Mount Isa Surrounds

Population growth drivers in Mount Isa Surrounds are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Mount Isa Surrounds' population is around 4,335 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 291 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,044 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,325 from the ABS as of June 2025 and an additional 53 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 0.10 persons per square kilometer. Mount Isa Surrounds' growth of 7.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 1.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 60.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used. Considering projected demographic shifts, the population is expected to increase by 462 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 10.4% over the 16 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Mount Isa Surrounds recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Mount Isa Surrounds has averaged approximately six new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 34 homes. As of FY-26, one approval has been recorded. On average, 14.1 new residents have arrived per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating supply is lagging demand, which typically leads to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $593,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $2.7 million in commercial development approvals recorded, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Mount Isa Surrounds shows moderately higher building activity, being 45.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, balancing buyer choice with support for current property values. This is below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. New development consists of 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 434 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections estimate Mount Isa Surrounds will add 452 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Mount Isa Surrounds has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects that may affect this region. Key projects include Mount Isa Mines' Black Star Open Cut Project, Mount Isa Police Accommodation and Justice System Resourcing, Essential Pipeline Works - City Low and high Systems, and Parks Improvement Program. The following list details those most relevant:.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Mount Isa Surrounds demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Mount Isa Surrounds has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The manufacturing and industrial sectors are strongly represented, and the unemployment rate is 2.0% as of December 2025. There are 2,608 residents employed, which is below Regional Qld's unemployment rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation is high at 75.3%, compared to Regional Qld's 64.5%. According to Census responses, a low 9.7% of residents work from home. The leading employment industries are mining, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and transport, postal & warehousing. Mining has particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 6.9 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance is under-represented with only 5.3% of Mount Isa Surrounds's workforce compared to Regional Qld's 16.1%. There are 1.2 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.1% while employment declined by 1.8%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Regional Qld saw employment grow by 0.7%, labour force expand by 1.0%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points during this period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Isa Surrounds's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.3% over five years and 10.3% over ten years, although these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The median taxpayer income in Mount Isa Surrounds SA2 is $68,266 and the average is $80,189 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Regional Qld's median income of $53,146 and average income of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Mount Isa Surrounds SA2 would be approximately $76,021 (median) and $89,298 (average) as of March 2026. According to census data, individual earnings rank at the 89th percentile nationally ($1,172 weekly), while household income ranks at the 56th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 35.4% of residents (1,534 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 31.7% similarly occupy this range. After housing costs, residents retain 91.0% of their income.

Mount Isa Surrounds is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Mount Isa Surrounds' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 81.5% houses and 18.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). This compares to Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Isa Surrounds was at 26.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.2% and rented ones at 50.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,200, lower than Regional Qld's average of $1,655. Weekly rent was recorded at $206, compared to Regional Qld's $345. Nationally, Mount Isa Surrounds' mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Mount Isa Surrounds features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 64.1% of all households, including 26.5% couples with children, 25.0% couples without children, and 11.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.9%, consisting of 32.1% lone person households and 3.6% group households. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the Regional Queensland average.

Mount Isa Surrounds faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 16.2%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 12.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 43.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 8.0% and certificates at 35.8%. Educational participation is high, with 33.3% currently enrolled in formal education: 15.4% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 2.9% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 15.4% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Mount Isa Surrounds's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Mount Isa Surrounds' health metrics align closely with national benchmarks. AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence shows a typical level of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (2,579 people), compared to 52.5% in Regional Queensland. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and diabetes, affecting 7.3% and 6.0% of residents respectively. 75.6% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Regional Queensland. Health outcomes for the under-65 population are better than average. The area has 11.3% of residents aged 65 and over (488 people), lower than the 20.4% in Regional Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings higher than those of the general population.

Mount Isa Surrounds is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Isa Surrounds had lower cultural diversity, with 79.3% of its population being citizens, 89.9% born in Australia, and 94.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 56.4%, compared to 52.2% regionally. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (28.5%), English (24.7%), and Australian Aboriginal (18.4%), significantly higher than regional averages of 3.9%.

Notably, Maori representation was slightly higher at 0.9%, Samoan was similar at 0.2%, and Irish was lower at 7.9% compared to regional figures.

Mount Isa Surrounds hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Mount Isa Surrounds has a median age of 33, which is younger than the Regional Qld figure of 41 and below Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group shows strong representation at 20.8% compared to Regional Qld, whereas the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 7.2%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.6%. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 17.1% to 20.8%, while the 55-64 cohort has declined from 12.8% to 10.3% and the 15-24 group dropped from 14.1% to 12.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Mount Isa Surrounds's age structure. The 25-34 group is projected to grow by 22%, reaching 1,097 people from the current 900. Meanwhile, both the 5-14 and 15-24 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.