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Broken Hill vs Mount Isa

Urban Area comparison ≈ 1,261 km apart · Broken Hill profile · Mount Isa profile

Broken Hill Mount Isa

Mount Isa and Broken Hill are regional centres located over 1,200km apart. They differ sharply in age and income. Mount Isa is far younger, with a typical resident aged 31, compared to 44 in Broken Hill. Income is also far higher in Mount Isa, where the typical weekly household income is $2,236, while in Broken Hill it is $1,173. Mount Isa has a far higher share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at 21.4% and more residents born overseas (16.5%). Broken Hill is much more walkable, with a score of 6.8 (very walkable), while Mount Isa's score of 2.7 means it is mostly car-dependent.

Many of these gaps have widened since 2011, particularly the difference in typical incomes and the share of people who own their homes outright. Both areas share similar rates of volunteering and have nearly the same proportion of residents who served in the Defence Force. They also both have very low rates of public transport use for commuting. While both sit in remote settings, Broken Hill is far more likely to have homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and health services.

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Where they differ most

People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in Mount Isa Owned outright: 25.8 pts higher in Broken Hill Household income: $1,063 higher in Mount Isa Renting: 21.7 pts higher in Mount Isa Median age: 13 yrs older in Broken Hill

Demographics & Identity

Population in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +729 larger in Mount Isa gap narrowing
17,588 26th pct 18,317 29th pct
Median age in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +13 yrs older in Broken Hill gap widening
44 yrs 71st pct 31 yrs 0th pct
First Nations in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +11.4 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
10.0% 86th pct 21.4% 100th pct
Aged 65+ in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +15.1 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
23.2% 70th pct 8.1% 2nd pct
Under 15 in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +6.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
17.1% 28th pct 23.6% 97th pct
De facto in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +5.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
13.6% 74th pct 19.1% 95th pct

Age structure

23.1% Young adults (25–44) +9.2 pts ▸ 32.3%
26.0% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.6 pts 22.4%
17.1% Children (0–14) +6.6 pts ▸ 23.6%
23.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +15.1 pts 8.1%
10.6% Youth (15–24) +3.0 pts ▸ 13.6%

Marital status

39.2% Never married +9.5 pts ▸ 48.6%
37.8% Married ◂ +0.7 pts 37.1%
10.7% Divorced ◂ +3.3 pts 7.5%
8.2% Widowed ◂ +4.8 pts 3.4%
4.2% Separated ◂ +0.7 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Broken Hill Mount Isa

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +11.3 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
5.2% 0th pct 16.5% 72nd pct

Country of birth

86.0% Australia ◂ +11.9 pts 74.1%
0.4% New Zealand +3.9 pts ▸ 4.3%
1.1% Philippines +1.6 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.8% England +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.1% South Africa +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.4% India +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Italy even 0.2%
0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

43.2% Australian ◂ +9.8 pts 33.4%
37.8% English ◂ +9.3 pts 28.5%
9.0% Irish ◂ +0.1 pts 8.9%
8.6% Scottish ◂ +1.3 pts 7.2%
4.5% German ◂ +0.1 pts 4.4%
1.4% Filipino +2.4 pts ▸ 3.9%
3.1% Italian ◂ +0.5 pts 2.6%
0.3% Chinese +1.0 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.6% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.6% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.4% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Other language in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +6.4 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
3.4% 8th pct 9.8% 73rd pct
Limited English in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.4 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
0.4% 14th pct 0.7% 49th pct

Language used at home

88.0% English only ◂ +7.6 pts 80.4%
0.4% Tagalog +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.3% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Punjabi +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Hindi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +8.3 pts higher in Broken Hill gap steady
49.3% 86th pct 40.9% 41st pct

Religious affiliation

49.3% No religion ◂ +8.3 pts 40.9%
39.2% Christianity +6.4 pts ▸ 45.7%
10.1% Not stated +1.0 pts ▸ 11.1%
0.4% Hinduism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.3% Other religions +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.3% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +20.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
29.1% 0th pct 49.7% 73rd pct
Bachelor+ in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +4.1 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
10.4% 11th pct 14.5% 45th pct

Highest year of school

29.1% Year 12 +20.6 pts ▸ 49.7%
33.5% Year 10 ◂ +12.1 pts 21.4%
19.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +9.9 pts 9.5%
7.8% Year 11 ◂ +0.2 pts 7.5%

Highest qualification level

39.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +0.2 pts 39.1%
13.7% Bachelor degree +3.8 pts ▸ 17.5%
11.7% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.8 pts 9.9%
3.3% Postgraduate degree +1.1 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.4 pts 2.6%
2.6% Certificate I / II even 2.6%

