Tumut vs Wagga Wagga

Tumut and Wagga Wagga are two regional areas in New South Wales with very different layouts. Wagga Wagga is far more connected, with 74.9% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport compared to just 23.9% in Tumut. This is mirrored in their street connectivity, which is far higher in Wagga Wagga. Tumut has a steeper landscape, with a mean terrain slope of 8.5% compared to 4.5% in Wagga Wagga, and residents there are more likely to live within a 15-minute walk of groceries (49.3% versus 44.9%).

Both areas have similar shares of homes within a 15-minute-city walkshed, with each sitting around 55%. This common ground exists despite other gaps in accessibility; for example, the walkability score is somewhat walkable in Wagga Wagga but mostly car-dependent in Tumut. Wagga Wagga has a far larger First Nations population, with 4,471 people compared to 734 in Tumut. This larger community in Wagga Wagga also sees higher Year 12 completion rates and a lower unemployment rate for First Nations people.