QLD · Mackay Council
Calen, 4798
Current weather
17.6°CClear sky
91% humidity · 5.8 km/h wind · 24.7° / 15.6° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Calen offers a slower smaller community life in Mackay, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, 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 are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots.
Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
The desirability score is below average, pulled down chiefly by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and housing affordability relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 427
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $1,424
- Dwelling vacancy
- 22.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 38 of 171
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 49.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 6 / 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)
- 17
- Against the person
- 1
- Against property
- 9
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 39.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 427 residents
- State safety percentile
- 50.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +16.9%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Fraud2
- Other Property Damage5
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)4
- Traffic And Related Offences9
- Unlawful Use Of Motor Vehicle2
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
- 926
- Calen District State CollegeCombined
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
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Vic Bridger ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- 19.8/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6577th in Australia
- State rank
- 1499th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #516 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #968 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 66%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Fraudcrime2
- Other Property Damagecrime5
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime4
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime9
- Unlawful Use Of Motor Vehiclecrime2
- Vic Bridger Parkgovernmentpark
- Calen District State CollegeschoolsCombined
Data sources & freshness
- 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
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
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.