# Ballarat vs South-West Central Victoria — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 86 km apart

Ballarat and South-West Central Victoria are both regional areas in Victoria, but they offer very different lifestyles. Ballarat is more urban and accessible, with a walkability score of 5.6 (somewhat walkable), while South-West Central Victoria is mostly car-dependent with a score of 3.7. This is seen in the local amenities; for example, 79% of homes in Ballarat are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, compared to 49.8% in South-West Central Victoria. Ballarat also has far more street connectivity, with 23 intersections per square kilometre compared to just one in South-West Central Victoria.

Both areas share a similar landscape, as their mean terrain slope is almost identical. While they share this physical trait, they differ in their First Nations populations. In Ballarat, First Nations residents are noticeably younger with a typical age of 22, and a higher share, 5.1%, speak a First Nations language. In South-West Central Victoria, First Nations residents have a typical age of 26 and a higher typical personal income of $633, compared to $553 in Ballarat.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Ballarat | South-West Central Victoria | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 2,196 | 1,791 | 405 larger in Ballarat |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 26 yrs | 4 yrs older in South-West Central Victoria |  |
| Year 12 | 43.6% | 37.3% | 6.3 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Unemployment | 12.2% | 4.5% | 7.8 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Median income | $553 | $633 | $80 higher in South-West Central Victoria |  |
| Household income | $1,364 | $1,622 | $258 higher in South-West Central Victoria |  |
| Indigenous language | 5.1% | 3.4% | 1.7 pts higher in Ballarat |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Ballarat | South-West Central Victoria | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 higher in Ballarat |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.5 | 3.8 | 1.7 more in Ballarat |  |
| 15-min city | 64.1% | 43.7% | 20.4 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Walk to shops | 63.8% | 46.9% | 16.9 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Walk to transit | 79.0% | 49.8% | 29.1 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Walk to school | 70.2% | 44.2% | 26.0 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Walk to a park | 93.0% | 70.1% | 22.9 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Walk to health | 48.2% | 33.1% | 15.2 pts higher in Ballarat |  |
| Intersections/km² | 23 | 1 | 22 higher in Ballarat |  |
| Mean slope | 4.8% | 5.4% | 0.6 pts higher in South-West Central Victoria |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE202001/ballarat/vs/IARE202012/south-west-central-victoria