Mount Isa’s population has declined 15 per cent since the 2011 census with an overall drop of 10 percent for the North West Queensland in five years.
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According to the 2016 census Mount Isa’s population (postcode 4825) is 19,246 of which 51.8% is male and 48.2% is female.
This is a drop of 3000 people since the 2011 census which recorded 22,262 residents in the city however the ration of women to men is increasing as 53.7% were men in 2011 compared to 46.3%.
The median age is 31 and there are 4537 families with an average of two children per family (with children).
There are 8599 private dwellings with an average of 2.7 people per household.
The median weekly household income is $2114 (up from $2021 in 2011) with median monthly mortgage repayments $1885 and median weekly rent $250 and an average of 1.8 cars per dwelling.
The income figures are well in excess of the Australian and Queensland average, likely weighted up by many workers in the mining industry.
However the temporary nature of many Mount Isa residents was shown with a high rental figure of 47.5% compared to 30.9% nationally. Around 15.8% of Isans own their homes outright and another 32.6% with a mortgage
In 2016 3610 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, 18.8% of the population which is well above the Queensland (4%) and national (2%) averages.
The number of people with no religion now outnumbers any single religion in Mount Isa with 28% no religion, 27% Catholic, 14% not stated, 10.7% Anglican and 4.1% Uniting Church.
Of those aged over 15, 44.7% have never married, 41.5% are married, 7.5% are divorced (well below the Queensland average of 9.3%), 3.4% separated and 3.0% widowed.
Education was an area where Mount Isa was below average with 6.6% attaining university level compared to 16.1% nationally and 4.9% attaining technical college compared to 5.9% nationally.
Mount Isa was above average in Australians ancestry with 29.3% born in this country compared to 23.3% nationally with 21.9% born in England, 7.9% Irish, 6.1% Scottish and 72% of the population were born in Australia with New Zealand far behind in second at 4.8% and Philippines third with 2.3%, English fourth 1.4%.
Filipino/Tagalog was also the top language other than English with 1.8% ahead of the NT Aboriginal language Alyawarr 0.8%, Afrikaans (0.5%) and Fijian (0.4%).
The overall population of the 14 shires in the North West (Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Flinders, Richmond, Croydon, Etheridge, Mornington, Doomadgee, Carpentaria, Burke, McKinlay, Winton, Boulia and Diamantina) has declined from 35,052 in 2011 to 31,483 in 2016, a drop of 10.2%.
In Cloncurry (postcode 4824) the 2016 population is 2769 with 56% male and 44% female, 1591 private dwellings, median weekly household income of $1700, monthly mortgage $1510 and weekly rent $154.
The Cloncurry population is almost unchanged from 2011 when the population was 2797 though the town is wealthier with median household weekly income has rise from $1549 in 2011.
Other North West centres in the 2016 census data.
Normanton / Karumba
Population: 1282 (down from 1468 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1465 ($1067 in 2011).
Julia Creek
Population 511 (down from 634 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1105 ($1104 in 2011)
Burketown
Population 238 (up from 201 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1104 ($1208 in 2011).
Doomadgee
Population 1405 (up from 1257 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1082 ($1155 in 2011).
Boulia
Population 301 (up from 230 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1261 ($1113 in 2011)
Winton
Population 875 (down from 954 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1097 ($827 in 2011)
Richmond
Population 791 (down from 827 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1183 ($967 in 2011)
Hughenden
Population 1536 (down from 1791 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1109 ($939 in 2011
Mornington Island
Population 1143 (up from 1142 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $979 ($977 in 2011)
Croydon
Population 294 (down from 312 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1100 ($1020 in 2011)
Etheridge
Population 799 (down from 894 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $865 ($724 in 2011)
Diamantina
Population 291 (up from 283 in 2011)
Median Weekly household income $1767 ($1083 in 2011)
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
