Muswellbrook vs Hawkesbury

Muswellbrook and Hawkesbury are both large New South Wales areas where most residents are mostly car-dependent. Muswellbrook is more convenient for daily errands, with 64.0% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school and 43.7% within a 15-minute walk of groceries, compared to 48.7% and 29.0% in Hawkesbury. However, Hawkesbury has a far larger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 3,198 people, compared to 1,908 in Muswellbrook.

While these two areas share similar terrain and walkability, the gap in First Nations Year 12 completion is widening, with 35.7% of First Nations residents in Hawkesbury finishing school compared to 26.8% in Muswellbrook. This higher education rate in Hawkesbury is consistent with its higher typical First Nations personal income of $686, whereas Muswellbrook's typical income is $598. First Nations unemployment is also well higher in Muswellbrook at 10.7% than in Hawkesbury, where it is 6.2%.