couple Families: 40.0% Mount Pelion — Lone Person: 40.0% Mount Pelion — One Parent Families: 20.0% Mount Pelion — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mount Ossa 15.5% renting
Mount Ossa — Owned Outright: 39.7% Mount Ossa — Mortgage: 44.8% Mount Ossa — Renting: 15.5%
Mount Pelion 18.5% renting
Mount Pelion — Owned Outright: 51.9% Mount Pelion — Mortgage: 29.6% Mount Pelion — Renting: 18.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Ossa 91.9% houses
Mount Ossa — Houses: 91.9% Mount Ossa — Flats / Apartments: 4.1% Mount Ossa — Townhouses: 4.1%
Mount Pelion 100.0% houses
Mount Pelion — Houses: 100.0% Mount Pelion — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Mount Pelion — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Certificate III & IV 22.0% / 23.3%
Mount Ossa — Certificate III & IV: 22.0% Mount Pelion — Certificate III & IV: 23.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.2% / 7.8%
Mount Ossa — Bachelor Degree: 7.2% Mount Pelion — Bachelor Degree: 7.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.6% / 3.3%
Mount Ossa — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.6% Mount Pelion — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).

Development activity

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 61% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 54% of QLD Higher than 41% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 10% of QLD Higher than 9% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 33% of QLD Higher than 44% of QLD

Liveability

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Mount Ossa carries more crime risk (58 vs 18).

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
58/100
 Low
18/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
83/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
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

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 19 9

Mobility

Mount Pelion sits further from the CBD (1012.5 km vs 1006.7 km).

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1006.7 km 1012.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 686 min 690 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4741
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 4741
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.

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Car (driver) 69.4% / 89.5%
Mount Ossa — Car (driver): 69.4% Mount Pelion — Car (driver): 89.5%
Worked from Home 22.4% / —
Mount Ossa — Worked from Home: 22.4% Mount Pelion — Worked from Home: not among its largest
Car (passenger) — / 10.5%
Mount Ossa — Car (passenger): not among its largest Mount Pelion — Car (passenger): 10.5%
Walked Only 8.2% / —
Mount Ossa — Walked Only: 8.2% Mount Pelion — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (89.5%).

Setting

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Elevation 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 70 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.4 km 7.2 km

NBN connectivity

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Connectivity score 25/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
84 premises
 0%
36 premises

Climate

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Mount Ossa Mount Pelion
Division Dawson
same for both
Member Andrew Willcox
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Mount Ossa

Rural

Mount Pelion

River Rural Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Ossa

Mount Ossa vs Seaforth Mount Ossa vs Kuttabul Mount Ossa vs Calen Mount Ossa vs Mount Martin Mount Ossa vs Mount Charlton Mount Ossa vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with Mount Pelion

Mount Pelion vs Calen Mount Pelion vs Mount Charlton
Full data on Mount Ossa Full data on Mount Pelion
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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