West Mackay
A $420,000 median house price sitting alongside a 9.9% rental vacancy rate tells most of the story here: West Mackay is an affordable, oversupplied market rather than a contested one. Household income lands in the 59.5th percentile nationally, almost exactly mid-pack, and the suburb scores SEIFA decile 4 on three of four indexes, below the midpoint for advantage. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached at 77.8% of dwellings, with apartments at just 2.1%. The population of 6,536 is older than typical, with a median age of 42 that runs 2.0 years above the national figure, and the working profile leans toward healthcare and mining rather than the professional concentration seen in capital-city suburbs.
Population
6,536
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,696/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$420K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $420,000 median house price, West Mackay is far below most metropolitan markets, and the affordability shows in the stress numbers: mortgage-to-income sits at 21.7%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold even on local incomes. The stock favours families because 77.8% of dwellings are separate houses and only 2.1% are apartments, so buyers are competing for genuine houses rather than units. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.6% and four-plus bedroom homes make up 24.8%, while smaller two-bedroom dwellings are 21.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,595, low enough that mortgage holders (34.0%) slightly outnumber outright owners (30.4%), a sign of a still-active buyer base rather than a settled, debt-free one.
For Buyers
At a $420,000 median house price, West Mackay is far below most metropolitan markets, and the affordability shows in the stress numbers: mortgage-to-income sits at 21.7%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold even on local incomes. The stock favours families because 77.8% of dwellings are separate houses and only 2.1% are apartments, so buyers are competing for genuine houses rather than units. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.6% and four-plus bedroom homes make up 24.8%, while smaller two-bedroom dwellings are 21.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,595, low enough that mortgage holders (34.0%) slightly outnumber outright owners (30.4%), a sign of a still-active buyer base rather than a settled, debt-free one.
For Investors
The investment case here leans on affordability rather than scarcity. Weekly rent of $320 against the $420,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.0%, well above the sub-2% yields typical of premium capital-city suburbs. The tenant pool is deep, with 35.6% of households renting, slightly higher than the mortgage share of 34.0%. The risk is supply: the 9.9% vacancy rate is elevated and rent fell 3.6% over the period, so landlords face real competition for tenants. Demand support is thin, with net overseas migration adding about 66 residents a year but net internal migration removing 64, leaving population growth at just 0.51% annually. Development activity is minimal at 2 applications in 12 months, both operational works rather than new dwellings, so no near-term supply shock is coming.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
4
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 West Mackay iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mackay West State School
Prep-6 · 770 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 3.1 points over the decade while the young share fell 3.2 points. The population is notably less internationally mixed than average, with 15.8% born overseas, which is 5.8 points below national. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,404), Irish (755) and Scottish (661), and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (16) and Gujarati (11), tiny counts that confirm the low overseas share. University qualifications reach 24.5%, running 5.6 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward healthcare, trades and mining rather than knowledge professions. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, and couples with children (1,803 families) outnumber couples without children (1,295).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.8%
Houses
19.4%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is evenly split three ways: 30.4% own outright, 34.0% carry a mortgage and 35.6% rent. Mortgage holders edging out outright owners points to an active buyer base rather than long-held, debt-free wealth. The stock is 77.8% separate houses with apartments at only 2.1% and semi-detached dwellings at 19.4%, so this is a house market with almost no unit alternative. Three-bedroom homes account for 47.6% and four-plus bedroom homes 24.8%, while two-bedroom dwellings are 21.4%. The $420,000 median against local incomes keeps mortgage-to-income at 21.7% and rent-to-income at 18.9%, both well below the 30% stress threshold, which is the clearest signal that West Mackay remains genuinely affordable compared with metropolitan Queensland.
