Canberra rated as Australia’s most liveable city for third year in Life In Australia Index report

Canberra has been rated as Australia’s best place to live despite being a two-hour drive from the beach.

The national capital had the highest liveability score for the third year running in the REA Group’s annual Life In Australia Index report.

Despite being 150km by road from the coast, it scored 62.3 out of 100 as a good place to live, putting it above the national average of 59.3.

Canberra (pictured) has been rated as Australia’s best place to live despite being a two-hour drive from the beach. The national capital had the highest liveability score for the third year running in the REA Group’s Life In Australia Index report

Australia’s biggest cities, hampered by overcrowding, were rated as less liveable places, with Melbourne getting a score of 58.9 while Sydney did even worse at 58.4.

Melbourne fared poorly for safety while Sydney was marked down for having unaffordable housing. 

In contrast, Canberrans felt better when it came to feeling safe, having decent, affordable housing, good job prospects and good health services. 

The city, which is synonymous with politicians, was the only capital city to feature education as a top five factor for liveability. 

Australia's biggest cities, hampered by overcrowding, were rated as less liveable places, with Sydney (Wynyard station pictured) scoring 58.4 out of 100, or less than the national average of 59.3

Australia’s biggest cities, hampered by overcrowding, were rated as less liveable places, with Sydney (Wynyard station pictured) scoring 58.4 out of 100, or less than the national average of 59.3

‘Melbourne has for many years been regarded as Australia’s most liveable city, however, when it comes to how residents actually feel about where they live, Canberra comes out on top,’ the report said.

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Melbourne’s quality of life has severely declined following a wave African gang crime and the January 2017 rampage on Bourke Street, which saw six people fatally run over in the mall.

In November, Bourke Street was also the scene of a terrorist attack, which saw Italian-born cafe owner Sisto Malaspina stabbed to death by Somali-born Islamic State sympathiser Hassan Khalif Shire Ali.

‘Melbourne has for many years been regarded as Australia’s most liveable city, however, when it comes to how residents actually feel about where they live, Melburnians are feeling less safe than ever before,’ the report said.

‘Well-publicised gang-related violence and one-off attacks in major public places, like Bourke Street, may be driving fear and contributing to the perception that Melbourne isn’t as safe as it was five years ago.’

Canberra residents, who mainly work in the public service, also have Australia’s highest average full-time salaries of $95,524.

Melbourne's reputation for a liveable city has been surpassed by Canberra, with the Victorian capital (Federation Square pictured) scoring 58.9 out of 100, with many residents feeling less safe following a series of African gang crime and the Bourke Street car rampage

Melbourne’s reputation for a liveable city has been surpassed by Canberra, with the Victorian capital (Federation Square pictured) scoring 58.9 out of 100, with many residents feeling less safe following a series of African gang crime and the Bourke Street car rampage

People living in the Australian Capital Territory are also more likely to afford a house, with median prices at $665,701, CoreLogic data showed.

Australia’s liveability ranking

1. Canberra 62.3

2. Perth 62.0

3. Adelaide 61.1

4. Brisbane 60.2 

5. Hobart 59.9

6. Melbourne 58.9

7. Sydney 58.4 

8. Darwin 54.1

Source: REA Group’s Life In Australia Index based on a survey of 

This is significantly less than Sydney’s equivalent price of $888,117 and Melbourne’s $729,392.

Despite house prices in Sydney dropping by 11.5 per cent during the past year, the New South Wales capital has continued to have the worst score for housing affordability.

‘Of the sixteen attributes measured in the study, affordable decent housing in Sydney ranked the lowest nationally, showing steep decline over the last 12 months,’ the report said.

After Canberra, Perth was regarded as Australia’s second most liveable city.

It scored 62 out of 100, putting it ahead of Adelaide (61.1), Brisbane (60.2) and Hobart (59.9).

Darwin was rated as Australia’s least liveable capital city, with a score of 54.1.

The REA Group’s survey of 9,515 people was taken in October and released this week. 

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