Bucasia

Development Activity

Schools in Bucasia iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 35 is 5.0 years below the national figure, marking a younger, family-oriented population, and average household size of 2.8 sits 0.3 above national. Couples with children account for 1,820 families against 911 couples without, so child-rearing households clearly outnumber empty-nesters. The area is markedly Anglo: only 15.2% of residents were born overseas, 6.4 points below national, with English (2,106), Irish (554) and Scottish (547) the leading ancestries and Afrikaans the sole notable non-English language at just 18 speakers. University qualifications reach 17.2%, which is 12.9 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and operational roles rather than professions. Despite the youthful median age, the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 4.3 points and the working-age share down 2.3 points over the decade.

Tenure leans firmly toward owner-occupiers: 44.4% of households carry a mortgage and 23.0% own outright, leaving renters at 32.6%. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses at 91.2% and apartments at only 1.9%, a profile that limits density and keeps the suburb low-rise. Larger family homes dominate, as 49.8% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 38.6% have three, while two-bedroom stock is scarce at 7.1%. The median house price of $472,000 stays accessible relative to incomes, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.2% and rent-to-income of 19.0%, both comfortably below the 30% stress line. That low ratio exists because prices remain modest while household income sits in the 75.2nd percentile, a combination that gives both buyers and renters more breathing room than in higher-priced coastal markets.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

The local economy is anchored by Healthcare at 18.0% of workers (274) and Mining at 15.6% (237), an unusual pairing that reflects both the Mackay regional health network and the Bowen Basin coal sector that drives the wider region. Construction follows at 10.2% (155), Education at 9.5% and Retail at 7.4%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 360 but Machinery Operators and Drivers are close behind at 311, with Clerical and Admin at 284, underscoring the trades-and-operations tilt. Unemployment is low at 4.4% and the full-time employment rate reaches 65.8%, helped by mining rosters that favour full-time work. Participation sits at 63.9% with 858 residents not in the labour force. SEIFA reads mid-table overall at IRSAD decile 5 and economic-resources IER decile 7, yet the IEO education-and-occupation index drops to decile 3 because degree-level qualifications are scarce despite solid mining-supported incomes.

Transport to Work

Bucasia is built around the car: 88.3% of residents drive to work while only 2.6% use public transport and 1.9% walk or cycle, reflecting a low-density coastal layout at 450.7 people per km2. No schools are recorded inside the 10.91 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby Mackay-area schools, a common trade-off for outer coastal suburbs. The area scores mid-table on disadvantage at IRSD decile 6 and IRSAD decile 5, neither affluent nor deprived, and only 4.0% of residents (180 people) need daily assistance. Housing pressure is light, with rent-to-income at 19.0% and mortgage-to-income at 19.2%, both well below the 30% stress threshold, so cost-of-living headroom is a genuine livability advantage. Resident stability is moderate, with 69.6% staying put against a turnover rate of 30.4%.

Population Forecast

Bucasia is growing steadily rather than booming, with annual population growth of 1.47%, about 97 people a year, and a 10-year change of 13.9%. The area is classified as established, with forecasts continuing the trend from 6,590 in 2025 toward a medium projection of 7,204 by 2031. Growth is balanced between net overseas migration of 26 a year and net internal migration of 20, so neither outside arrivals nor interstate movers dominate. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, with a low score, meaning the demographic mix is stable rather than rapidly upgrading. Affordability has actually improved over the decade, easing from 49.3% in 2011 to 40.4% in 2021, even as the trajectory ages with the senior share up 4.3 points. Real income growth was negative at minus 5.9% over the period, a headwind tied to the cyclical mining base.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Bucasia compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions