# Muswellbrook vs Hawkesbury — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 84 km apart

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%.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Muswellbrook | Hawkesbury | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 1,908 | 3,198 | 1,290 larger in Hawkesbury |  |
| Median age | 21 yrs | 22 yrs | 1 yrs older in Hawkesbury |  |
| Year 12 | 26.8% | 35.7% | 8.8 pts higher in Hawkesbury |  |
| Unemployment | 10.7% | 6.2% | 4.5 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Median income | $598 | $686 | $88 higher in Hawkesbury |  |
| Household income | $1,636 | $1,939 | $303 higher in Hawkesbury |  |
| Indigenous language | 2.4% | 3.3% | 0.9 pts higher in Hawkesbury |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Muswellbrook | Hawkesbury | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 4.0 | 3.7 | 0.2 higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.0 | 3.6 | 0.5 more in Muswellbrook |  |
| 15-min city | 43.2% | 36.7% | 6.5 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Walk to shops | 43.7% | 29.0% | 14.7 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Walk to transit | 72.2% | 67.5% | 4.7 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Walk to school | 64.0% | 48.7% | 15.3 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Walk to a park | 64.4% | 62.2% | 2.2 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Walk to health | 31.8% | 25.3% | 6.5 pts higher in Muswellbrook |  |
| Intersections/km² | 1 | 2 | 2 higher in Hawkesbury |  |
| Mean slope | 6.3% | 6.9% | 0.6 pts higher in Hawkesbury |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE102009/muswellbrook/vs/IARE107010/hawkesbury