Is Ooralea a nice place to live?

Ooralea is a semi-rural suburb where low-density streets and visible farming meet CQUniversity’s Ooralea campus and the Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex. The community has incomes above the median for Queensland and couples with children make up 47.4% of families. Everyday life is practical and outdoors oriented, with parks, sporting fields and farmed land providing outdoor options; local services and shops are readily accessible and road links connect to Mackay’s centres and regional routes. An Ooralea bioretention basins project has been listed as firm.

Is it expensive to live in Ooralea?

In Ooralea a typical local household earned about $2,248 a week at the most recent Census. House rent of $730 a week would take about 32% of that income, roughly a third, which is a sizeable share. Unit rent of $570 a week would take about 25% of income, around a quarter, a moderate share. If you are renting rather than buying, those rent shares are the most relevant figures. A median house price of $775,000 works out to about 6.6 times a typical local annual household income, which sits well above local incomes on these figures. That means buying a house looks more stretched against local incomes than renting does, but whether that feels expensive will depend on your individual circumstances. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Ooralea a good place to invest?

Houses in Ooralea recorded a solid 9.0% rise in median values over the past 12 months, while house rents rose a notable 7.4%. On houses, capital growth edged ahead of rental income growth. Unit rents rose a modest 3.6%, and house rents increased faster than unit rents. This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

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Ooralea suburb profile

Ooralea sits within the Mackay region on the flat cane country that characterises the area, where open paddocks and agricultural blocks meet pockets of suburban development. The suburb has a semi-rural feel, with low-density streets, larger residential blocks and visible farming activity shaping the outlook and rhythm of the neighbourhood.

Everyday life is practical and outdoors-oriented, with parks, sporting fields and farmed land providing outdoor options. Road links connect Ooralea to Mackay's centres and regional routes, while local services and shops are readily accessible to residents without changing the suburb’s largely rural-residential character.

Ooralea property market performance

Property growth+3.5%Past 12 months

Ooralea's median house price is $775,000, up a notable 9.0% over the last 12 months. It is primarily a house market; there are too few recent unit sales for a reliable median to be published.

In Ooralea house rents rose a solid 7.4% over the last 12 months, while unit rents rose a moderate 3.6% over the last 12 months, so house rents increased faster than unit rents.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$775K	N/A
Change in value Past 12 months	9.0%	N/A
Sold Past 3 months	10	N/A
Median days on market Past 12 months	14	N/A
Average rent Past 12 months	$730	$570
Change in rent Past 12 months	7.4%	3.6%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

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Ooralea demographics

Ooralea is a community with incomes above the median for Queensland.

Couples with children make up 47.4% of families, and most homes are owner-occupied, with 42.0% owned with a mortgage. At the 2021 Census 3,691 people lived in Ooralea.

Ooralea and Queensland

	Suburb	QLD
Median age years	35	38
Median household income weekly	$2,248	$1,675
Couples with children share of families	47.4%	41.2%
Couples without children share of families	38.5%	40.3%
One-parent families share of families	12.4%	16.8%
Homes owned outright share of homes	31.6%	30.1%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	42.0%	35.6%
Homes rented share of homes	26.4%	34.3%

Source: ABS 2021 Census. Shares of homes exclude other and not-stated tenure.

Ooralea infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Ooralea is the site of the Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex at CQUniversity’s Ooralea campus, which opened in 2019 and includes a World Aquatics approved 50 metre competition pool. Stage 1 of the Mackay Ring Road, which includes an overpass at Ooralea, opened in 2020.

CQUniversity’s Mackay Ooralea Trade Training Centre received a $7.5 million heavy automotive training expansion that opened in 2024, providing purpose-built heavy-vehicle training facilities. An Ooralea bioretention basins project was listed as firm with a 2023 commence date.

Suburbs near Ooralea

Some popular suburbs near Ooralea include:

How does Ooralea compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Ooralea’s median house price is 15.2% higher than West Mackay’s.
House price growth: Property prices in nearby West Mackay have risen 7.2% more than in Ooralea over the past year.
Unit price growth: Property prices in nearby West Mackay have risen 20.8% more than in Ooralea over the past year.
Selling speed for houses: Properties in Ooralea are selling 17.6% faster than in West Mackay.

Common questions about Ooralea

Is Ooralea a nice place to live?
Ooralea is a semi-rural suburb where low-density streets and visible farming meet CQUniversity’s Ooralea campus and the Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex.

The community has incomes above the median for Queensland and couples with children make up 47.4% of families. Everyday life is practical and outdoors oriented, with parks, sporting fields and farmed land providing outdoor options; local services and shops are readily accessible and road links connect to Mackay’s centres and regional routes. An Ooralea bioretention basins project has been listed as firm.
Is it expensive to live in Ooralea?
In Ooralea a typical local household earned about $2,248 a week at the most recent Census. House rent of $730 a week would take about 32% of that income, roughly a third, which is a sizeable share. Unit rent of $570 a week would take about 25% of income, around a quarter, a moderate share. If you are renting rather than buying, those rent shares are the most relevant figures.

A median house price of $775,000 works out to about 6.6 times a typical local annual household income, which sits well above local incomes on these figures. That means buying a house looks more stretched against local incomes than renting does, but whether that feels expensive will depend on your individual circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Ooralea a good place to invest?
Houses in Ooralea recorded a solid 9.0% rise in median values over the past 12 months, while house rents rose a notable 7.4%. On houses, capital growth edged ahead of rental income growth. Unit rents rose a modest 3.6%, and house rents increased faster than unit rents.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

Choose the right real estate agents in Ooralea

There are 38 real estate agents in Ooralea, but they don’t all deliver the same results.

Some agents have a much stronger presence in the suburb, with just 5 agents handling around 36.4% of all sales in the past year.

Commission rates in Ooralea typically range from 1% to 3.13%. Comparing agents—including what they charge, what’s included, and how they structure their fees—is not only important when choosing an agent, the right structure can help ensure your chosen agent is motivated to achieve the best possible result.