Mortgage / mo
$1,595
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$838
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.9%
Unoccupied
267
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.9%
Couples, no children
4,328
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is anchored by services rather than knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 22.7% (460 workers), Education follows at 11.3% (228) and Mining at 10.4% (210), with Construction at 7.7% and Other Services at 6.1%. The mining share reflects West Mackay's position as a service base for the Bowen Basin coal region. By occupation, Professionals (605) lead, but Community and Personal Service workers (335), Clerical staff (334) and Labourers (327) follow closely, a flatter mix than the Professional-heavy profile of capital suburbs. Unemployment is 4.2% and the full-time employment rate is 69.7%. The suburb scores SEIFA decile 4 on IEO, IER and IRSAD and decile 5 on IRSD, placing it just below the national midpoint for advantage. Real incomes fell 6.5% over the decade, a headwind tied to softer mining-cycle wages.
Unemployment
10.4%
Labour Force
2,440
Unemployed
254
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.7%
Part-time
26.1%
Participation
56.2%
Employed
2,933
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.5%
Postgraduate
3.8%
Born Overseas
15.8%
Dwellings
2,413
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb: 86.3% of residents drive to work while only 1.0% use public transport and 6.1% walk or cycle, well above the car reliance of well-served metropolitan suburbs. No schools are recorded inside the 5.93 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Mackay suburbs, a practical trade-off at the low density of 1,103 residents per km2. The suburb scores SEIFA decile 5 on IRSD, the index of relative disadvantage, placing it just above the national midpoint, so deprivation is moderate rather than acute. Volunteering runs at 14.6% and 10.6% of residents (629 people) need daily assistance, a figure lifted by the older median age of 42. Rent-to-income at 18.9% keeps tenants comfortable, which underpins the suburb's affordable, family-oriented character.
Drive
86.3%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
6.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.51%/yr
(+21 people/yr)
EstablishedWest Mackay is effectively stable: annual population growth registers 0.51% and the 10-year change is slightly negative at minus 1.1%, classifying it as an established suburb rather than a growth corridor. The primary driver is overseas migration, adding about 66 residents a year, but net internal migration removes 64, so the two nearly cancel out and natural change carries the rest. The gentrification score reads 0, with the stage assessed as not gentrifying, which fits a SEIFA decile 4 suburb showing no upward pressure on advantage. Affordability actually improved over the decade, from 38.6% in 2011 to 32.3% in 2021, a rare easing driven by falling real incomes and soft rents rather than rising wealth. The aging trajectory, with the senior share up 3.1 points, points to a maturing rather than expanding population.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+66
Net Internal / yr
-64
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How West Mackay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Mackay a good suburb to live in?
West Mackay scores SEIFA decile 4 on three of four indexes and decile 5 on IRSD, just around the national midpoint, with household income in the 59.5th percentile. It suits affordability-focused families: the median house price is $420,000 and 77.8% of dwellings are separate houses, though it is heavily car-dependent at 86.3% driving to work.
What is the median house price in West Mackay?
The median house price is $420,000, far below most metropolitan markets. Weekly rent averages $320 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,595, keeping mortgage-to-income at 21.7%, well under the 30% stress threshold. That $320 rent against the median implies a gross yield near 4.0%.
What schools are in West Mackay?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.93 km2 West Mackay boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Mackay suburbs. The resident profile leans toward trades and services, with university qualifications at 24.5%, which is 5.6 points below the national figure.
Is West Mackay safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for West Mackay in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores SEIFA decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, just above the national midpoint, and 10.6% of its 6,536 residents need daily assistance, consistent with a moderate-disadvantage area.
Is West Mackay good for property investment?
Rent of $320 a week against a $420,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, well above premium capital-city suburbs, and 35.6% of households rent. The catch is a 9.9% vacancy rate and rent falling 3.6%, with population growth of just 0.51% a year, so returns depend on yield more than capital growth.
How is West Mackay's population changing?
Population growth is 0.51% annually and the 10-year change is slightly negative at minus 1.1%, marking an established, stable suburb. Overseas migration adds about 66 residents a year while net internal migration removes 64. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.1 points and the young share down 3.2 points over the decade.
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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