Hervey Bay vs Cooloola

Hervey Bay and Cooloola are two distinct Queensland areas with very different layouts. Hervey Bay is more developed, with a walkability score of 3.2 (mostly car-dependent) and far more street intersections per square kilometre. This makes it easier to get around on foot, with 57.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 55.2% near a school. In contrast, Cooloola is more rural and car-dependent, scoring 1.6. While Hervey Bay has a far larger First Nations population, the typical First Nations resident in Cooloola is noticeably older at 27, compared to 21 in Hervey Bay.

These two areas are moving further apart in their accessibility, as the gap in the number of homes with a 15-minute-city walkshed has widened. However, they share some similarities in income; the typical First Nations personal income is about the same in both places, sitting at $489 in Hervey Bay and $467 in Cooloola. While Hervey Bay has a well higher First Nations unemployment rate of 17.7%, it also has a well higher rate of Year 12 completion among First Nations residents at 37.9%.