QLD · Mackay Council
Alligator Creek, 4740
Current weather
17.5°CClear sky
91% humidity · 3.6 km/h wind · 23.8° / 16.2° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
In Mackay, Alligator Creek keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.
Families and commuters make up much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Homes offer solid value for the lifestyle on offer.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and schools and education against similar regional towns, even with housing affordability and community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 897
- Median age
- 37
- Median household income / week
- $2,321
- Dwelling vacancy
- 6.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 19 of 302
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 64.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 14 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 53
- Against the person
- 13
- Against property
- 24
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 59.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 69 residents
- State safety percentile
- 76.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +6.8%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault500
- Drug Offences818
- Good Order Offences578
- Other Property Damage431
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)1129
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 955
- Alligator Creek State SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Amenities
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Alligator Creek ShopConvenience store
- St Therese Catholic ChurchPlace of worship
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 36.4/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4134th in Australia
- State rank
- 960th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #317 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #512 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 56%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Alligator Creek Shopamenitiesconvenience
- St Therese Catholic Churchamenitiesplace_of_worship
- Assaultcrime500
- Drug Offencescrime818
- Good Order Offencescrime578
- Other Property Damagecrime431
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime1129
- Alligator Creek State SchoolschoolsPrimary
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
More in Mackay Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.