Living in Mount Isa

Mount Isa, a city in Australia, had a population of 27,489 in August 2021. For Mount Isa, median personal income was A$528 per week in August 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 9.2% of the population in 2021.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Mount Isa?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Mount Isa.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$255 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,125 in August 2021.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Mount Isa yet.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Dwellings	11,647 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	10,706 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	255 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

11% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 3,019 people of 27,489 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3.6% in March 2026. Median household income was A$1,034 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Mount Isa is 3.6%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	5,107 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	39.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	1,034 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	528 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,198 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁶Official
Unemployment rate	3.6 %country median 4.4%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026⁷Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Mount Isa. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Mount Isa. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	2.46 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Mount Isa. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Mount Isa.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average daytime high by month	Jan 36.5 · Feb 35.7 · Mar 34.7 · Apr 32.5 · May 28.2 · Jun 25.3 · Jul 25.5 · Aug 27.8 · Sep 32.3 · Oct 35.3 · Nov 37 · Dec 37.4 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MOUNT ISA AERO⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 23.6 · Feb 23.1 · Mar 21.6 · Apr 18.4 · May 13.5 · Jun 9.9 · Jul 8.6 · Aug 9.8 · Sep 14.1 · Oct 18.4 · Nov 21.4 · Dec 23.2 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MOUNT ISA AERO⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 30.1 · Feb 29.4 · Mar 28.1 · Apr 25.5 · May 20.8 · Jun 17.6 · Jul 17.1 · Aug 18.8 · Sep 23.2 · Oct 26.9 · Nov 29.2 · Dec 30.3 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MOUNT ISA AERO⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 131.3 · Feb 114.6 · Mar 65.6 · Apr 10.9 · May 8 · Jun 9.2 · Jul 2.9 · Aug 2.3 · Sep 8.6 · Oct 16.8 · Nov 47.8 · Dec 82.2 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MOUNT ISA AERO⁵Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Burnie - Wynyard27,826 residents Muswellbrook27,828 residents Victor Harbor - Goolwa28,363 residents Nowra - Bomaderry28,418 residents Ulladulla26,519 residents Lithgow28,816 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 62.8 km² in 2016. Population density was 298.5 people per km² in 2021.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	62.81 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.³Official
Foreign-resident share	16 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	3,019 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.²Official
Population density	298.5 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁴Official
Population Female	13,647 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population Male	13,843 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	27,489 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 17.5% between 2001 and 2025, from 24,395 to 28,658.

International community in Mount Isa

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	27,489	100.0%
Australia	23,091	84.0%
Country of birth not stated	1,883	6.9%
England	743	2.7%
New Zealand	516	1.9%
Philippines	208	0.8%
Born elsewhere(d)	196	0.7%
Germany	111	0.4%
Scotland	95	0.3%
South Africa	66	0.2%
Netherlands	64	0.2%

Show 32 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Thailand	61	0.2%
India	49	0.2%
United States of America	41	0.1%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	33	0.1%
Papua New Guinea	31	0.1%
Ireland	25	0.1%
Italy	24	0.1%
Canada	22	0.1%
Fiji	22	0.1%
Zimbabwe	19	0.1%
Vietnam	18	0.1%
Malaysia	17	0.1%
Malta	16	0.1%
Wales	16	0.1%
France	15	0.1%
Nepal	12	0.0%
Indonesia	10	0.0%
Poland	9	0.0%
Cambodia	7	0.0%
Japan	7	0.0%
Pakistan	7	0.0%
Korea, Republic of (South)	6	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5	0.0%
Croatia	5	0.0%
Singapore	5	0.0%
Greece	4	0.0%
Mauritius	4	0.0%
Brazil	3	0.0%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	3	0.0%
Sri Lanka	3	0.0%
Taiwan	3	0.0%
Turkey	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	27,489	100.0%
Australia	23,091	84.0%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	2,516	9.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	27,489	100.0%
Australian citizen	24,450	88.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Is Mount Isa a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker45%strong on housing, weak on air quality · range 35–55%

Skilled employee51%strong on legal route, weak on safety · range 43–59%

Student38%strong on housing, weak on safety · range 30–46%

Family48%strong on family, weak on safety · range 39–57%

Retirement55%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 42–68%

Foreign residents3,019 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population27,489 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings11,647 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate39.8 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)1,198 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate3.6 %31 Mar 2026Independent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	9.15 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	10,706 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	44.2 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	47 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,125 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Mount Isa when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Mount Isa?

The median gross salary is 1,198 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Mount Isa?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 %. Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How many people live in Mount Isa?

The published population is 27,489 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Mount Isa?

3,019 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Mount Isa a good place to live?

Mount Isa may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Afghanistan live in Mount Isa?

The official country of birth distribution records 0 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Mount Isa, Australia: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/mount-isa/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_mount-isa-australia-rent-salary-jobs_2126767f5217,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Mount Isa, Australia: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/mount-isa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Mount Isa, Australia: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/mount-isa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MOUNT ISA AERO WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.