Litchfield vs Malak

Litchfield and Malak are two nearby areas with very different layouts. Malak is very walkable and compact, where 100% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, school and public transport. In contrast, Litchfield is car-dependent, with only 4.1% of homes within a short walk of a park. There are also stark differences for First Nations residents; typical household income for First Nations people in Litchfield is $2,508, far higher than the $1,190 seen in Malak. This is consistent with a much lower unemployment rate in Litchfield, which is 7.7% compared to 21.7% in Malak.

While these areas differ in most measures, they share a similar mean terrain slope. The gaps between them in terms of walkability and First Nations employment have remained significant over time. For example, First Nations residents in Litchfield are noticeably older, with a typical age of 30 compared to 23 in Malak. Meanwhile, Malak has a much higher share of people who speak a First Nations language at 17.9%, while Litchfield is at 7.0%.