Queensland · Postcode 4878

Machans Beach postcode and suburb data

Queensland · Phone area code 07 · 1397 km from Brisbane

Outer Regional
943
Population (2021)
$1,610
Household income/wk
$370
Median rent/wk
47
Median age
5/10
SEIFA advantage

Suburb snapshot

Machans Beach at a glance vs QLD

Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.

Quick facts

4878 Postcode See every suburb sharing this postcode
943 People Resident population, Census 2021
Cairns Council area 79 suburbs, 9 postcodes
47 Median age Years, Census 2021
$1,610/wk Household income Suburb median, Census 2021 dollars
Decile 5/10 SEIFA advantage Middle SEIFA range
1 Schools ACARA 2025 profiles in this suburb

Benchmarks against QLD

Household income
$1,610/wk
9% below QLD average
Suburb median, Census 2021
Weekly rent
$370/wk
3% below QLD average
Suburb median, Census 2021
SEIFA advantage
5/10
1.0 deciles above QLD average
IRSAD decile, higher means more advantage
Median age
47 years
3.0 years older than QLD average
Resident median age
Unemployment
7.3%
1.3 pts above QLD average
Census labour-force rate

Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.

Detailed comparison table

Machans Beach vs the QLD average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.

MetricMachans BeachQLD avgAU avg
Household income/wk $1,610 ≈QLD $1,770 $1,836
Rent/wk $370 ≈QLD $380 $390
Mortgage/month $1,600 ≈QLD $1,774 $1,958
Median age 47 44.0 45.0
SEIFA decile 5/10 ≈QLD 4.0/10 6.0/10
Unemployment 7.3% +QLD 6.0% 5.0%

Green pill = at least 10% above the QLD average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.

Machans Beach is a locality 1397 km from Brisbane in Queensland, classified as outer regional by the ABS. The postcode is 4878. It falls within the Cairns region. The local government area is Cairns.

According to the 2021 Census, Machans Beach has a population of 943 with a median age of 47. The median weekly household income is $1,610, close to the QLD average. The unemployment rate is 7.3%, higher than the QLD average. The Indigenous population is 105 (11.1% of residents).

Housing in Machans Beach includes a median weekly rent of $370, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,600, with 376 total dwellings. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 71.8% of housing.

On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Machans Beach scores in decile 5 out of 10, which is around the national average.

Machans Beach is served by Machans Beach State School.

Machans Beach is part of the Cairns - North statistical area in Queensland.

Machans Beach details

Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.

Postcode4878
StateQueensland (QLD)
Phone Area Code07
Population (2021)943
Median Age47 years
Median Household Income (Census 2021)$1,610/week
Median Personal Income (Census 2021)$829/week
Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021)$370
Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021)$1,600
Average Household Size2.4 persons
Area4.1 km²
Population Density231/km²
Total Dwellings376
Australian Citizens88.1%
Indigenous Population105 (11.1%)
Unemployment Rate7.3%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile5/10 (average)
Latitude-16.855556
Longitude145.747778
Distance from Brisbane1397 km
Region (SA4)Cairns
Area (SA3)Cairns - North
Local GovernmentCairns
Federal ElectorateLeichhardt
State ElectorateBarron River
Time ZoneAEST (UTC+10), Australia/Brisbane (standard time)

Age Profile

0–14 (17.2%) 15–24 (7.5%) 25–44 (21.6%) 45–64 (34.7%) 65+ (19.2%)
Show counts
0–14 years162 (17.2%)
15–24 years71 (7.5%)
25–44 years204 (21.6%)
45–64 years327 (34.7%)
65+ years181 (19.2%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (31.8%) Mortgaged (40.1%) Rented (28.2%)

SEIFA socio-economic index

Machans Beach is in SEIFA IRSAD decile 5 of 10. Higher deciles indicate more relative socio-economic advantage. This is an area-level index, not a score for individual households.
More disadvantagedMiddle rangeMore advantaged

Health Conditions (2021 Census)

Arthritis78 (8.3%)
Asthma71 (7.5%)
Cancer36 (3.8%)
Diabetes33 (3.5%)
Heart Disease31 (3.3%)
Lung Condition24 (2.5%)
Dementia5 (0.5%)

Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle16 (4.3%)
1 vehicle151 (40.7%)
2 vehicles152 (41.0%)
3+ vehicles52 (14.0%)

Schools in Machans Beach

ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Machans Beach. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.

Machans Beach State School
Primary · Gov · ICSEA 944 · 135 students

Suburbs Near Machans Beach

Same Postcode (4878)

More Machans Beach Data

Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.