# Kiama - Shellharbour vs Wollongong — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 56 km apart

Kiama - Shellharbour and Wollongong are two regional New South Wales areas with different layouts. Wollongong is more connected, with 82.8% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school compared to 67.5% in Kiama - Shellharbour. It also has far more street intersections per square kilometre (43 versus 27) and a higher share of homes with a 15-minute-city walkshed. In contrast, Kiama - Shellharbour has far more homes within a 15-minute walk of health services, at 48.8% compared to 38.3% in Wollongong.

Both areas are similar in that the proportion of people who speak a First Nations language sits at 3.1%. They also share a similar walkability score and terrain slope. While Wollongong has a larger First Nations population, those in Kiama - Shellharbour have a typical household income that is a little higher ($1,798 versus $1,602). Educational outcomes also differ, with First Nations Year 12 completion well higher in Wollongong at 41.9%, which is well above the national figure.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Kiama - Shellharbour | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 4,341 | 6,945 | 2,604 larger in Wollongong |  |
| Median age | 21 yrs | 23 yrs | 2 yrs older in Wollongong |  |
| Year 12 | 35.9% | 41.9% | 6.0 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Unemployment | 8.4% | 9.8% | 1.4 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Median income | $613 | $605 | $8 higher in Kiama - Shellharbour |  |
| Household income | $1,798 | $1,602 | $196 higher in Kiama - Shellharbour |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.1% | 3.1% |  |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Kiama - Shellharbour | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.7 | 6.0 | 0.3 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.5 | 5.8 | 0.4 more in Wollongong |  |
| 15-min city | 64.6% | 73.5% | 8.9 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to shops | 60.2% | 61.2% | 1.0 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to transit | 91.7% | 94.2% | 2.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to school | 67.5% | 82.8% | 15.3 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to a park | 95.8% | 93.3% | 2.5 pts higher in Kiama - Shellharbour |  |
| Walk to health | 48.8% | 38.3% | 10.5 pts higher in Kiama - Shellharbour |  |
| Intersections/km² | 27 | 43 | 17 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Mean slope | 6.6% | 7.2% | 0.6 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE107015/kiama-shellharbour/vs/IARE107030/wollongong