Located in Queensland within the Mackay local government area, West Mackay is a moderately sized suburb (postcode 4740). The area has roughly 6,536 residents and a settled mid-life population, with a median age of 42. Households earn a median income of $88K per year, with an average household size of 2.3 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.9% year-on-year at the LGA level. QLD employment has moved +0.9% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. QLD also had 32 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 12 underway, and 50 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and mining. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.
West Mackay has a median house price of $459,000, which has posted strong gains by 6.6% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $325,000 (+17.3% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $580. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 6.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,595.
West Mackay is served by 1 school, including 1 primary. The average ICSEA score is 980, which is around the national average of 1,000. Healthcare facilities include 1 public hospital. The crime rate in the Mackay LGA is moderate at 6,570 incidents per 100,000 population.
Looking at the investment signals, West Mackay shows a gross rental yield of approximately 6.6%, rated as high yield. Property prices sit below the state median ($459K/$1.1M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 5.2x is considered affordable. House prices have moved +6.6% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.9% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.