North Mackay vs West Mackay

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In North Mackay, about half of households are 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

North Mackay

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 3)
  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 7)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • North Mackay has cheaper units ($399,000 vs $442,500)
  • West Mackay has cheaper land ($437,500 vs $509,000)

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

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

West Mackay

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 67/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (660 min vs 668 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (964.2 km vs 970 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

West Mackay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 67/100)

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

Investors

West Mackay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (7.1% vs 6.0%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.5% vs 4.7%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

North Mackay and West 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.

North Mackay West 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.

North Mackay West Mackay
Walkability 67 / 81
North Mackay — Walkability: 67/100 West Mackay — Walkability: 81/100
Safety 19 / 15
North Mackay — Safety: 19/100 West Mackay — Safety: 15/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Mackay — Low fire risk: 100/100 West Mackay — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

West Mackay has higher household incomes ($88,192 vs $71,500); West Mackay skews older (42 vs 40).

North Mackay West Mackay
Population 6,194 6,536
+6% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.4% +5.2%
Median age 40 42
Median household income $71,500/yr $88,192/yr
+23% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $320/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Mackay West Mackay
0-4 5.7% / 5.2%
North Mackay — 0-4: 5.7% West Mackay — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 11.4% / 11.6%
North Mackay — 5-14: 11.4% West Mackay — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.1% / 4.9%
North Mackay — 15-19: 5.1% West Mackay — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 6.6% / 6.3%
North Mackay — 20-24: 6.6% West Mackay — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 14.5% / 12.0%
North Mackay — 25-34: 14.5% West Mackay — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 12.4% / 13.0%
North Mackay — 35-44: 12.4% West Mackay — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.2% / 13.2%
North Mackay — 45-54: 12.2% West Mackay — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 12.4% / 12.3%
North Mackay — 55-64: 12.4% West Mackay — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 9.2% / 9.7%
North Mackay — 65-74: 9.2% West Mackay — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 7.0% / 6.6%
North Mackay — 75-84: 7.0% West Mackay — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 3.6% / 5.4%
North Mackay — 85+: 3.6% West Mackay — 85+: 5.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
West Mackay 44.2% lone person
West Mackay — Lone Person: 44.2% West Mackay — Couple Families: 34.5% West Mackay — One Parent Families: 14.4% West Mackay — Group Household: 5.8% West Mackay — 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.

North Mackay 39.6% renting
North Mackay — Owned Outright: 28.6% North Mackay — Mortgage: 31.8% North Mackay — Renting: 39.6%
West Mackay 35.6% renting
West Mackay — Owned Outright: 30.4% West Mackay — Mortgage: 34.0% West Mackay — Renting: 35.6%
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.

North Mackay West Mackay
Philippines 2.0% / 4.1%
North Mackay — Philippines: 2.0% West Mackay — Philippines: 4.1%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.9%
North Mackay — New Zealand: 2.1% West Mackay — New Zealand: 1.9%
England 1.6% / 1.5%
North Mackay — England: 1.6% West Mackay — England: 1.5%
India 0.8% / 0.9%
North Mackay — India: 0.8% West Mackay — India: 0.9%
South Africa 1.0% / 0.5%
North Mackay — South Africa: 1.0% West Mackay — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

Qualifications

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

North Mackay West Mackay
Certificate III & IV 19.5% / 18.2%
North Mackay — Certificate III & IV: 19.5% West Mackay — Certificate III & IV: 18.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.8% / 10.4%
North Mackay — Bachelor Degree: 7.8% West Mackay — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.4% / 5.6%
North Mackay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4% West Mackay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 1.9%
North Mackay — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% West Mackay — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.1%
North Mackay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% West Mackay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Mackay 76.4% houses
North Mackay — Houses: 76.4% North Mackay — Townhouses: 7.3% North Mackay — Flats / Apartments: 16.4%
West Mackay 77.5% houses
West Mackay — Houses: 77.5% West Mackay — Townhouses: 19.4% West Mackay — Flats / Apartments: 3.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

North Mackay West Mackay
Median house price $597,500 $630,250
Median unit price $399,000 $442,500
Median land price $509,000 $437,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 67 sales
 29 days
from 65 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.

