# Rockingham vs Busselton — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 160 km apart

Busselton and Rockingham are both Western Australian hubs, but they differ significantly in how people get around. Rockingham is far more walkable, with 75.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school compared to only 28.1% in Busselton. Rockingham is also much better connected, with 51.4% of homes in a 15-minute-city walkshed and a street connectivity score of 80, while Busselton is mostly car-dependent with a score of 4. Rockingham has a far larger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, numbering 3,579 compared to 797 in Busselton.

Everyday life in both places shares a similar level of First Nations language use, with about 7% of people speaking such a language. In Rockingham, First Nations unemployment is well higher than in Busselton, though Busselton has a well higher rate of Year 12 completion for First Nations residents at 43.2%. While Rockingham has slightly older First Nations residents and a little higher typical household income for this group, both areas have seen their walkability and amenity gaps remain distinct as they grow.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Rockingham | Busselton | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 3,579 | 797 | 2,782 larger in Rockingham |  |
| Median age | 20 yrs | 19 yrs | 1 yrs older in Rockingham |  |
| Year 12 | 40.0% | 43.2% | 3.3 pts higher in Busselton |  |
| Unemployment | 15.0% | 11.8% | 3.2 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Median income | $664 | $573 | $91 higher in Rockingham |  |
| Household income | $1,793 | $1,456 | $337 higher in Rockingham |  |
| Indigenous language | 7.3% | 6.8% | 0.5 pts higher in Rockingham |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Rockingham | Busselton | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.1 | 3.3 | 1.7 higher in Rockingham |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.7 | 3.0 | 1.7 more in Rockingham |  |
| 15-min city | 51.4% | 24.0% | 27.4 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Walk to shops | 54.1% | 30.7% | 23.4 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Walk to transit | 91.4% | 70.6% | 20.8 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Walk to school | 75.6% | 28.1% | 47.5 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Walk to a park | 93.6% | 79.2% | 14.5 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Walk to health | 28.7% | 11.7% | 17.0 pts higher in Rockingham |  |
| Intersections/km² | 80 | 4 | 76 higher in Rockingham |  |
| Mean slope | 4.9% | 3.8% | 1.1 pts higher in Rockingham |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE505015/rockingham/vs/IARE507004/busselton