# Cootamundra vs Forbes — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 130 km apart

Cootamundra and Forbes are two regional New South Wales centres located about 130 km apart. Cootamundra is generally more walkable, with 61.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a "15-minute-city" setup compared to 35.0% in Forbes. This includes a higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries (50.6% versus 35.4%) and health services (57.3% versus 40.5%). However, Forbes has far better access to public transport, with 65.6% of homes within a 10-minute walk, while only 19.0% of homes in Cootamundra have this proximity.

Everyday life in both towns feels similar in terms of the land, as both have a similar average terrain slope and walkability scores. There are distinct differences in their First Nations populations. Forbes has a far larger First Nations community, with 1,233 people compared to 575 in Cootamundra. In Forbes, the typical First Nations resident is younger, earns a typical personal income that is well higher than in Cootamundra, and has a much lower unemployment rate.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Cootamundra | Forbes | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 575 | 1,233 | 658 larger in Forbes |  |
| Median age | 27 yrs | 23 yrs | 4 yrs older in Cootamundra |  |
| Year 12 | 23.1% | 28.8% | 5.7 pts higher in Forbes |  |
| Unemployment | 11.8% | 8.2% | 3.6 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Median income | $479 | $640 | $161 higher in Forbes |  |
| Household income | $1,141 | $1,257 | $116 higher in Forbes |  |
| Indigenous language | 2.4% | 1.1% | 1.3 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Cootamundra | Forbes | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 4.4 | 4.0 | 0.4 higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.7 | 3.8 | 0.9 more in Cootamundra |  |
| 15-min city | 61.2% | 35.0% | 26.2 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Walk to shops | 50.6% | 35.4% | 15.2 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Walk to transit | 19.0% | 65.6% | 46.6 pts higher in Forbes |  |
| Walk to school | 63.9% | 54.0% | 9.9 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Walk to a park | 76.9% | 66.8% | 10.2 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Walk to health | 57.3% | 40.5% | 16.8 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Intersections/km² | 1 | 0 | 1 higher in Cootamundra |  |
| Mean slope | 3.7% | 3.1% | 0.7 pts higher in Cootamundra |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE105008/cootamundra/vs/IARE105011/forbes