Field of qualification

18.4% Engineering & related +6.3 pts ▸ 24.7%
12.6% Health ◂ +2.7 pts 9.8%
12.5% Management & commerce ◂ +0.8 pts 11.7%
10.3% Society & culture ◂ +1.5 pts 8.8%
7.8% Education even 7.8%
5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.7 pts 4.6%
4.4% Architecture & building ◂ +0.4 pts 4.0%
1.9% Information technology ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%
1.0% Natural & physical sciences +0.7 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.3 pts 1.2%
1.0% Creative arts even 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +$511 higher in Mount Isa gap widening
$647 22nd pct $1,158 98th pct
Household income in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +$1,063 higher in Mount Isa gap widening
$1,173 16th pct $2,236 92nd pct
Family income in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +$1,029 higher in Mount Isa gap widening
$1,623 26th pct $2,652 93rd pct
High earners in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +12.0 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
8.8% 52nd pct 20.8% 98th pct
High-income homes in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +17.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
12.2% 30th pct 29.9% 91st pct

Household income distribution

24.0% $1,500–$2,999 +7.8 pts ▸ 31.8%
30.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +13.3 pts 17.2%
24.8% Under $650 ◂ +13.7 pts 11.1%
7.2% $3,000–$3,999 +7.9 pts ▸ 15.0%
5.1% $4,000 or more +9.8 pts ▸ 14.8%

Personal income distribution

44.8% Under $650 ◂ +16.6 pts 28.2%
15.4% $1,500–$2,999 +13.9 pts ▸ 29.3%
27.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.1 pts 25.9%
2.2% $3,000 or more +3.1 pts ▸ 5.3%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +17.5 pts higher in Broken Hill
38.2% 89th pct 20.7% 5th pct
Mental health in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +6.3 pts higher in Broken Hill
11.8% 75th pct 5.5% 3rd pct
Needs assistance in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +5.0 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
8.3% 78th pct 3.3% 5th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

14.2% Arthritis ◂ +9.8 pts 4.4%
12.0% Asthma ◂ +5.0 pts 7.0%
11.8% Mental health ◂ +6.3 pts 5.5%
8.4% Other condition ◂ +3.1 pts 5.3%
8.2% Diabetes ◂ +3.5 pts 4.7%
6.1% Heart disease ◂ +3.1 pts 3.0%
3.4% Cancer ◂ +1.9 pts 1.5%
3.4% Lung condition ◂ +2.2 pts 1.2%
1.4% Stroke ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%
1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

49.8% None +16.7 pts ▸ 66.5%
22.8% One condition ◂ +8.0 pts 14.8%
9.3% Two conditions ◂ +5.3 pts 4.0%
6.0% Three or more ◂ +4.2 pts 1.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.5 pts higher in Mount Isa gap steady
13.3% 23rd pct 13.8% 28th pct
Unpaid carers in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +5.8 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
13.0% 52nd pct 7.2% 2nd pct
Unpaid child care in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +6.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
22.6% 14th pct 29.1% 88th pct
Defence service in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.4 pts higher in Broken Hill
3.1% 48th pct 2.8% 27th pct
Housework 15h+ in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +2.7 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
20.1% 29th pct 17.5% 8th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.4 larger in Mount Isa gap steady
2.2 6th pct 2.6 86th pct
One-parent in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +4.1 pts higher in Broken Hill gap steady
23.1% 97th pct 18.9% 79th pct
Living alone in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +9.0 pts higher in Broken Hill gap steady
37.1% 100th pct 28.1% 45th pct

Family composition

43.8% Couples with children +13.7 pts ▸ 57.5%
31.6% Couples without children ◂ +9.3 pts 22.2%
23.1% One-parent families ◂ +4.1 pts 18.9%
1.6% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%

Household size

37.1% 1 person ◂ +9.0 pts 28.1%
34.3% 2 people ◂ +3.5 pts 30.8%
12.9% 3 people +1.9 pts ▸ 14.7%
10.0% 4 people +4.3 pts ▸ 14.3%
3.8% 5 people +3.4 pts ▸ 7.2%
1.8% 6 or more +3.0 pts ▸ 4.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +$55 higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
$220 8th pct $275 31st pct
Mortgage in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +$679 higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
$867 0th pct $1,546 52nd pct
People / bedroom in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.20 higher in Mount Isa gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.90 100th pct
Renting in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +21.7 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
23.8% 16th pct 45.6% 94th pct
Owned outright in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +25.8 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
42.0% 87th pct 16.2% 2nd pct
Separate houses in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +19.5 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
94.6% 100th pct 75.1% 19th pct
3+ bedrooms in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +2.7 pts higher in Broken Hill gap steady
74.1% 25th pct 71.4% 14th pct

How homes are owned or rented

23.8% Rented +21.7 pts ▸ 45.6%
42.0% Owned outright ◂ +25.8 pts 16.2%
30.0% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.1 pts 30.0%
2.2% Not stated +2.2 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.9% Other tenure +1.8 pts ▸ 3.7%

Types of homes

94.6% Separate house ◂ +19.5 pts 75.1%
2.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +13.4 pts ▸ 15.9%
2.5% Flat or apartment +1.7 pts ▸ 4.2%
0.1% Other dwelling +4.0 pts ▸ 4.1%

Bedrooms per home

54.1% 3 bedrooms ◂ +6.4 pts 47.8%
19.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +2.9 pts 16.8%
16.5% 4 bedrooms +2.9 pts ▸ 19.4%
4.1% 1 bedroom +2.8 pts ▸ 6.9%
3.4% 5 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 4.2%
0.2% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

