Brightly is a rural locality in Queensland, 978 km from Brisbane CBD, around 11 hours 10 minutes by car. Population is 52; the median age is 48 and the median household income is $117,000 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population fell 25.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $183 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,046. The area shows high bushfire risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 52. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
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Our score
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Serious Road Crashes
2020–2024No crash in Brightly killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2020–2024.
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Walkability
Brightly is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Brightly.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 26
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Mackay: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Brightly is home to 52 residents, with a median age of 48, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $117,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
52
Median Age
48
Median Household Income
$117,000/yr
Census Median Rent
$183/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,046/mo
Avg Household Size
2.6
Median Personal Income
$42,588/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
0.0%
Total Dwellings
18
Owner-Occupier Rate
80.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
8.1%
Mortgage Stress
10.7%
Work From Home
23.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 92.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.3%
- Employment Rate
- 72.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 26.9%
Occupations
Religion
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,873 a year through Mackay based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Mackay
In the year to August 2026, 574 new dwellings were approved across Mackay. That mix is 508 houses and 66 units. Approvals are down 5.8% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Yuwibara People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. Native title over this area has been determined.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 2 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 17.9 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2.
From the West Mackay (Mackay, Central Queensland) monitoring station, 29.5 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Mackay Aero, 31.4 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 77 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 29.3 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,517 mm
- 95 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.8°C
- 3 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 12.4°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 4741, 8 of 7,383 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.1% (78 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4741, 2,037 rooftop-solar systems totalling 14.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,889 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 164 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Michelle Landry Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Michelle Landry | 44.2% | 55.8% | +0.8 |
| 2022 | Michelle Landry | 43.4% | 56.6% | -5.8 |
| 2019 | Michelle Landry | 37.6% | 62.4% | +11.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Glen Kelly Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Glen Kelly LNP | 51.0% |
| 2020 | Stephen Andrew ON | 59.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Brightly?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 52 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Brightly to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Brightly
Is Brightly a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Brightly is low (37/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Brightly?
Brightly has a moderate recorded bushfire history (60/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Brightly?
Brightly, QLD had a population of 52 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Brightly, QLD?
The postcode for Brightly, QLD is 4741.
How far is Brightly from Brisbane?
Brightly is 978 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 670 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Brightly?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Brightly was $117,000 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Brightly?
There are too few current rental listings in Brightly for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $183, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Brightly?
The median age of residents in Brightly was 48 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Brightly at risk of bushfire?
Brightly has a moderate recorded bushfire history (60/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
What is the air quality in Brightly?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Brightly (West Mackay (Mackay, Central Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.9 µg/m³. That puts Brightly below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Brightly?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Brightly, Mackay Aero (31.4 km away), summer days average 30.8°C, winter nights 12.4°C, 1,517 mm of rain a year over 95 rainy days, and 3 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Brightly?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Brightly belong to?
Brightly sits within the Mackay local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Brightly?
The average residential rates bill through Mackay is $1,873 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Brightly?
Across Mackay, 574 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 5.8% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Brightly in?
Brightly sits within the federal Division of Capricornia, currently held by Michelle Landry (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.