Parkes vs Cowra

Parkes and Cowra are two regional New South Wales areas with very different levels of accessibility. Parkes is somewhat walkable, with 46.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 44.6% near health services. In contrast, Cowra is mostly car-dependent, where only 23.7% of homes are near groceries and 18.3% can walk to health services. Parkes also has a larger First Nations population, totalling 1,867 people, and a higher Year 12 completion rate for First Nations residents at 30.3% compared to 24.4% in Cowra.

Everyday life in both places shares a very similar First Nations median age of 22 years. While Parkes generally has more walkable amenities, both areas see parks and public transport as their most common local facilities. The gap in walkability remains significant, with Parkes continuing to offer far better access to schools, parks, and public transport than Cowra.