Mount Isa

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 32,588 people in Mount Isa. Of these 52.1% were male and 47.9% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 23.4% of the population.

The median age of people in Mount Isa was 32 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 23.1% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 9.2% of the population.

Of people in Mount Isa aged 15 years and over, 40.8% were married and 10.9% were either divorced or separated.

In Mount Isa, of people aged 15 years and over, 39.0% of people were in a registered marriage and 19.1% were in a de facto marriage.

In Mount Isa 31.4% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 29.8% were in primary school, 15.5% in secondary school and 9.9% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Mount Isa, 14.8% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 19.9% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 5.2% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Mount Isa were Australian 31.4%, English 21.8%, Irish 7.7%, Australian Aboriginal 7.1% and Scottish 5.9%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in Mount Isa (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Mount Isa, 76.4% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were New Zealand 3.4%, Philippines 1.6%, England 1.2%, India 0.6% and South Africa 0.5%.

In Mount Isa, 66.8% of people had both parents born in Australia and 14.0% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Mount Isa, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 70.8%, New Zealand 3.8%, England 2.6%, Philippines 1.6% and India 0.8%.

In Mount Isa, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 71.2%, New Zealand 3.8%, England 2.4%, Philippines 2.3% and India 0.8%.

The most common responses for religion in Mount Isa were No Religion, so described 25.7%, Catholic 25.1%, Anglican 13.7%, Not stated 13.6% and Uniting Church 5.5%. In Mount Isa, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (67.5%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Mount Isa 82.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Filipino 0.6%, Tagalog 0.6%, Afrikaans 0.3%, Hindi 0.3% and Fijian 0.3%.

Employment

There were 16,351 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Mount Isa. Of these 69.6% were employed full time, 17.8% were employed part-time and 6.4% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Of employed people in Mount Isa, 6.5% worked 1 to 15 hours, 4.6% worked 16 to 24 hours and 60.4% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Mount Isa included Technicians and Trades Workers 18.2%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 13.7%, Professionals 13.7%, Managers 13.3%, Labourers 12.8%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 10.5%, Community and Personal Service Workers 9.9% and Sales Workers 5.9%.

Of the employed people in Mount Isa, the most common responses for industry of employment included Copper Ore Mining 12.8%, Beef Cattle Farming (Specialised) 9.2%, Local Government Administration 5.8%, Silver-Lead-Zinc Ore Mining 5.6% and Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 4.0%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Mount Isa was $810.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In Mount Isa, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 58.5%, Walked only 11.5%, Car, as passenger 7.0%, Worked at home 6.3% and Other 1.6%. On the day, 1.3% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 66.2% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Mount Isa, of people aged 15 years and over, 63.5% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 28.2% provided care for children and 7.3% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 21.0% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Mount Isa, 24.2% worked 5 to 14 hours, 9.9% worked 15 to 29 hours and 8.5% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Mount Isa, 43.0% were couple families with children, 37.4% were couple families without children and 17.9% were one parent families.

In Mount Isa, 21.0% of single parents were male and 79.0% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Mount Isa, of couple families with children, 35.0% had both partners employed full-time, 2.4% had both employed part-time and 18.1% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In Mount Isa, 80.8% of private dwellings were occupied and 19.2% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Mount Isa, 78.1% were separate houses, 11.2% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 5.1% were flats or apartments and 3.5% were other dwellings.

In Mount Isa, of occupied private dwellings 7.1% had 1 bedroom, 18.2% had 2 bedrooms and 45.5% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3. The average household size was 2.6 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Mount Isa, 21.9% were owned outright, 25.1% were owned with a mortgage and 47.2% were rented.

Household composition

In Mount Isa, of all households, 68.7% were family households, 27.4% were single person households and 3.9% were group households.

In Mount Isa, 17.9% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 20.2% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

Number of motor vehicles

In Mount Isa, 32.0% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 33.5% had two registered motor vehicles and 19.3% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Mount Isa, 73.8% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In Mount Isa, 48.5% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 51.5% were female. The median age was 23 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

In Mount Isa, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.4 persons, with 1.2 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,209.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In Mount Isa, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $155 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,764.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)