# North-Eastern NSW vs Cape York — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 1,973 km apart

North-Eastern NSW and Cape York are both vast regions, but they differ sharply in their accessibility and cultural profiles. Cape York has a much higher proportion of people who speak a First Nations language at 54.4%, compared to 3.1% in North-Eastern NSW. The two areas also see a big gap in First Nations employment, with the unemployment rate far higher in Cape York at 23.4% than the 12.7% seen in North-Eastern NSW. North-Eastern NSW is also more walkable; its score of 3.9 is mostly car-dependent, while Cape York's 1.8 is car-dependent.

Both regions share a similar landscape, with almost identical mean terrain slopes. While they are far apart, the gap in First Nations personal income remains significant, with the typical income in North-Eastern NSW being well higher at $538 compared to $402 in Cape York. North-Eastern NSW also provides better access to services, as 53.7% of homes are within a 10 minute walk of public transport, whereas that figure is 0.0% for Cape York.

## First Nations

| Statistic | North-Eastern NSW | Cape York | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 24,949 | 8,906 | 16,043 larger in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 24 yrs | 2 yrs older in Cape York |  |
| Year 12 | 28.3% | 31.1% | 2.9 pts higher in Cape York |  |
| Unemployment | 12.7% | 23.4% | 10.7 pts higher in Cape York |  |
| Median income | $538 | $402 | $136 higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Household income | $1,329 | $1,140 | $189 higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.1% | 54.4% | 51.2 pts higher in Cape York |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | North-Eastern NSW | Cape York | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.9 | 1.8 | 2.1 higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 more in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| 15-min city | 47.7% | 20.1% | 27.6 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Walk to shops | 41.2% | 34.3% | 6.8 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Walk to transit | 53.7% | 0.0% | 53.7 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Walk to school | 53.6% | 49.1% | 4.5 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Walk to a park | 66.7% | 36.2% | 30.5 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Walk to health | 36.5% | 25.6% | 10.9 pts higher in North-Eastern NSW |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 0 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 5.5% | 5.6% | 0.1 pts higher in Cape York |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG102/north-eastern-nsw/vs/IREG303/cape-york