Mount Isa

The area has a very young profile, with 23.6% of people under 15 and a typical age of 31. First Nations people make up 21.4% of the population, a figure that has risen 6.5 points since 2011 and is far above the national average.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 16.5% of the population, which is far below the national figure. Australian and English are the most common ancestries.

English is the main language for 80.4% of people. Those using another language at home make up 9.8% of the community, which is far below the national average of 22.3%.

People with no religion now make up 40.9% of the population, a sharp increase of 21 points since 2011. This is about the same as the Queensland figure.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with 49.7% of residents completing Year 12. This is well below the national figure, and only 14.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Household incomes are much higher than usual, with 29.9% of homes earning $3,000 or more a week. The typical family income of $2,652 per week is well above the national figure of $2,120.

Residents report much better health than most areas; only 20.7% have a long-term health condition, compared to 27.7% nationally. Mental health conditions are also much lower than the national average.

Care for children is common, with 29.1% of people providing unpaid childcare. However, providing other types of unpaid care is among the lowest in the region at 7.2%.

First Nations people number 3,919, and the community has a high unemployment rate of 16.1%. Year 12 completion is also much lower than most areas at 33.2%.

Homes are slightly larger than average with 2.6 people per home. One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 18.9% of households.

Renting is far more common than the national average at 45.6%. While typical weekly rents are much lower than usual at $275, very few people own their homes outright.

The town is heavily reliant on cars, as 0.2% of people use public transport to commute. Almost no one works from home, with only 2.0% doing so.

The population is quite mobile, with 43.5% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 18.5% of the community, which is well above the national average.

Mining is a major employer for 30.5% of the workforce. Employment rates are very high, with 73.2% of people working full-time, far above the national figure of 58.9%.

The area has a low overall advantage score of 956 and has seen a population decline of 3.4% since 2021, which is far below the state growth rate.

The climate is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 33.5 degrees and relatively low annual rainfall of 459mm.

Most residents are car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 2.7. While most people can walk to a park or school, very few have easy walking access to groceries or health services.