Machans Beach QLD 4878
Located in Queensland, Machans Beach sits 1,709 km from Brisbane CBD, around 19 hours 45 minutes by car. The suburb has 943 residents, a median age of 47, and a median household income of $83,720 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population fell 10.3% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $370 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,600. The area shows high coastal erosion risk and high crime risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Machans Beach a good suburb?
Machans Beach scores a C (44/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Some car dependence
Walkability 42/100 · 1709 km · 1183 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $659K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 74/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 47 · 943 residents
Liveability Rating
44 / 100 · Ranked #647 in QLDEach bar is Machans Beach's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
Flood data for Queensland covers only the areas mapped there — a blank here is not an all-clear.
How do you rate the liveability in Machans Beach?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
44 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMachans Beach's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $659,000, roughly 13% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$659,250
14% below its 3 neighbours (median $769,000)
Based on 42 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 31 days — median across 19 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 11 sales $658K
- 3 bed 22 sales $672K
- 4 bed 7 sales $630K
Land
$270,000
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 10 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Machans Beach are currently listed at around $989,000 on average. Based on 11 houses listed in the past six months.
$989K
11 houses listed in the last 6 months.
11 of the suburb's 376 dwellings (2.9%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Machans Beach rent for around $740 a week on average, based on 7 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$740/wk
7 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
8 rentals advertised against an estimated 106 rented homes (7.5%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025104 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4878.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$740/week ($38,000 a year) on a $989,000 median
Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Machans Beach safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Machans Beach sits in the high band, with 23 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 360% on the prior year.
23 offences
360.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–20244 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2024Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.0 km
- Rate
- -1.85 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -64.3 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Machans Beach, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 135 students in one school (avg 135)
Primary
Universities nearby
0.5% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Machans Beach is car-dependent on foot — at 42/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Machans Beach.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 9.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 9.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 7.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 17.4 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Machans Beach.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 52%
- Premises covered
- 500
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
Cairns: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Machans Beach is home to 943 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $84,000 a year, with unemployment at 7.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
943
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$83,720/yr
Census Median Rent
$370/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,600/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$43,108/yr
Unemployment Rate
7.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
14.1%
Total Dwellings
376
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.8%
Houses
90.4%
Rental Stress
23.0%
Mortgage Stress
22.9%
Work From Home
20.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.7%
- Employment Rate
- 58.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 43.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
12 residents (1.3%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
5.5% of residents (49) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (23).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 896 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (4 of 460).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,354 a year through Cairns based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Cairns
In the year to August 2026, 767 new dwellings were approved across Cairns. That mix is 681 houses and 86 units. Approvals are down 81.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Djabugay Nation.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. A native title claim over this area is registered with the Federal Court.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.6 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 18.6 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 4.
From the Woree (Cairns, Far North Queensland) monitoring station, 11.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Cairns Aero, 2.1 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 10 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 345 m
- Annual rainfall
- 2,121 mm
- 120 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 31.9°C
- 4 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 18.1°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
4 facilities within 5 km- 1.9 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
- 2.6 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Toluene (methylbenzene) · Ethylbenzene
- 3.5 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 4.5 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Ethylbenzene
EV adoption
In postcode 4878, 92 of 12,323 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.0% (373 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4878, 4,036 rooftop-solar systems totalling 30.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,320 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 414 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."
Mortgage repayments
6 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 4878.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $659,250 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Matt Smith Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Matt Smith | 56.1% | 43.9% | +9.5 |
| 2022 | Warren Entsch | 46.6% | 53.4% | -0.7 |
| 2019 | Warren Entsch | 45.8% | 54.2% | +0.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Bree James Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Bree James LNP | 53.7% |
| 2020 | Craig Crawford ALP | 53.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Machans Beach?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 943 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.
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Common questions about Machans Beach
Is Machans Beach a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Machans Beach is high (74/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Machans Beach?
Machans Beach has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Machans Beach a good place to live?
Machans Beach has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (44/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Machans Beach?
Machans Beach, QLD had a population of 943 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Machans Beach, QLD?
The postcode for Machans Beach, QLD is 4878.
How far is Machans Beach from Brisbane?
Machans Beach is 1,709 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 1183 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Machans Beach?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Machans Beach was $83,720 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 Machans Beach?
The median advertised rent in Machans Beach is $740 a week for houses (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Machans Beach?
The median age of residents in Machans Beach was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Machans Beach?
There is 1 school inside the Machans Beach boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Machans Beach walkable?
Machans Beach scores 42/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Machans Beach?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Machans Beach (Woree (Cairns, Far North Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 18.6 µg/m³. That puts Machans Beach 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 Machans Beach?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Machans Beach, Cairns Aero (2.1 km away), summer days average 31.9°C, winter nights 18.1°C, 2,121 mm of rain a year over 120 rainy days, and 4 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Machans Beach?
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 Machans Beach belong to?
Machans Beach sits within the Cairns local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Machans Beach?
The average residential rates bill through Cairns is $1,354 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Machans Beach?
Across Cairns, 767 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 81.0% 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 Machans Beach in?
Machans Beach sits within the federal Division of Leichhardt, currently held by Matt Smith (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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.