Every city is famous for something and Mackay, Australia is famous for sugar. It is the leading sugar producer in the country and provides over a third of the country’s sugar supply. Mackay owes its name to John Mackay, who was the leader of an expedition into the region in 1860. Mackay is a suburb of Alexandra on the eastern coast of Queensland. It is considerably smaller than many of the surrounding cities, but this small coastal city has a lot to offer.
The city of Mackay has a considerable total surface area, which comes to a total of 208.2 square kilometers (80.4 square miles). The population density of the residents of Mackay comes to 377.93 residents living per square kilometer (978.83 people living per square mile.)
The population of Mackay stands at 4,072 people according to the most recent census performed in 2011. Within that population, the demographics show that 2,222 residents are male and 1,850 are female. The median age is 39 years of age. Mackay is a family-oriented city and there are 886 families. Families in Mackay have an average of 1.7 children and the overall total within the average household is 2.1 people. According to the census, there are 1,972 homes within the city. The average home owner pays $1,950 per month for their home and the average renter pays $270 per week on a standard rental agreement.
Australia has always been known for having a good mix of different cultures and Mackay reflects that. One would think that those of Australian descent would make up the majority of the people within Mackay, but they come in second at 23.1% of the overall population. The leader is in fact those of English descent at 23.9% of the population. Other cultures represented in Mackay show that there are 7.7% of Irish descent, 7% Scottish, and 4.7% Filipino. 64.1% of all people of Mackay were born in the city, with 6.1% from the Philippines, 3.5% from New Zealand, 2.5% from England, 1.8% from India, and the remaining 1.1% from China.
Religion may be a touchy subject to some, but for the majority of people in Mackay, it is simply a part of the way of life. However, 20.8% of the population have no religious affiliation. The primary religion in the city is Catholicism, making up 28.4% of the population. Other religions are Anglican at 12.2%, Uniting Church at 6.1%, and Presbyterian at 2.8%. There are other religions throughout Mackay, but these are the primary ones that make up the greatest percentages of the people.
An excellent way to measure the overall economy of any city, country or nation is by looking at the unemployment rate. With numbers reaching far into the double digits in many areas of the world, Mackay can take comfort in the fact that it maintains a 4.8% unemployment rating. The majority of individuals, 70.1%, have a full-time job, while 19.5% maintain at least part time employment. The total workforce in Mackay is 2,176 people, and 55.8% of those work at least 40 hours per week or more. Those that work 35-39 hours per week make up 18% of the population. Those that work under 35 hours per week are classified as part time workers.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 5,464,920 | 1.35% |
| Sydney | 5,312,640 | 1.22% |
| Brisbane | 2,599,740 | 1.23% |
| Perth | 2,195,090 | 1.19% |
| Adelaide | 1,407,600 | 1.05% |
| Gold Coast | 762,290 | 1.29% |
| Canberra | 488,541 | 1.15% |
| Newcastle | 474,766 | 1.06% |
| Wollongong | 321,908 | 1.06% |
| Hobart | 178,009 | 1.01% |
| Townsville | 168,729 | 1.01% |
| Geelong | 157,104 | 1.02% |
| Cairns | 144,730 | 1.02% |
| Darwin | 118,456 | 1.03% |
| Toowoomba | 100,032 | 1.01% |
| Ballarat | 93,759 | 1.02% |
| Bendigo | 92,379 | 1.02% |
| Maitland | 78,015 | 1.03% |
| Launceston | 75,329 | 1% |
| Bunbury | 71,090 | 1.02% |
| Rockhampton | 61,214 | 1% |
| Melton | 54,456 | 1.04% |
| Hervey Bay | 52,073 | 1.01% |
| Bundaberg | 50,148 | 1% |
| Wagga Wagga | 48,263 | 1.01% |
| Coffs Harbour | 48,225 | 1.01% |
| Albury | 47,974 | 1.01% |
| Port Macquarie | 44,814 | 1.02% |
| Orange | 37,182 | 1.01% |
| Queanbeyan | 36,248 | 1% |
| Wodonga | 35,130 | 1.02% |
| Sunbury | 34,425 | 1.01% |
| Dubbo | 34,339 | 1.01% |
| Tamworth | 33,885 | 0.99% |
| Bathurst | 33,587 | 1.01% |
| Mildura | 33,444 | 1.01% |
| Gladstone | 33,418 | 1.01% |
| Geraldton | 31,982 | 1% |
| Warrnambool | 30,709 | 1.01% |
| Albany | 29,373 | 1.02% |
| Lismore | 27,569 | 1% |
| Gawler | 26,472 | 1.02% |
