# Lake Macquarie vs Northern Beaches — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 76 km apart

Lake Macquarie and Northern Beaches are both large New South Wales areas with very different layouts. Northern Beaches is very walkable, while Lake Macquarie is only somewhat walkable. This is clear in the local access to essentials; Northern Beaches has a far higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services (76.1% compared to 33.4%) and groceries (85.8% compared to 45.1%). Lake Macquarie has a far larger First Nations population, with 11,527 people compared to 1,706 in Northern Beaches.

These two areas have seen their gaps in accessibility and walkability remain significant since 2011. Both areas are well-connected to public transport, though this is well higher in Northern Beaches where 95.9% of homes are within a 10-minute walk. In Lake Macquarie, First Nations residents have a typical personal income of $609, which is higher than most areas, while Northern Beaches is among the highest at $949.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Lake Macquarie | Northern Beaches | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 11,527 | 1,706 | 9,821 larger in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 27 yrs | 5 yrs older in Northern Beaches |  |
| Year 12 | 36.2% | 62.6% | 26.5 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Unemployment | 9.6% | 6.2% | 3.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie |  |
| Median income | $609 | $949 | $340 higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Household income | $1,754 | $2,724 | $970 higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.4% | 5.8% | 2.4 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Lake Macquarie | Northern Beaches | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.0 | 7.5 | 2.5 higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.9 | 7.0 | 2.1 more in Northern Beaches |  |
| 15-min city | 53.8% | 88.4% | 34.6 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Walk to shops | 45.1% | 85.8% | 40.7 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Walk to transit | 89.2% | 95.9% | 6.7 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Walk to school | 68.4% | 89.3% | 20.9 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Walk to a park | 88.9% | 98.4% | 9.5 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Walk to health | 33.4% | 76.1% | 42.6 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Intersections/km² | 34 | 78 | 44 higher in Northern Beaches |  |
| Mean slope | 7.8% | 9.7% | 1.9 pts higher in Northern Beaches |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE104022/lake-macquarie/vs/IARE107020/northern-beaches