Bayswater vs Northam

Bayswater and Northam are two different Western Australian settings with a stark contrast in how people get around. Bayswater is very walkable, with 99.2% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 85.6% within 15 minutes of groceries. In contrast, Northam is mostly car-dependent, where only 13.4% of homes are near public transport and 42.2% are within walking distance of groceries. There are also significant gaps in outcomes for First Nations people; those in Bayswater have a far higher Year 12 completion rate at 46.4%, compared to 21.1% in Northam.

Both areas share a very similar landscape, with nearly identical mean terrain slopes. While they are physically similar in this way, their daily lives differ. In Bayswater, First Nations households earn a typical income of $1,551, which is well higher than the $1,098 seen in Northam. Unemployment among First Nations residents is also well higher in Northam at 20.5%, compared to 13.8% in Bayswater.