QLD · Mackay Council
Sarina, 4737
Current weather
19°CClear sky
94% humidity · 5.9 km/h wind · 24.5° / 14.8° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Mackay, Sarina keeps a rural calm, a mid-sized suburb with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.
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. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.
Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in parks and green space and transport and access. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 5,619
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $1,605
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 260 of 2,204
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Employment rate
- 53.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 186 / 127 / 20
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)
- $450
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)
- 203
- Against the person
- 53
- Against property
- 69
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 36.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 106 residents
- State safety percentile
- 41.8th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -16.7%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault33
- Drug Offences38
- Good Order Offences41
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)46
- Traffic And Related Offences65
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
- 4
- Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
- 926.5
- Sarina State High SchoolSecondary
- Sarina State SchoolPrimary
- St Anne's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary
- Swayneville 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
Planning & development
Development applications from QLD coordinated projects (lodged 2020–2026).
1 planning-related records
Other· 1 proposal
- Jilalan Rail YardExpansion of the railyard, including two new bypass tracks, two provisioning tracks, a provisioning facility and a wagon maintenance facility.Completed EIS project
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- QLD coordinated projects — Queensland Department of State Development · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · State coordinated projects register (not council DAs)
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
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Anzac SquarePark
- Apex ParkPark
- Field of Dreams Historical CentrePark
- Lando Street ParkPark
- Mount Blarney Conservation ParkNature reserve
- Visitor Information CentrePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 4
- Emergency department
- On site
- Guardianpharmacy
- Pharmacypharmacy
- Sarina Community Care - Respite Centrehospital
- Sarina Hospitalhospital
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- 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
Heritage
2 state heritage places
- Sarina Air Raid ShelterState heritage place
- Sarina War MemorialState heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- kindergartenkindergarten
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)
- 34
- Parks (OSM)
- 33
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
- 47.6/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 34% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2232nd in Australia
- State rank
- 512th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #130 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #187 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 82%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Assaultcrime33
- Drug Offencescrime38
- Good Order Offencescrime41
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime46
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime65
- kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
- Sarina Air Raid ShelterheritageState heritage place
- Sarina War MemorialheritageState heritage place
- Guardianhealthpharmacy
- Pharmacyhealthpharmacy
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- 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.