# North-Eastern NSW vs Melbourne — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 979 km apart

North-Eastern NSW and Melbourne are very different environments, separated by nearly 1,000 kilometres. Melbourne is very walkable, while North-Eastern NSW is mostly car-dependent. This is clear in the local access to services; for example, 82.8% of homes in Melbourne are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, compared to 41.2% in North-Eastern NSW. First Nations residents in Melbourne also tend to have higher outcomes, with a typical personal income of $691 compared to $538 in North-Eastern NSW, and a Year 12 completion rate of 49.7% against 28.3% in North-Eastern NSW.

Both areas share a similar physical landscape, with the average terrain slope being nearly the same in each. Beyond the land, the two places track differently in their access to amenities. Melbourne has far higher rates of homes within walking distance of parks, schools, and health services. This gap in accessibility has widened over time, and is consistent with Melbourne's much higher street connectivity of 85 intersections per square kilometre, while North-Eastern NSW has none.

## First Nations

| Statistic | North-Eastern NSW | Melbourne | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 24,949 | 31,734 | 6,785 larger in Melbourne |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 25 yrs | 3 yrs older in Melbourne |  |
| Year 12 | 28.3% | 49.7% | 21.4 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Unemployment | 12.7% | 8.7% | 4.0 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Median income | $538 | $691 | $153 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Household income | $1,329 | $1,802 | $473 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.1% | 6.3% | 3.1 pts higher in Melbourne |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | North-Eastern NSW | Melbourne | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.9 | 7.2 | 3.2 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.0 | 6.7 | 2.6 more in Melbourne |  |
| 15-min city | 47.7% | 83.4% | 35.7 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to shops | 41.2% | 82.8% | 41.7 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to transit | 53.7% | 91.5% | 37.8 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to school | 53.6% | 87.9% | 34.3 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to a park | 66.7% | 97.7% | 30.9 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to health | 36.5% | 73.8% | 37.4 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 85 | 84 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Mean slope | 5.5% | 4.7% | 0.8 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG102/north-eastern-nsw/vs/IREG201/melbourne