Ballarat vs Bendigo

Ballarat and Bendigo are two regional centres in Victoria that differ mainly in how easy it is to get around without a car. Ballarat is more walkable, with 63.8% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries compared to 49.8% in Bendigo. This is supported by a denser street network, as Ballarat has 23 intersections per square kilometre while Bendigo has 8. Education outcomes for First Nations people are also well higher in Ballarat, where 43.6% finished Year 12 compared to 37.9% in Bendigo.

Everyday life shares many similarities in both places, such as the typical age of First Nations residents being 22 and a similar number of homes (around 79%) being within a 10-minute walk of public transport. While Ballarat has more people who speak a First Nations language and a slightly higher unemployment rate for this group, the usual household and personal incomes for First Nations people are effectively the same across both areas.