Mackenzie
Household income at the 97.1st percentile nationally tells the core story of Mackenzie, a compact 3.04 km2 suburb in Brisbane's southeast where the median weekly family income of $3,025 reflects a genuinely affluent professional population. University qualifications reach 53.6% of residents, which is 23.5 percentage points above the national average, and 40.8% were born overseas, sitting 19.2 points higher than national. The housing stock is nearly all separate houses at 89.7%, and 81.2% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, pointing to families who have deliberately chosen space over proximity.
Population
30
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,125/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
10
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,192, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, meaning most owners are comfortably servicing their loans. The stock is strongly detached-house dominant: 89.7% separate houses and 10.3% semi-detached, with virtually no apartments. Four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 81.2% of all homes, so buyers seeking family-scale space will find Mackenzie delivers on that front. Outright ownership at 28.0% runs below the 57.2% on mortgage, consistent with a suburb still in active family formation rather than established wealth.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,192, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, meaning most owners are comfortably servicing their loans. The stock is strongly detached-house dominant: 89.7% separate houses and 10.3% semi-detached, with virtually no apartments. Four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 81.2% of all homes, so buyers seeking family-scale space will find Mackenzie delivers on that front. Outright ownership at 28.0% runs below the 57.2% on mortgage, consistent with a suburb still in active family formation rather than established wealth.
For Investors
With only 14.8% of dwellings renting against a broader Brisbane market with higher renter shares, Mackenzie is primarily an owner-occupier suburb, which limits the tenant pool available to landlords. Weekly rent sits at $500 and vacancy rate at 2.4%, the latter indicating that what rental stock exists is well absorbed. Development activity logged 8 applications in the past 12 months, a low count for a suburb of 2,336 residents, reflecting the established residential character rather than active supply growth. Household income at the 97.1st percentile nationally supports ongoing owner-occupier demand, but the thin rental market means yields rather than vacancy will constrain investor returns. The high owner-occupier rate also signals price stability compared to renter-dominated suburbs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
16
Last 12 Months
10
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+400.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mackenzie iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mackenzie State Primary School
Prep-6 · 183 students
Demographics
Mackenzie's median age of 37 is 3.0 years below the national figure, reflecting a suburb oriented around families rather than retirees. The 40.8% overseas-born share sits 19.2 percentage points above national, and the ancestry mix bears this out: English (634) leads, followed by Chinese (294), Indian (205) and Irish (175). The average household size of 3.3 is 0.8 persons above the national average, which is the direct result of the dominant couples-with-children household structure: 1,182 of 2,194 families are couples with children, compared to just 345 couples without. Mandarin is the most spoken non-English language at 92 residents, with Malayalam (46) and Sinhala (32) following. University qualifications at 53.6% run 23.5 percentage points above national, consistent with the professional and managerial occupation profile.
Age Distribution
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock here is unusually uniform: 89.7% separate houses, 10.3% semi-detached and effectively no apartments. Four-plus bedroom dwellings constitute 81.2% of all homes, with three-bedroom homes at 16.2% and smaller formats at under 3% combined. Tenure leans toward mortgaged ownership at 57.2%, with outright owners at 28.0% and renters at just 14.8%. The low renter proportion, lower than national averages, reflects the suburb's appeal to owner-occupier families committed to long-term residence. Turnover is relatively low, with 80.4% of residents staying in the same address.
Mortgage / mo
$1,200
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $0.
