Mirani
The suburb sits on 51.85 km2 with a density of just 34.8 people per square kilometre, shaped almost entirely by detached housing at 94.4% of the stock. Household income ranks at the 67.5th percentile nationally, respectable for a regional town where machinery and driving occupations lead the workforce. Mining employs 15.9% of workers, placing the local economy squarely in Queensland's resource sector compared to the state average.
Local council: Mackay
Population
1,806
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,872/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,647, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability comes with a strong detached-house bias: 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.5% have four or more bedrooms, higher than most Queensland suburbs. Apartments account for just 1.3% of stock. With 45.5% of households on a mortgage compared to 25.8% owning outright, Mirani's housing base reflects a working-age, mortgage-belt population rather than retirees or renters.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,647, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability comes with a strong detached-house bias: 94.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.5% have four or more bedrooms, higher than most Queensland suburbs. Apartments account for just 1.3% of stock. With 45.5% of households on a mortgage compared to 25.8% owning outright, Mirani's housing base reflects a working-age, mortgage-belt population rather than retirees or renters.
For Investors
Renters make up 28.6% of Mirani households, giving landlords a steady pool of tenants. The vacancy rate of 5.5% is elevated compared to the national average, signalling softer demand conditions that buyers should factor into void-period calculations. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, meaning new supply is not a near-term pressure. The suburb's reliance on mining at 15.9% of employment creates income correlation risk: demand tracks closely with resource sector cycles rather than broad employment trends.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mirani
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Mirani State High School
Mirani State School
Demographics
The median age of 33 is 7.0 years below the national figure, making Mirani one of the younger-skewing suburbs in regional Queensland. Overseas-born residents account for just 6.7%, which is 14.9 percentage points below national, consistent with an Anglo-Celtic heritage profile led by English (597), Scottish (137), Irish (125) and German (116) ancestries. University qualifications at 12.3% are 17.8 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting an economy built on trade and resource occupations rather than professional services. Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above national, and couples with children (596 families) outnumber couples without children (293), pointing to a family-formation stage community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
3.4%
Townhouse
1.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Mirani breaks into three tiers: 45.5% carry a mortgage, 28.6% rent and 25.8% own outright. The dominant holding by mortgage-payers aligns with the younger median age of 33 and the active family formation stage. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 94.4%, and bedroom counts skew large, with 51.5% of dwellings at four or more bedrooms and 37.8% at three bedrooms. This size profile is consistent with families needing space rather than downsizers. Rent-to-income at 17.4% is comfortably below the 30% stress line, and mortgage-to-income at 20.3% is similarly low compared to capital city benchmarks, making housing costs manageable relative to local incomes at the 67.5th household income percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,647
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$325
Census 2021
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$794
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
30
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.9%
Couples with children
36.2%
Couples, no children
19.2%
Single parent
428
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education leads Mirani's industry mix at 20.6% of employed residents, followed by Mining at 15.9%, Healthcare at 11.7%, Construction at 9.2% and Manufacturing at 6.0%. The Mining share is notably higher than the national average, tying local incomes to the Bowen Basin resource corridor north of Mackay. By occupation, Machinery and Drivers dominate at 139 workers, followed by Professionals at 107 and Labourers at 74. The unemployment rate of 4.1% is modest, and the full-time employment rate of 72.4% is solid. The participation rate of 50.9% reflects the age and family composition of the suburb, with 378 residents outside the labour force. SEIFA decile data is not available for this suburb.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
734
Unemployed
28
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.9%
Part-time
25.5%
Participation
55.0%
Employed
706
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.3%
Postgraduate
0.7%
Born Overseas
6.7%
Dwellings
522
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 88.0% of residents commute by car, compared to just 1.9% using public transport and 4.4% walking or cycling. This is typical for regional Queensland towns where destinations are spread across low-density areas, but buyers should factor in transport costs. No schools are recorded within the Mirani boundary in this dataset, so families would rely on schools in nearby centres. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb. Of the 1,806 residents, 6.5% (97 people) need daily assistance with core activities. Housing stress is minimal, with rent-to-income at 17.4% and mortgage-to-income at 20.3%, both well below thresholds that trigger financial hardship compared to national stress benchmarks.
Drive
83.7%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
4.2%
Work from Home
4.9%
Growth Outlook
Population and forecast trend data are not available in the current dataset for Mirani. The suburb's 1,806 residents across 51.85 km2 give a low density of 34.8 per km2, suggesting room for incremental growth if demand supports it. Residential turnover runs at 21.1%, meaning roughly 1 in 5 residents changed address in the reference period, while 78.9% stayed, indicating stable tenure compared to higher-churn urban suburbs. The combination of a young median age of 33 and strong family formation signals that organic household-level growth is occurring, even without formal population forecasts. Volunteering at 12.3% suggests moderate community engagement relative to national norms.
Population trend: Mackay council area
Mirani sits in the Mackay council area. These are the council area's residents, not Mirani's.
Residents 2025
129,253
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.3%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.9%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mirani compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mirani a good suburb to live in?
Mirani suits buyers prioritising affordability and space. The trade-offs are limited public transport at 1.9% usage and a mining-linked local economy.
What is the median house price in Mirani?
Weekly rent averages $325 and monthly mortgage repayments run around $1,647. Household income ranks at the 67.5th percentile nationally, meaning housing costs are relatively manageable compared to incomes earned locally.
What schools are in Mirani?
No schools are recorded within the Mirani suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically rely on educational facilities in nearby Mackay and surrounding communities. Education is the largest employment sector locally at 20.6% of workers, suggesting school infrastructure exists in the broader region.
Is Mirani safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Mirani in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, housing stress is low with rent-to-income at 17.4% and mortgage-to-income at 20.3%, and only 6.5% of the 1,806 residents require daily assistance. The residential turnover rate of 21.1% is moderate, suggesting reasonable community stability.
Is Mirani good for property investment?
The vacancy rate of 5.5% is elevated compared to the national average, so buyers should budget for potential void periods. The local economy is tied to mining at 15.9% of employment, meaning rental demand correlates with resource sector activity.
How is Mirani's population changing?
Formal population forecasts are not available for Mirani. The suburb has 1,806 residents with a median age of 33, which is 7.0 years below the national figure. The residential stability rate of 78.9% staying in place is solid, and the concentration of couples with children (596 families vs 293 couples without children) suggests the suburb is in a family-formation phase.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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