# Balranald - Wentworth vs Central Murray — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 188 km apart

Balranald - Wentworth and Central Murray are two sprawling rural areas in New South Wales. They differ most in the outcomes for First Nations people; the unemployment rate for First Nations people is far higher in Balranald - Wentworth at 18.8% compared to 8.2% in Central Murray. This gap extends to school and income, as Year 12 completion is far higher in Central Murray (29.9% versus 18.1%), and the typical personal income for First Nations people is well higher in Central Murray at $586, compared to $415 in Balranald - Wentworth.

Both areas share a similar feel in their layout, with walkability scores for both showing they are mostly car-dependent. Residents in both places have almost identical access to a park (about 64%) or a school (54.7%) within a 15-minute walk. While Balranald - Wentworth has far more homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport, Central Murray has a far higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Balranald - Wentworth | Central Murray | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 765 | 715 | 50 larger in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Median age | 29 yrs | 24 yrs | 5 yrs older in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Year 12 | 18.1% | 29.9% | 11.8 pts higher in Central Murray |  |
| Unemployment | 18.8% | 8.2% | 10.7 pts higher in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Median income | $415 | $586 | $171 higher in Central Murray |  |
| Household income | $1,046 | $1,294 | $248 higher in Central Murray |  |
| Indigenous language | 1.7% | 3.2% | 1.5 pts higher in Central Murray |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Balranald - Wentworth | Central Murray | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.8 | 3.7 | 0.1 higher in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.0 | 4.2 | 0.2 more in Central Murray |  |
| 15-min city | 53.0% | 52.5% | 0.5 pts higher in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Walk to shops | 44.3% | 52.2% | 7.9 pts higher in Central Murray |  |
| Walk to transit | 40.8% | 25.9% | 14.9 pts higher in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Walk to school | 54.7% | 54.7% |  |  |
| Walk to a park | 64.0% | 63.2% | 0.9 pts higher in Balranald - Wentworth |  |
| Walk to health | 34.4% | 45.1% | 10.7 pts higher in Central Murray |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 0 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 3.0% | 2.8% | 0.2 pts higher in Balranald - Wentworth |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE105002/balranald-wentworth/vs/IARE105006/central-murray