52.0% $200–$349 ◂ +20.7 pts 31.3%
35.5% Under $200 ◂ +6.7 pts 28.8%
7.3% $350–$549 +22.1 pts ▸ 29.4%
0.5% $550–$749 +4.5 pts ▸ 4.9%
0.0% $750 or more +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

52.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +35.6 pts 17.0%
31.9% $1,000–$1,799 +9.2 pts ▸ 41.1%
6.7% $1,800–$2,999 +20.6 pts ▸ 27.4%
2.1% $3,000 or more +4.8 pts ▸ 6.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +2.2 pts higher in Broken Hill gap narrowing
9.8% 93rd pct 7.6% 83rd pct
Work from home in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +2.2 pts higher in Broken Hill gap widening
4.2% 14th pct 2.0% 0th pct
PT commute in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.1 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
0.1% 0th pct 0.2% 11th pct

How people get to work

70.2% Car (driver) +0.3 pts ▸ 70.5%
6.6% Car (passenger) +1.1 pts ▸ 7.7%
3.7% Walked +0.5 pts ▸ 4.2%
4.2% Worked at home ◂ +2.2 pts 2.0%
0.4% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

42.9% 1 vehicle ◂ +8.8 pts 34.1%
33.1% 2 vehicles +6.0 pts ▸ 39.1%
10.0% 3 vehicles +2.5 pts ▸ 12.6%
9.8% No vehicle ◂ +2.2 pts 7.6%
4.2% 4 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +14.9 pts higher in Mount Isa gap narrowing
28.6% 0th pct 43.5% 74th pct
Recent arrivals in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +2.0 pts higher in Broken Hill gap narrowing
20.5% 82nd pct 18.5% 77th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +1.3 pts higher in Broken Hill gap narrowing
5.5% 73rd pct 4.2% 31st pct
Participation in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +16.5 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
52.0% 21st pct 68.5% 97th pct
Full-time in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +11.6 pts higher in Mount Isa gap widening
61.7% 78th pct 73.2% 100th pct

Industries people work in

11.0% Mining +19.5 pts ▸ 30.5%
21.8% Health care & social assistance ◂ +9.2 pts 12.6%
10.8% Retail trade ◂ +3.3 pts 7.5%
8.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.5 pts 6.0%
8.4% Education & training +0.1 pts ▸ 8.4%
6.7% Public administration & safety +0.1 pts ▸ 6.8%
6.1% Construction ◂ +2.0 pts 4.2%
4.0% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 4.0%
3.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.5 pts 3.3%
3.2% Administrative & support ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%
2.1% Manufacturing +0.9 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.1% Wholesale trade ◂ +0.1 pts 2.0%

Occupations people work in

15.5% Technicians & trades +5.4 pts ▸ 21.0%
16.5% Professionals +0.8 pts ▸ 17.3%
16.4% Community & personal service ◂ +6.1 pts 10.2%
10.3% Machinery operators & drivers +5.0 pts ▸ 15.3%
10.5% Clerical & administrative +0.6 pts ▸ 11.0%
10.2% Labourers ◂ +1.4 pts 8.9%
9.4% Managers ◂ +1.8 pts 7.6%
8.9% Sales workers ◂ +2.4 pts 6.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +4.1 higher in Broken Hill
6.8 98th pct 2.7 6th pct
Types ≤15 min in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +4.0 more in Broken Hill
7.0 100th pct 3.0 7th pct
15-min city in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +69.1 pts higher in Broken Hill
92.8% 100th pct 23.7% 0th pct
Walk to shops in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +61.2 pts higher in Broken Hill
87.6% 100th pct 26.5% 0th pct
Walk to transit in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +97.6 pts higher in Broken Hill
97.6% 100th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +4.8 pts higher in Broken Hill
87.2% 99th pct 82.4% 92nd pct
Walk to a park in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +4.2 pts higher in Broken Hill
97.1% 94th pct 92.9% 71st pct
Walk to health in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +49.3 pts higher in Broken Hill
71.7% 99th pct 22.4% 11th pct
Amenities/1k in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +10.1 more in Broken Hill
15.6 55th pct 5.6 0th pct
Intersections/km² in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +10 higher in Mount Isa
17 43rd pct 27 64th pct
Mean slope in Broken Hillin Mount Isa +0.5 pts higher in Mount Isa
3.2% 15th pct 3.8% 24th pct

Compare Broken Hill with nearby areas

Mildura - Buronga Port Augusta Port Pirie Murray Bridge Swan Hill Not in any Significant Urban Area Whyalla Adelaide Victor Harbor - Goolwa Horsham Not in any Significant Urban Area Griffith

Compare Mount Isa with nearby areas

Not in any Significant Urban Area Alice Springs Not in any Significant Urban Area Cairns Townsville Emerald Airlie Beach - Cannonvale Not in any Significant Urban Area Mackay Rockhampton Broken Hill Yeppoon

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Broken Hill vs Mount Isa [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1007/broken-hill/vs/3013/mount-isa