# Melbourne vs South-Western WA — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 2,550 km apart

Melbourne and South-Western WA are both large regions, but they offer very different living environments. Melbourne is very walkable, with 83.4% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed and 91.5% within a 10-minute walk of public transport. In contrast, South-Western WA is mostly car-dependent, where only 38.6% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed and 51.7% are near public transport. First Nations residents in Melbourne also fare better financially, with a typical personal income of $691 compared to $497 in South-Western WA.

While these gaps in accessibility and income remain stark, the two areas share some common traits. About 6.3% of people in Melbourne and 6.5% in South-Western WA speak a First Nations language, and both have similar terrain slopes of around 5%. These shared cultural and physical traits persist even as the two regions diverge in their urban layouts and economic outcomes.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Melbourne | South-Western WA | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 31,734 | 14,355 | 17,379 larger in Melbourne |  |
| Median age | 25 yrs | 23 yrs | 2 yrs older in Melbourne |  |
| Year 12 | 49.7% | 30.2% | 19.5 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Unemployment | 8.7% | 15.7% | 7.0 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |
| Median income | $691 | $497 | $194 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Household income | $1,802 | $1,359 | $443 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Indigenous language | 6.3% | 6.5% | 0.2 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Melbourne | South-Western WA | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 7.2 | 3.5 | 3.6 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 6.7 | 3.6 | 3.1 more in Melbourne |  |
| 15-min city | 83.4% | 38.6% | 44.8 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to shops | 82.8% | 39.3% | 43.6 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to transit | 91.5% | 51.7% | 39.8 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to school | 87.9% | 45.8% | 42.1 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to a park | 97.7% | 69.8% | 27.8 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to health | 73.8% | 28.6% | 45.2 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Intersections/km² | 85 | 0 | 84 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Mean slope | 4.7% | 5.3% | 0.5 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG201/melbourne/vs/IREG507/south-western-wa