Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 30° / 23°
- Rainfall
- 868 mm · ~90 rainy days
QLD · Mackay Council
Homebush, 4740
Population
262
Median age
39
Median income
$2,113/wk
Employed
71.5%
Languages at home
2.9%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- Heritage area
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Mackay, Homebush keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Housing is well-priced for what you get: space, location and everyday convenience.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, with local dining and lifestyle amenities and housing affordability the main drags compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Living here
Desirability
- Desirability score
- 24.6/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6143rd in Australia
- State rank
- 1421st in QLD
- Peer rank
- #487 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #902 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
Population
- Population
- 262
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $2,113
- Dwelling vacancy
- 15.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 15 of 95
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 71.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 5 / 40 / 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.
Community & culture
2.9% speak a language other than English at home; 5.6% born overseas
- Language at home
- 238 English only · 7 other
- Non-English at home
- 2.9%
- Born overseas
- 14 (5.6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 12 (4.6%)
- Australian citizens
- 247
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, and Indigenous status (usual residence).
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)
- 16
- Against the person
- 4
- Against property
- 7
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 61.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 66 residents
- State safety percentile
- 78.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +10%
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
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 962
- Homebush 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
1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 0/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0
Community(1)
- Homebush State SchoolSchool
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived from OpenStreetMap & Census) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 504 mm · ~63 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 121 mm · ~15 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 18°
- Rainfall
- 183 mm · ~23 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Period: seasonal · Updated on site · Static grid from WorldClim monthly averages
Future & Planning
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Homebush Mission HallState heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · 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
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
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
Recent changes
- Homebush State Schoolamenitiesschool
- Assaultcrime500
- Drug Offencescrime818
- Good Order Offencescrime578
- Other Property Damagecrime431
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime1129
- Homebush Mission HallheritageState heritage place
- Homebush 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
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · 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.