# Townsville - Mackay vs Geraldton — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 3,025 km apart

Townsville - Mackay and Geraldton are both large regional areas, but they differ sharply in their First Nations profiles. Townsville - Mackay has a far larger First Nations population, with 31,062 people compared to 6,114 in Geraldton. This group in Townsville - Mackay is younger, with a typical age of 22, and earns more, with typical personal incomes well higher at $591 compared to $464 in Geraldton. Schooling outcomes are also higher in Townsville - Mackay, where 42.6% of First Nations people finished Year 12, compared to 26.0% in Geraldton.

Both areas are mostly car-dependent, and residents in each place have similar access to schools and parks within a 15-minute walk. However, the gap in public transport access is widening, as Geraldton now has a far higher share of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop at 59.5%, compared to 49.4% in Townsville - Mackay.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Townsville - Mackay | Geraldton | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 31,062 | 6,114 | 24,948 larger in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 26 yrs | 4 yrs older in Geraldton |  |
| Year 12 | 42.6% | 26.0% | 16.6 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Unemployment | 12.8% | 18.2% | 5.4 pts higher in Geraldton |  |
| Median income | $591 | $464 | $127 higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Household income | $1,555 | $1,207 | $348 higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Indigenous language | 11.0% | 7.7% | 3.3 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Townsville - Mackay | Geraldton | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.9 | 3.9 |  |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 more in Geraldton |  |
| 15-min city | 45.0% | 48.4% | 3.3 pts higher in Geraldton |  |
| Walk to shops | 46.3% | 44.7% | 1.6 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to transit | 49.4% | 59.5% | 10.1 pts higher in Geraldton |  |
| Walk to school | 51.0% | 51.2% | 0.1 pts higher in Geraldton |  |
| Walk to a park | 76.5% | 76.7% | 0.2 pts higher in Geraldton |  |
| Walk to health | 36.1% | 41.8% | 5.7 pts higher in Geraldton |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 0 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 4.6% | 4.5% | 0.2 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG310/townsville-mackay/vs/IREG502/geraldton