# Gosford vs Lake Macquarie — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 45 km apart

Gosford and Lake Macquarie are two nearby New South Wales areas with notable differences in their layouts and populations. Lake Macquarie has a far larger First Nations population, with 11,527 people compared to 6,294 in Gosford. The two areas also differ in how people get around; Lake Macquarie has far higher street connectivity, while Gosford is more likely to have homes within a 15-minute walk of health services (42.9% vs 33.4%) and groceries (51.0% vs 45.1%).

Both areas are about the same when it comes to First Nations outcomes, such as unemployment rates and typical household incomes. This similarity is also seen in education, where First Nations Year 12 completion in Lake Macquarie is about the same as the national figure. While Gosford has a slightly higher walkability score, both are considered somewhat walkable.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Gosford | Lake Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 6,294 | 11,527 | 5,233 larger in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Median age | 23 yrs | 22 yrs | 1 yrs older in Gosford |  |
| Year 12 | 41.1% | 36.2% | 4.9 pts higher in Gosford |  |
| Unemployment | 9.3% | 9.6% | 0.3 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Median income | $616 | $609 | $7 higher in Gosford |  |
| Household income | $1,678 | $1,754 | $76 higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.9% | 3.4% | 0.4 pts higher in Gosford |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Gosford | Lake Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.4 | 5.0 | 0.4 higher in Gosford |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.1 | 4.9 | 0.2 more in Gosford |  |
| 15-min city | 57.1% | 53.8% | 3.4 pts higher in Gosford |  |
| Walk to shops | 51.0% | 45.1% | 5.9 pts higher in Gosford |  |
| Walk to transit | 91.4% | 89.2% | 2.1 pts higher in Gosford |  |
| Walk to school | 60.2% | 68.4% | 8.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Walk to a park | 91.7% | 88.9% | 2.8 pts higher in Gosford |  |
| Walk to health | 42.9% | 33.4% | 9.5 pts higher in Gosford |  |
| Intersections/km² | 15 | 34 | 19 higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Mean slope | 9.8% | 7.8% | 2.1 pts higher in Gosford |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE104007/gosford/vs/IARE104022/lake-macquarie