# North-Western NSW vs Riverina - Orange — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 431 km apart

North-Western NSW and Riverina - Orange are both large regional areas in New South Wales, though they differ significantly in their layouts and populations. North-Western NSW is much more walkable, with 69.5% of homes in a 15-minute-city walkshed compared to 50.2% in Riverina - Orange. This advantage extends to essential services; homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries are far higher in North-Western NSW at 66.2%, while Riverina - Orange sits at 45.0%. Riverina - Orange has a far larger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 32,009 people, compared to 6,838 in North-Western NSW.

Both areas are almost identical in the share of people who speak a First Nations language, at 3.0% and 3.6%. This shared cultural trait exists alongside differences in the First Nations community; for example, the typical First Nations resident in North-Western NSW is noticeably older at 27, while the typical person in Riverina - Orange is 22. Year 12 completion for First Nations people is also well higher in Riverina - Orange at 29.0%.

## First Nations

| Statistic | North-Western NSW | Riverina - Orange | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 6,838 | 32,009 | 25,171 larger in Riverina - Orange |  |
| Median age | 27 yrs | 22 yrs | 5 yrs older in North-Western NSW |  |
| Year 12 | 22.7% | 29.0% | 6.3 pts higher in Riverina - Orange |  |
| Unemployment | 12.7% | 10.4% | 2.3 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Median income | $494 | $575 | $81 higher in Riverina - Orange |  |
| Household income | $1,137 | $1,392 | $255 higher in Riverina - Orange |  |
| Indigenous language | 3.0% | 3.6% | 0.7 pts higher in Riverina - Orange |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | North-Western NSW | Riverina - Orange | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.1 | 4.2 | 0.9 higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.4 | 4.2 | 1.2 more in North-Western NSW |  |
| 15-min city | 69.5% | 50.2% | 19.2 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Walk to shops | 66.2% | 45.0% | 21.2 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Walk to transit | 56.9% | 55.4% | 1.4 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Walk to school | 67.1% | 57.5% | 9.6 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Walk to a park | 79.0% | 73.2% | 5.8 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Walk to health | 58.3% | 37.6% | 20.7 pts higher in North-Western NSW |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 0 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 3.1% | 4.8% | 1.7 pts higher in Riverina - Orange |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG103/north-western-nsw/vs/IREG105/riverina-orange