Living in Mount Isa

In Mount Isa, the median rent tenants pay is €757 a month (2021) and unemployment is 3.6% (2026).

Mount Isa, a city in Australia, had a population of 18,162 in 2025. For Mount Isa, median personal income was A$1,158 per week in August 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 16.5% of the population in 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0710 sources

Population18,162people31 Dec 2025Official source · Regional population 2024–25, Table 2. Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Median gross salary (region)3,113EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent756.6EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02

Unemployment rate3.6%country median 4.5% — 20% belowIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean6.1µg/m³country median 6.0 — 2% aboveOfficial source · Queensland Air Monitoring 2025

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$275 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,546 in August 2021.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€70

Mobile plan, 10 GB€46

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	69.92 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Telstra nbn100⁶Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	45.79 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Telstra Upfront Basic⁷Official · national market
Dwellings	7,703 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Main residence dwellings	6,328 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	275 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly rent	756.6 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02¹Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	756.6 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02¹Official

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 worker64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–73%

Skilled employee70%strong on work, weak on safety · range 62–78%

Student47%strong on education, weak on safety · range 39–55%

Family67%strong on family, weak on safety · range 58–76%

Retirement64%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 53–75%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3.6% in March 2026. Median household income was A$2,236 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Mount Isa?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Mount Isa is 3.6%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Mount Isa 3.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	6,721 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Employment rate	65.6 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	2,236 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	1,158 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,113 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁹Official
Unemployment rate	3.6 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰Independent

What does a salary buy in Mount Isa?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,717of €2,589 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,589
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02 · 2021-12-31	− €757
Internet€70 · official · Telstra nbn100 · 2026-07-31	− €70
Mobile plan€46 · official · Telstra Upfront Basic · 2026-07-31	− €46
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,717

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Mount Isa Salary needed to live in Mount Isa

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
People who speak a language other than English at home	9.81 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

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.

Find courses near Mount Isa

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Mount Isa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Queensland Air Monitoring 2025³

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

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

36°24°

36°23°

35°22°

32°18°

28°14°

25°10°

26°9°

28°10°

32°14°

35°18°

37°21°

37°23°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

131

115

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56.1WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Mount Isa is 6.1 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Mount Isa 6.1

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6.1 µg/m³country median 6.0	31 Dec 2024	Queensland Air Monitoring 2025³Official
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 AERO⁸Official · 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 AERO⁸Official · 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 AERO⁸Official · 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 AERO⁸Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. Elsewhere: Urban Honolulu (United States) ±6.3 °C, Downey (United States) ±9.1 °C, Simi Valley (United States) ±9.4 °C, Houston (United States) ±10.1 °C, Pasadena (United States) ±10.1 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 68.7 km² in 2021. Population density was 264.4 people per km² in 2025.

How many people live in Mount Isa?

The published population was 18,162 people in 2025. Source: Regional population 2024–25, Table 2. Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport83.4%
Foreign residents16.6%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	68.7 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.²Official
Foreign-resident share	16.5 %	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Foreign residents	3,023 people	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Population density	264.4 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	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.⁵Official
Female residents	8,892 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Male residents	9,427 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Population	18,162 people	31 Dec 2025	Regional population 2024–25, Table 2. Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

17,894

19,190

20,486

21,782

18,162200120052011201520212025

Population fell 10.4% between 2001 and 2025, from 20,262 to 18,162.

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	18,317	100.0%
Australia	13,569	74.1%
Country of birth not stated	1,725	9.4%
New Zealand	781	4.3%
Philippines	498	2.7%
Born elsewhere(d)	299	1.6%
England	218	1.2%
South Africa	193	1.1%
India	155	0.8%
Fiji	111	0.6%
Papua New Guinea	92	0.5%

Show 33 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Zimbabwe	91	0.5%
Sri Lanka	45	0.2%
Thailand	39	0.2%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	34	0.2%
Scotland	34	0.2%
Canada	33	0.2%
Germany	33	0.2%
Samoa	33	0.2%
United States of America	32	0.2%
Italy	29	0.2%
Ireland	28	0.2%
Indonesia	24	0.1%
Netherlands	21	0.1%
Pakistan	21	0.1%
Taiwan	20	0.1%
France	18	0.1%
Nepal	18	0.1%
Wales	16	0.1%
Malaysia	15	0.1%
Vietnam	15	0.1%
Mauritius	12	0.1%
Poland	12	0.1%
Egypt	11	0.1%
Brazil	10	0.1%
Chile	10	0.1%
Japan	9	0.0%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	8	0.0%
Croatia	5	0.0%
Korea, Republic of (South)	5	0.0%
Turkey	5	0.0%
Myanmar	4	0.0%
Iran	3	0.0%
Singapore	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

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	18,317	100.0%
Australia	13,569	74.1%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	3,019	16.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Citizenship

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

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	18,317	100.0%
Australian citizen	14,813	80.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	16.48 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Households	6,328 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Labour force participation rate	68.5 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median age	31 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	1,546 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Mount Isa

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Darwin as a Mount Isa alternative in the same country

Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Foreign residents: 37.4% Darwin vs 16.5% Mount Isa+127%
Unemployment: 3.3% Darwin vs 3.6% Mount Isa−8%
Median gross pay, region: €3,017 Darwin vs €3,113 Mount Isa−3%

Full comparison More about Darwin

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Mount Isa, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Murray Bridge18,243 residents Camden Haven18,418 residents Broken Hill17,588 residents Ulladulla17,567 residents Batemans Bay17,524 residents Singleton17,139 residents

How does Mount Isa compare?

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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.

Put Mount Isa's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Mount Isa?

The published population was 18,162 people in 2025. Source: Regional population 2024–25, Table 2. Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

Is the air quality good in Mount Isa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Queensland Air Monitoring 2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Mount Isa?

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

What is the typical salary around Mount Isa?

The median gross salary is 3,113 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Mount Isa?

3,023 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

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 Australia live in Mount Isa?

The official country of birth distribution records 13,569 people (74.1%) 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, October 16). Mount Isa, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 57c826aa3f9fad61161d887bc6080072]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/mount-isa/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_mount-isa-australia-population-rent-salary-jobs_7f9b9727d289,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Mount Isa, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {57c826aa3f9fad61161d887bc6080072},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/mount-isa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Mount Isa, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/mount-isa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 57c826aa3f9fad61161d887bc6080072; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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

2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-25
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
Queensland Air Monitoring 2025 qld.gov.au · checked 2026-10-05
Regional population 2024–25, Table 2. Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas, Australia abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-25
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
Telstra nbn100 telstra.com.au · checked 2026-09-15
Telstra Upfront Basic telstra.com.au · checked 2026-09-15
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.