Upper Hunter vs Singleton

Upper Hunter and Singleton are two regional New South Wales areas with very different patterns of accessibility. Upper Hunter is far more walkable for basic needs, with 42.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 38.6% near health services, compared to 22.8% and 22.2% in Singleton. However, Singleton has a much larger First Nations population, with 2,033 people compared to 990 in Upper Hunter, and far more homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport (53.1% versus 34.3%).

Both areas are mostly car-dependent, which reflects the common layout of these regional districts. This shared reliance on cars is seen alongside similar outcomes for First Nations residents, such as Year 12 completion rates which sit at 31.1% in Upper Hunter and 30.4% in Singleton. While Singleton has a slightly higher typical income for First Nations people, the unemployment rate for this group is only a little higher in Upper Hunter at 9.1% compared to 8.0% in Singleton.