Melbourne vs Darwin

Melbourne and Darwin are both large regions with very different layouts. Melbourne is very walkable, with a walkability score of 7.2, while Darwin is somewhat walkable at 5.7. This is reflected in how easy it is to reach services on foot; for example, 73.8% of Melbourne homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, which is far higher than the 52.5% in Darwin. Melbourne also has a far higher number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with 31,734 residents compared to 15,082 in Darwin.

Both areas have a similar proportion of First Nations residents who speak a First Nations language compared to the national figure. They also share very similar typical incomes for First Nations households, which are $1,802 in Melbourne and $1,817 in Darwin. While Melbourne has a far higher rate of First Nations Year 12 completion at 49.7% compared to 34.7% in Darwin, First Nations residents in both areas are around the same age, with those in Darwin being only slightly older at 26.