$530
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $530
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,125
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
33.3%
Unoccupied
4
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.0%
Couples, no children
15
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 20.0% of workers (194 people), followed by Education at 14.2% (137), Professional and Technical services at 9.4% (91), Construction at 8.2% (79) and Public Administration at 8.0% (77). By occupation, Professionals lead with 418 workers, followed by Managers at 221, Clerical and Admin at 167, Sales at 132 and Community and Personal services at 119. Full-time employment runs at 63.8% and the unemployment rate at 4.5%, with a participation rate of 71.0%. Weekly personal income of $1,084 and family income of $3,025 place residents well above national averages, supported by the high concentration of professional and managerial roles. The industry mix, anchored in healthcare and education, offers stability rather than cyclical exposure.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
1,112
Unemployed
50
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
80.0%
Part-time
20.0%
Participation
90.9%
Employed
20
Occupations
Top Industries
University
N/A
Postgraduate
N/A
Born Overseas
N/A
Dwellings
10
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high in Mackenzie, with 87.1% of residents commuting as car drivers and only 6.5% using public transport, compared to higher public transport rates in inner Brisbane suburbs. Walking and cycling account for just 0.3% of trips, reflecting the low-density, residential character of a suburb where amenities are typically reached by car. No SEIFA socioeconomic disadvantage scores are available for Mackenzie in this dataset, but the 97.1st percentile household income nationally and the 2.8% rate needing assistance (65 residents) indicate a low-disadvantage community. Rent-to-income at 16.7% and mortgage-to-income at 16.9% are both well below stress thresholds, meaning residents are not financially stretched by housing costs. The volunteering rate of 18.0% suggests active community participation.
Drive
100.0%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.84%/yr
(+21 people/yr)
EstablishedNo formal population forecast data is available for Mackenzie in this brief. With a current population of 2,336 across 3.04 km2, the suburb has a density of 769 people per km2, relatively low for a Brisbane suburb, which leaves some capacity for infill. Development activity recorded only 8 applications in the past 12 months, below what would signal active growth pressure. The turnover rate of 19.6% means roughly one in five households moved in the reference period, providing some market liquidity. The suburb's strong income profile, household income at the 97.1st percentile nationally, and high university qualification rate of 53.6% suggest it will continue attracting professional families as the Brisbane metropolitan area expands southward.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+5
Net Internal / yr
-2
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011, Accelerating: -8% → 20%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mackenzie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mackenzie a good suburb to live in?
Mackenzie consistently ranks among Brisbane's most affluent family suburbs, with household income at the 97.1st percentile nationally and a median weekly family income of $3,025. University qualifications reach 53.6% of residents, which is 23.5 percentage points above national. The suburb suits families seeking large homes, low housing stress ratios and a stable owner-occupier community.
What is the median house price in Mackenzie?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,192, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.9%, which is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $500 for the 14.8% of dwellings that are rented.
What schools are in Mackenzie?
No schools are recorded within the Mackenzie suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in neighbouring suburbs including Carindale, Wishart and Rochedale South, which are within the broader southeastern Brisbane corridor. The local university qualification rate of 53.6%, well above the national average, reflects strong educational attainment among adult residents.
Is Mackenzie safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Mackenzie in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, household income sits at the 97.1st percentile nationally and only 2.8% of residents (65 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage, low-crime environment. The low renter proportion of 14.8% and the stable owner-occupier community also correlate with lower crime rates in comparable Australian suburbs.
Is Mackenzie good for property investment?
Mackenzie is primarily owner-occupier with only 14.8% renting, limiting the tenant pool. Household income at the 97.1st percentile nationally supports price stability, though 8 development applications in 12 months signals limited near-term supply pressure.
How is Mackenzie's population changing?
Mackenzie's current population is 2,336 across 3.04 km2, giving a density of 769 people per km2. Formal growth forecasts are not available in this dataset. The turnover rate of 19.6% indicates about one in five households changed in the reference period, providing market activity, while 80.4% of residents stayed, indicating strong community retention consistent with the suburb's family-oriented profile.
What languages are spoken in Mackenzie?
About 40.8% of Mackenzie residents were born overseas, which is 19.2 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is the most spoken non-English language at 92 residents, followed by Malayalam (46), Sinhala (32), Korean (24) and Greek (22). Ancestry is led by English (634), Chinese (294) and Indian (205) backgrounds.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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