# Bendigo vs Swan Hill — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 223 km apart

Swan Hill and Bendigo are both regional Victorian centres, but they differ in how their towns are laid out and accessed. Bendigo is more connected, with a street network far denser than Swan Hill's and a much higher share of homes within a short walk of public transport (79.1% compared to 64.5%) and schools (66.4% versus 55.0%). Bendigo also has a far larger First Nations population, with a higher rate of Year 12 completion (37.9%) and a lower unemployment rate for this group (9.7%) compared to Swan Hill's 30.2% and 15.7% respectively.

Both areas are somewhat walkable, and their First Nations populations share the same typical age of 22. While they are similar in these ways, the gap in access to public transport has widened by 15 points since the last census. Swan Hill does have a higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries (55.6% versus 49.8%), though Bendigo provides better overall access to health services.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Bendigo | Swan Hill | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 2,740 | 967 | 1,773 larger in Bendigo |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 22 yrs |  |  |
| Year 12 | 37.9% | 30.2% | 7.8 pts higher in Bendigo |  |
| Unemployment | 9.7% | 15.7% | 6.0 pts higher in Swan Hill |  |
| Median income | $595 | $521 | $74 higher in Bendigo |  |
| Household income | $1,409 | $1,184 | $225 higher in Bendigo |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.9% | 4.9% | 0.9 pts higher in Swan Hill |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Bendigo | Swan Hill | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.1 | 4.8 | 0.3 higher in Bendigo |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.0 | 4.6 | 0.4 more in Bendigo |  |
| 15-min city | 56.8% | 55.6% | 1.3 pts higher in Bendigo |  |
| Walk to shops | 49.8% | 55.6% | 5.8 pts higher in Swan Hill |  |
| Walk to transit | 79.1% | 64.5% | 14.6 pts higher in Bendigo |  |
| Walk to school | 66.4% | 55.0% | 11.4 pts higher in Bendigo |  |
| Walk to a park | 88.1% | 84.6% | 3.5 pts higher in Bendigo |  |
| Walk to health | 44.4% | 37.5% | 6.9 pts higher in Bendigo |  |
| Intersections/km² | 8 | 1 | 7 higher in Bendigo |  |
| Mean slope | 4.7% | 2.8% | 1.9 pts higher in Bendigo |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE202003/bendigo/vs/IARE202014/swan-hill