The Isneg live in the provinces of Apayao and Abra. Apayao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Kabugao and borders Cagayan to the north and east, Abra and Ilocos Norte to the west, and Kalinga to the south. Apayao is subdivided into 7 municipalities: Calanasan, Conner Flora, Kabugao, Luna, Pudtol and Santa Marcela.

Abra is also a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bangued, and it borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao on the north, Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province on the south, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur on the west, and Kalinga, and Apayao on the east. Abra is hemmed in by the towering mountain ranges of the Ilocos in the west and the Cordillera Central in the east. It has an extremely rugged terrain, with mountains and hills rising along its perimeter and interior. The plains are drained by the Abra River, which flows northward from Mt. Data in the Mountain Province.

The predominant languages in Abra are Ilocano and Itneg. Ilocano is generally spoken by about three-fourths of the region's total population and Itneg is spoken by about one-fourth. It is believed that the Isneg are mostly descendants of Ilocano settlers and members of the Tingguian tribe.

The Isneg's economy is agriculture-based. Its major crops are rice, corn, and root crops; and commercial produce are coffee, tobacco, and coconut. Extensive grassland and pasture areas are used for livestock production.