# Melbourne vs Darwin — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 3,118 km apart

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.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Melbourne | Darwin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 31,734 | 15,082 | 16,652 larger in Melbourne |  |
| Median age | 25 yrs | 26 yrs | 1 yrs older in Darwin |  |
| Year 12 | 49.7% | 34.7% | 14.9 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Unemployment | 8.7% | 11.3% | 2.6 pts higher in Darwin |  |
| Median income | $691 | $670 | $21 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Household income | $1,802 | $1,817 | $15 higher in Darwin |  |
| Indigenous language | 6.3% | 14.6% | 8.3 pts higher in Darwin |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Melbourne | Darwin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 7.2 | 5.7 | 1.5 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 6.7 | 5.3 | 1.3 more in Melbourne |  |
| 15-min city | 83.4% | 68.7% | 14.7 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to shops | 82.8% | 68.0% | 14.8 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to transit | 91.5% | 82.3% | 9.3 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to school | 87.9% | 70.4% | 17.5 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to a park | 97.7% | 83.0% | 14.6 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Walk to health | 73.8% | 52.5% | 21.3 pts higher in Melbourne |  |
| Intersections/km² | 85 | 2 | 82 higher in Melbourne |  |
| Mean slope | 4.7% | 3.9% | 0.9 pts higher in Melbourne |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG201/melbourne/vs/IREG703/darwin