QLD · Mackay Council
Glenella, 4740
Current weather
20.1°CClear sky
84% humidity · 7.5 km/h wind · 23.2° / 17.5° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Mackay, Glenella keeps a rural calm, a mid-sized suburb with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Leafy streets and shaded corners make the suburb feel greener and more established than many nearby.
Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.
Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
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 community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 4,545
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $2,535
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 124 of 1,595
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,904
- Employment rate
- 68.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 98 / 42 / 26
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)
- $750
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
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Period: Mar 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 269
- Against the person
- 64
- Against property
- 122
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 59.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 71 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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 977
- Glenella 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
4 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Drinking water
- Glenella Childcare & Education CentreKindergarten
- Playground (2)
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)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
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
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Glenella Childcare & Education Centrekindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
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)
- 26
- Parks (OSM)
- 25
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
- 2916th in Australia
- State rank
- 676th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #201 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #299 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 73%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Drinking wateramenitiesdrinking_water
- Glenella Childcare & Education Centreamenitieskindergarten
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
- Assaultcrime500
- Drug Offencescrime818
- Good Order Offencescrime578
- Other Property Damagecrime431
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime1129
- Glenella Childcare & Education Centrechildcarekindergarten
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
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.