# Great Lakes vs Lake Macquarie — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 96 km apart

Great Lakes and Lake Macquarie are both New South Wales regions with differing levels of accessibility. Lake Macquarie is much more connected, with 89.2% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 68.4% within 15 minutes of a school, compared to 71.1% and 46.5% in Great Lakes. Lake Macquarie also has a far larger First Nations population, numbering 11,527 people, and a much higher First Nations year 12 completion rate of 36.2% compared to 25.6% in Great Lakes.

Both areas are considered somewhat walkable, which is the strongest similarity between them. While Lake Macquarie has far more street intersections per square kilometre, Great Lakes actually has a higher share of homes within 15 minutes of health services (40.1%) and groceries (53.8%). In Great Lakes, First Nations residents are noticeably older with a typical age of 27, while the typical age in Lake Macquarie is 22.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Great Lakes | Lake Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 2,267 | 11,527 | 9,260 larger in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Median age | 27 yrs | 22 yrs | 5 yrs older in Great Lakes |  |
| Year 12 | 25.6% | 36.2% | 10.6 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Unemployment | 12.2% | 9.6% | 2.6 pts higher in Great Lakes |  |
| Median income | $491 | $609 | $118 higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Household income | $1,201 | $1,754 | $553 higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Indigenous language | 2.2% | 3.4% | 1.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Great Lakes | Lake Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 4.5 | 5.0 | 0.5 higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.4 | 4.9 | 0.5 more in Lake Macquarie |  |
| 15-min city | 50.3% | 53.8% | 3.5 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Walk to shops | 53.8% | 45.1% | 8.6 pts higher in Great Lakes |  |
| Walk to transit | 71.1% | 89.2% | 18.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Walk to school | 46.5% | 68.4% | 21.9 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Walk to a park | 71.5% | 88.9% | 17.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Walk to health | 40.1% | 33.4% | 6.7 pts higher in Great Lakes |  |
| Intersections/km² | 2 | 34 | 32 higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Mean slope | 5.7% | 7.8% | 2.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE104008/great-lakes/vs/IARE104022/lake-macquarie