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Suburb Insights · QLD 4740

North Mackay, QLD 4740 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

North Mackay is a coastal suburb in Queensland, Australia, with a population of approximately 6,194, making it a smaller community. Located approximately 806 km from the Brisbane CBD, North Mackay is a coastal area in Queensland. The median household income is $71,500 per year.

Investment Score

49 / 100 Moderate

North Mackay's income profile suggests a value-oriented market with competitive purchase prices. The coastal setting provides a lifestyle factor that underpins property values.

Location

Brisbane
North Mackay
Queensland · 4740
806 km from Brisbane CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
4740

Official Australia Post postcode for North Mackay. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
6,194

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$300/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$71,500/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
806 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
2

Estimated 2 schools within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
2

Estimated 2 parks and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$1,448/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
68% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Why People Like Living in North Mackay

Who North Mackay Suits

👨‍👩‍👧FamiliesSchool count or dwelling mix is lighter here.
📊InvestorsRent covers a solid share of the median mortgage.
🏡First-home buyersEntry costs sit at or below the Queensland median.
💼ProfessionalsLonger commute to the CBD.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Rent sits within an affordable share of local incomes, supporting tenant demand.
  • Mortgage costs are lower than the Queensland median, improving cash-flow margins.
  • Solid transport links into employment hubs.

Cons

  • Long distance to the CBD (806 km) — plan for commute time or local employment.
  • Traffic can build during peak hours, especially on arterial roads.

Investment Insight

6,194 residents places North Mackay squarely in the middle of the Queensland suburb size distribution (state median 5,474), with market depth comparable to most QLD localities. North Mackay's median household income of $71,500/year is 21% below the Queensland suburb median ($90,298) — this is an affordability play where returns lean on yield and patient capital growth rather than demographic premium. Median weekly rent of $300 equates to $1,300/month — about 90% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,448/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. North Mackay is 806 km from Brisbane, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Investment Tip

Coastal markets benefit from lifestyle appeal but require a buffer for higher insurance and occasional weather-driven vacancies. Local rents consume roughly 22% of household income — a useful sanity check on tenant affordability.

North Mackay vs Queensland Median

How North Mackay stacks up against the median of all Queensland suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean North Mackay sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricNorth MackayQLD medianΔ vs state
Population6,1945,474+13%
Median household income$71,500/yr$90,298/yr-21%
Median rent (weekly)$300$385-22%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,448$1,733-16%
Distance to CBD806 km62 km+1200%
Separate houses68%77%-9pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for North Mackay — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

Buy & Hold

Limited buy-and-hold upside: household incomes 21% below the QLD median ($71,500 vs $90,298) means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider Queensland market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $300/week (~$1,300/month) covers 90% of the $1,448/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $148/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 68% houses in a 6,194-person market, renovation margins depend on individual street and aspect rather than any suburb-wide story — do comparable-sales analysis before committing capital.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a North Mackay property

Full Property Analysis

30-year projections for North Mackay

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Moderate Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for North Mackay are modest for 2026 — incomes 21% below the QLD median of $90,298 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~90% of the typical mortgage ($1,300/month rent vs $1,448/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 49/100 places North Mackay in the mid tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is North Mackay a good suburb for investment?

North Mackay scores 49/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a moderate rating. That score is driven by a population of 6,194, median household income of $71,500/year and median weekly rent of $300. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in North Mackay?

The main demand drivers in North Mackay are a median household income of $71,500/year, a dwelling mix that is 68% separate houses, roughly 2 schools and 2 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of North Mackay?

North Mackay has a usual resident population of approximately 6,194, compared with a Queensland suburb median of 5,474 — placing it in the upper half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is North Mackay from the Brisbane CBD?

North Mackay sits 806 km straight-line from the Brisbane CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in North Mackay?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $300 in North Mackay, equating to approximately $15,600/year in gross rental income (state median $385/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in North Mackay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in North Mackay is $1,448, or approximately $17,376/year (vs $1,733/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is North Mackay cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $300 works out to $1,300/month, covering 90% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,448/month. That leaves a $148/month shortfall (around $1,776/year before tax benefits), so a typical owner-occupier-priced property here is negatively geared. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in North Mackay?

The main risks are interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,448 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($71,500 vs $90,298 state median), the broader Queensland market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this North Mackay profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

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