Blue Mountains vs Hawkesbury

Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury are both large regions in New South Wales, but they offer very different living environments. Blue Mountains is far more walkable, with a score of 5.5 (somewhat walkable) compared to 3.7 (mostly car-dependent) in Hawkesbury. This is seen in the ease of getting around on foot; for example, 92.4% of Blue Mountains homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, which is far higher than the 62.2% in Hawkesbury. Additionally, 46.6% of First Nations people in Blue Mountains completed Year 12, which is far higher than the 35.7% in Hawkesbury.

Both areas share very similar economic outcomes for First Nations residents, with typical personal incomes sitting around $700 and unemployment rates near 6%. This stability is mirrored in the way the two areas track against national figures, as both have First Nations populations that speak a First Nations language at rates well below the Australian average. While Blue Mountains has more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak a traditional language, Hawkesbury has a well larger total First Nations population of 3,198 people.