Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 30° / 23°
- Rainfall
- 868 mm · ~90 rainy days
QLD · Mackay Council
Oakenden, 4741
Population
424
Median age
39
Median income
$2,367/wk
Employed
70%
Languages at home
1%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Oakenden offers a slower smaller community life in Mackay, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. 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.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, 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. The market sits in a sensible middle ground: not cheap, but fair value for the area.
Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
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 safety and community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Living here
Desirability
- Desirability score
- 39.6/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3628th in Australia
- State rank
- 836th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #269 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #410 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
- 424
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $2,367
- Dwelling vacancy
- 8.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 12 of 137
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,830
- Employment rate
- 70%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 4 / 14 / 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
1% speak a language other than English at home; 6.7% born overseas
- Language at home
- 417 English only · 4 other
- Non-English at home
- 1%
- Born overseas
- 28 (6.7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 3 (0.7%)
- Australian citizens
- 408
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)
- 12
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 6
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 28.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 212 residents
- State safety percentile
- 25.5th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -14.5%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences15
- Good Order Offences16
- Other Property Damage16
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)61
- Traffic And Related Offences48
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
- 926
- Oakenden 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
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
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)
- 6/10
- 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
Recent changes
- Drug Offencescrime15
- Good Order Offencescrime16
- Other Property Damagecrime16
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime61
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime48
- Oakenden State SchoolschoolsPrimary
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
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.