QLD · Mackay Council
Walkerston, 4751
Current weather
19.1°CClear sky
91% humidity · 7.9 km/h wind · 24.5° / 12.5° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
As a regional hub in Mackay, Walkerston combines local convenience with the appeal of a mid-sized suburb that feels genuinely its own. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.
Families and commuters make up much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
On the desirability index, the suburb rates good overall, led by housing affordability and parks and green space, while local dining and lifestyle amenities and transport and access sit closer to the middle of the pack for similar regional towns.
Population
- Population
- 3,615
- Median age
- 35
- Median household income / week
- $2,142
- Dwelling vacancy
- 6.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 81 of 1,304
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Employment rate
- 65.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 116 / 87 / 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.
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $670
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)
- 59
- Against the person
- 9
- Against property
- 26
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 16.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 402 residents
- State safety percentile
- 8.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +30.8%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault6
- Drug Offences12
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)15
- Traffic And Related Offences10
- Unlawful Use Of Motor Vehicle7
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
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 976
- St John's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary
- Walkerston 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
28 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Pioneer War Memorial HallCommunity centre
- Retro visionElectronics
- Walkerston SeafoodsFast food
- Kindergarten
- Walkerston LibraryLibrary
- Walkerston GP SuperclinicMedical clinic
- Parking (3)
- Walkerstone Motors & MarinePetrol station
- Pharmacy
- Seventhday Adventist ChurchPlace of worship
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
Parks & reserves
7 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Allan Cameron ParkPark
- Alsatia ParkPark
- Anzac ParkPark
- Centenary ParkPark
- Jim Pascoe ParkPark
- McLennan ParkPark
- Norman Smith ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 1
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Pharmacypharmacy
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)
- 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
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Walkerston State Butcher's Shop (former)State 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)
- 9
- Parks (OSM)
- 9
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
- 56.2/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 18% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 1241st in Australia
- State rank
- 265th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #47 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #64 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 77%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- BMX Trackamenitiessports_centre
- Kindergartenamenitieskindergarten
- Luke Payne Memorial Skate Parkamenitiessports_centre
- O'Sheas Hotel Motelamenitiespub
- Parkingamenitiesparking
- Parkingamenitiesparking
- Parkingamenitiesparking
- Pharmacyamenitiespharmacy
- Pioneer War Memorial Hallamenitiescommunity_centre
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
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.