# Townsville - Mackay vs South-Western WA — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Region comparison · about 3,041 km apart

Townsville - Mackay and South-Western WA are both vast regions, but they differ significantly in their First Nations populations. Townsville - Mackay has a far larger First Nations population, with 31,062 people compared to 14,355 in South-Western WA. Educational and language outcomes are also higher in Townsville - Mackay, where 42.6% of First Nations residents finished Year 12, and 11% speak a First Nations language. Residents in Townsville - Mackay are also more likely to live within a 15-minute walk of groceries (46.3%) and health services (36.1%) than those in South-Western WA.

Both regions are mostly car-dependent, with walkability scores that are very similar. They also share a similar landscape, as the average terrain slope is nearly identical in both places. While Townsville - Mackay generally has better access to local amenities on foot, South-Western WA has a slightly higher share of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport (51.7%).

## First Nations

| Statistic | Townsville - Mackay | South-Western WA | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 31,062 | 14,355 | 16,707 larger in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Median age | 22 yrs | 23 yrs | 1 yrs older in South-Western WA |  |
| Year 12 | 42.6% | 30.2% | 12.4 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Unemployment | 12.8% | 15.7% | 3.0 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |
| Median income | $591 | $497 | $94 higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Household income | $1,555 | $1,359 | $196 higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Indigenous language | 11.0% | 6.5% | 4.5 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Townsville - Mackay | South-Western WA | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.9 | 3.5 | 0.3 higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 more in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| 15-min city | 45.0% | 38.6% | 6.4 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to shops | 46.3% | 39.3% | 7.0 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to transit | 49.4% | 51.7% | 2.3 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |
| Walk to school | 51.0% | 45.8% | 5.2 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to a park | 76.5% | 69.8% | 6.7 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Walk to health | 36.1% | 28.6% | 7.5 pts higher in Townsville - Mackay |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 0 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 4.6% | 5.3% | 0.6 pts higher in South-Western WA |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ireg/IREG310/townsville-mackay/vs/IREG507/south-western-wa