Paraburdoo vs Tom Price

Paraburdoo and Tom Price are two mining towns in Western Australia. Paraburdoo is much more walkable, with a score of 4.4 (somewhat walkable) compared to 3.3 (mostly car-dependent) in Tom Price. This is reflected in the layout, as 91.7% of Paraburdoo homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, while only 53.1% of homes in Tom Price have the same access. Tom Price has a larger First Nations population of 300 people, and a far higher share of residents speak a First Nations language at 13.3%, compared to 2.6% in Paraburdoo.

Both towns have tracked similarly since 2011, maintaining similar First Nations household incomes of around $3,000. They also share a flat landscape and a total lack of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, educational outcomes for First Nations residents differ, with Year 12 completion far higher in Tom Price at 47.9%, well above the national figure.