QLD · Mackay Council
Te Kowai, 4740
Current weather
19.9°CClear sky
91% humidity · 8 km/h wind · 24.5° / 13.9° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Te Kowai is a quieter smaller community in Mackay, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. The community is self-contained in the best sense. Local life comes first, with the region opening up beyond. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
Families and commuters make up much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. 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.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety against similar regional towns, even with community and employment and housing affordability holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 227
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $2,028
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 8 of 86
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,500
- Employment rate
- 65.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 5 / 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)
- 13
- Against the person
- 3
- Against property
- 6
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 57.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 76 residents
- State safety percentile
- 73.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +3.7%
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
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
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
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
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 34.0/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4596th in Australia
- State rank
- 1069th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #359 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #599 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 48%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Assaultcrime500
- Drug Offencescrime818
- Good Order Offencescrime578
- Other Property Damagecrime431
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime1129
Data sources & freshness
- 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.