suburb.guide

QLD · Mackay Council

Blacks Beach, 4740

Current weather

19.9°CClear sky

84% humidity · 7.5 km/h wind · 23° / 17.4° today · 0 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

43.2/100
Average

Top 45% of Queensland's suburbs

58% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • High desirability
What Blacks Beach is known for: Green suburb, National parks, High desirability

Suburb profile

Blacks Beach is a quieter mid-sized suburb in Mackay, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. Leafy streets and shaded corners make the suburb feel greener and more established than many nearby.

A younger crowd gives the area energy, with family life visible on every street. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.

Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety against similar regional towns, even with parks and green space and housing affordability holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
4,153
Median age
31
Median household income / week
$2,013
Dwelling vacancy
8.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
115 of 1,428
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Employment rate
64%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
119 / 155 / 12

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.

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$650

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Crime & safety

Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
246
Against the person
59
Against property
112
Rate per 1,000 residents
59.2
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 70 residents
State safety percentile
76.6th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+7.1%

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

Amenities

5 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Parking
  • Playground (2)
  • Post Box
  • Blacks Beach TavernRestaurant

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

Parks & reserves

5 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Blacks Beach ParkPark
  • Blacks Beach ReservePark
  • Corella Way ParkPark
  • McCreadys Creek ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

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

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

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
17
Parks (OSM)
16

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability Index

Desirability score
43.2/100 — Average
State standing
Top 45% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
2915th in Australia
State rank
675th in QLD
Peer rank
#200 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#298 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
58%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Blacks Beach Tavernamenitiesrestaurant
  • Parkingamenitiesparking
  • Playgroundamenitiesplayground
  • Playgroundamenitiesplayground
  • Post Boxamenitiespost_box
  • Assaultcrime500
  • Drug Offencescrime818
  • Good Order Offencescrime578
  • Other Property Damagecrime431
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime1129

Data sources & freshness

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.