North Mackay West Mackay
2 bed $492K / $520K
North Mackay — 2 bed: $492K (36 sales) West Mackay — 2 bed: $520K (29 sales)

36 vs 29 sales

3 bed $600K / $620K
North Mackay — 3 bed: $600K (94 sales) West Mackay — 3 bed: $620K (85 sales)

94 vs 85 sales

4 bed $698K / $720K
North Mackay — 4 bed: $698K (52 sales) West Mackay — 4 bed: $720K (43 sales)

52 vs 43 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

North Mackay West Mackay
1 bed $294K / $357K
North Mackay — 1 bed: $294K (10 sales) West Mackay — 1 bed: $357K (6 sales)

10 vs 6 sales

2 bed $399K / $435K
North Mackay — 2 bed: $399K (22 sales) West Mackay — 2 bed: $435K (19 sales)

22 vs 19 sales

3 bed $475K / $490K
North Mackay — 3 bed: $475K (7 sales) West Mackay — 3 bed: $490K (11 sales)

7 vs 11 sales

Development activity

North Mackay West 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.

North Mackay West Mackay
Houses 4.7%
$590/wk on $649K
 5.5%
$720/wk on $675K
Units 6.0%
$475/wk on $410K
 7.1%
$548/wk on $399K

Ranking within QLD

North Mackay West Mackay
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 39% of QLD —
Schools Higher than 48% of QLD Higher than 75% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 40% of QLD Higher than 41% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 84% of QLD Higher than 97% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 90% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD

Liveability

West Mackay scores higher overall (52 vs 40); West Mackay is more walkable (81 vs 67).

North Mackay West Mackay
Grade C B
Score 40/100 52/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

North Mackay West Mackay
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
81/100
 High
85/100
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 8
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

North Mackay West Mackay
Inside the suburb 6 3
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 4 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

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

Schools in West Mackay

  • Catherine McAuley College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Mackay West State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

North Mackay West Mackay
Supermarkets 1 2
Cafes & restaurants 2 3
Parks & reserves 13 7
Childcare 9 8
GPs 3
same for both
Pharmacies 1 3
Hospitals 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 3
same for both
Waterways 4 5

Mobility

North Mackay sits further from the CBD (970 km vs 964.2 km).

North Mackay West Mackay
Walkability score 67/100 81/100
Distance to Brisbane 970 km 964.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 668 min 660 min
Public transport score 70/100
Bus
 56/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 17.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

North Mackay West Mackay
Car (driver) 83.9% / 82.2%
North Mackay — Car (driver): 83.9% West Mackay — Car (driver): 82.2%
Car (passenger) 6.6% / 6.3%
North Mackay — Car (passenger): 6.6% West Mackay — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Worked from Home 4.3% / 4.7%
North Mackay — Worked from Home: 4.3% West Mackay — Worked from Home: 4.7%
Walked Only 2.1% / 4.2%
North Mackay — Walked Only: 2.1% West Mackay — Walked Only: 4.2%
Bus 1.9% / 0.9%
North Mackay — Bus: 1.9% West Mackay — Bus: 0.9%
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.6%
North Mackay — Bicycle: 1.2% West Mackay — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.9%).

Setting

North Mackay West Mackay
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.0 km
4.1 km to a named beach
 4.1 km
4.1 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

North Mackay West Mackay
Connectivity score 63/100 97/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
3,397 premises
 93%
3,303 premises

Climate

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

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

North Mackay West 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

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

Tags

North Mackay

Affordable Parks

West Mackay

Affordable Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Mackay

North Mackay vs Andergrove North Mackay vs Beaconsfield North Mackay vs Mount Pleasant North Mackay vs Mackay North Mackay vs Mackay Harbour

Other comparisons with West Mackay

West Mackay vs South Mackay West Mackay vs Mount Pleasant West Mackay vs Mackay West Mackay vs Ooralea West Mackay vs Paget West Mackay vs Racecourse
Full data on North Mackay Full data on West 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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