South Hedland vs West Kimberley

South Hedland and West Kimberley are two distant regional areas with very different profiles for their First Nations populations. In South Hedland, First Nations household income is far higher at $2,034, compared to $842 in West Kimberley. This gap is seen in education too, with Year 12 completion far higher in South Hedland at 32.8%, while West Kimberley sits at 21.5%. However, West Kimberley has a much stronger connection to traditional languages, with 54.2% of people speaking a First Nations language, which is far higher than the 29.3% in South Hedland.

Both areas are mostly car-dependent and share a similar level of access to 15-minute-city amenities, with about 45% of homes in each area meeting that standard. This similarity extends to the landscape, as both have a very similar mean terrain slope. While South Hedland has far more homes within walking distance of public transport, West Kimberley has a far higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and health services.