Sydney - Wollongong vs South-Western WA

Sydney - Wollongong and South-Western WA are two vast regions with very different levels of accessibility. Sydney - Wollongong is very walkable, with 81.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 96.1% near public transport. In contrast, South-Western WA is mostly car-dependent, where only 39.3% of homes are within a short walk of groceries and 51.7% are near public transport. First Nations residents in Sydney - Wollongong also tend to have higher outcomes, with a typical household income of $1,798 and a Year 12 completion rate of 42.4%, compared to $1,359 and 30.2% in South-Western WA.

The typical age of First Nations residents is almost identical across both regions, sitting at 24 in Sydney - Wollongong and 23 in South-Western WA. However, the gap in employment is noticeable, as the First Nations unemployment rate is well higher in South-Western WA at 15.7%, while Sydney - Wollongong is among the lowest at 8.1%. This difference in job access is consistent with the layout of the two areas, as Sydney - Wollongong has a far higher number of street intersections per square kilometre.