Wakefield - Clare and Gilbert Valleys vs Whyalla

Wakefield - Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Whyalla are both regional South Australian areas, but they differ sharply in how people get around. Whyalla is very walkable, with 81.3% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed and 89% within a short walk of public transport. In contrast, Wakefield - Clare and Gilbert Valleys is mostly car-dependent, where only 22.8% of homes have a similar walkable layout. This gap extends to basic needs; Whyalla has far more homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries (70.2%) and health services (66.5%) compared to Wakefield - Clare and Gilbert Valleys (22.4% and 18% respectively).

While their layouts differ, the two areas have tracked similarly in some social measures, though a gap in First Nations unemployment is widening. In Whyalla, the First Nations unemployment rate is 22.0%, which is much higher than most areas and well above the national figure. This is far higher than in Wakefield - Clare and Gilbert Valleys, where the rate is 9.8% and sits a little below the national average.