# Sydney - Wollongong vs South-Western WA — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 3,021 km apart

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.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Sydney - Wollongong | South-Western WA | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 85,184 | 14,355 | 70,829 larger in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Median age | 24 yrs | 23 yrs | 1 yrs older in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Year 12 | 42.4% | 30.2% | 12.2 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Unemployment | 8.1% | 15.7% | 7.7 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |
| Median income | $676 | $497 | $179 higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Household income | $1,798 | $1,359 | $439 higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Indigenous language | 4.8% | 6.5% | 1.7 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Sydney - Wollongong | South-Western WA | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 7.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 6.7 | 3.6 | 3.2 more in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| 15-min city | 85.2% | 38.6% | 46.6 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Walk to shops | 81.1% | 39.3% | 41.8 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Walk to transit | 96.1% | 51.7% | 44.3 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Walk to school | 89.3% | 45.8% | 43.5 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Walk to a park | 96.9% | 69.8% | 27.1 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Walk to health | 69.5% | 28.6% | 40.9 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Intersections/km² | 35 | 0 | 34 higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |
| Mean slope | 7.1% | 5.3% | 1.8 pts higher in Sydney - Wollongong |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG107/sydney-wollongong/vs/IREG507/south-western-wa