The best suburbs to live in Melbourne in 2026, ranked on cost and lifestyle
Travancore scores 89.5 out of 100, the highest of 525 Greater Melbourne suburbs, at $6,826 a year to run. A ranking built on house prices tells you what a suburb costs to buy into. This one scores what it costs to run and what you get once you live there, on six measures with published weights, so you can check it or weight it your own way.
The highest scoring suburbs in Melbourne for 2026 are Travancore at 89.5 out of 100, Clifton Hill at 89.1 and Glen Huntly at 88.9. The SuburbCost Melbourne Suburb Score combines annual running cost (25 points), catchment school ICSEA (20), crime (15), flood and fire risk (15), public transport (15) and everyday amenities (10). 525 Greater Melbourne suburbs are ranked.
Key statistics
- Suburbs ranked
- 525
- Highest score (Travancore)
- 89.5 / 100
- Top 20 average running cost
- $7,694
- Melbourne median running cost
- $10,291
The 20 highest scoring Melbourne suburbs
Travancore wins on breadth. It takes 19 of 20 for schools, 8.3 of 15 for crime, 15 of 15 for flood and fire, 13.5 of 15 for transport and 10 of 10 for shops, cafes and parks, and runs at $6,826 a year against a $10,291 Melbourne median.
Every suburb's score, each part of it and its running cost: download all 525 as a CSV.
| Rank | Suburb | Council | From CBD | Score | Running cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travancore | Moonee Valley | 4.2 km | 89.5 | $6,826 |
| 2 | Clifton Hill | Yarra | 4.1 km | 89.1 | $6,118 |
| 3 | Glen Huntly | Glen Eira | 11.1 km | 88.9 | $8,069 |
| 4 | Caulfield North | Glen Eira | 8.2 km | 87.9 | $7,644 |
| 5 | Rosanna | Banyule | 12.5 km | 87.9 | $8,516 |
| 6 | Canterbury | Boroondara | 10.1 km | 87.7 | $8,584 |
| 7 | Elsternwick | Glen Eira | 9.1 km | 87.4 | $7,541 |
| 8 | Camberwell | Boroondara | 10 km | 87.4 | $8,566 |
| 9 | Fitzroy North | Yarra | 3.9 km | 87.3 | $6,044 |
| 10 | Northcote | Darebin | 5.7 km | 87.1 | $6,882 |
| 11 | Kingsville | Maribyrnong | 7.3 km | 87 | $7,703 |
| 12 | Moonee Ponds | Moonee Valley | 6.6 km | 86.4 | $7,534 |
| 13 | Caulfield | Glen Eira | 9.7 km | 86.1 | $7,696 |
| 14 | Seddon | Maribyrnong | 6.3 km | 86 | $7,411 |
| 15 | Thornbury | Darebin | 7.1 km | 85.9 | $6,966 |
| 16 | Toorak | Stonnington | 5.7 km | 85.5 | $6,905 |
| 17 | Surrey Hills | Boroondara | 12.1 km | 85.3 | $9,441 |
| 18 | Balwyn | Boroondara | 10.9 km | 85.2 | $8,793 |
| 19 | Mount Waverley | Monash | 16.2 km | 84.9 | $9,393 |
| 20 | Malvern | Stonnington | 8 km | 84.5 | $7,249 |
These scores assume a typical household and a drive to the CBD. Compare your own shortlist with your commute and household →
The top 20 spread across 9 councils, led by Boroondara and Glen Eira with 4 each. All 20 have a catchment ICSEA of 8.0 or more. None of the top 20 is rated high for other offences, while 10 are rated high for property offences, which are counted per resident and so read high in suburbs whose shops and stations draw people from elsewhere. Crime is rated suburb by suburb, except for the 110 suburbs under 1,000 residents, which take their council's rating.
These figures assume a typical household and commute. Find the Melbourne suburbs that fit your own budget →
Best Melbourne suburbs by distance from the city
One list for the whole of Greater Melbourne favours suburbs close to the city twice, through a cheaper commute and better transport. Splitting the 525 suburbs into five distance bands shows the strongest option at each commute length.
Inner, within 5km of the CBD
26 of the 525 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Travancore scores highest at 89.5, at $6,826 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest train |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travancore | Moonee Valley | 89.5 | $6,826 | Flemington Bridge, 9 min walk |
| Clifton Hill | Yarra | 89.1 | $6,118 | Clifton Hill, 4 min walk |
| Fitzroy North | Yarra | 87.3 | $6,044 | Rushall, 8 min walk |
| Richmond | Yarra | 84 | $5,945 | East Richmond, 9 min walk |
| Parkville | Melbourne | 83.7 | $5,235 | Royal Park, 9 min walk |
| Carlton North | Yarra | 83 | $6,093 | Royal Park, 19 min walk |
| East Melbourne | Melbourne | 82.3 | $4,760 | Jolimont-MCG, 3 min walk |
| South Yarra | Stonnington | 81.8 | $6,279 | South Yarra, 1 min walk |
Middle ring, 5km to 10km
54 of the 525 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Caulfield North scores highest at 87.9, at $7,644 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest train |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caulfield North | Glen Eira | 87.9 | $7,644 | Malvern, 10 min walk |
| Elsternwick | Glen Eira | 87.4 | $7,541 | Elsternwick, 8 min walk |
| Northcote | Darebin | 87.1 | $6,882 | Northcote, 8 min walk |
| Kingsville | Maribyrnong | 87 | $7,703 | West Footscray, 9 min walk |
| Moonee Ponds | Moonee Valley | 86.4 | $7,534 | Moonee Ponds, 1 min walk |
| Caulfield | Glen Eira | 86.1 | $7,696 | Glen Huntly, 19 min walk |
| Seddon | Maribyrnong | 86 | $7,411 | Seddon, 5 min walk |
| Thornbury | Darebin | 85.9 | $6,966 | Thornbury, 9 min walk |
Outer, 10km to 20km
127 of the 525 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Glen Huntly scores highest at 88.9, at $8,069 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest train |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Huntly | Glen Eira | 88.9 | $8,069 | Glen Huntly, 4 min walk |
| Rosanna | Banyule | 87.9 | $8,516 | Rosanna, 6 min walk |
| Canterbury | Boroondara | 87.7 | $8,584 | Canterbury, 4 min walk |
| Camberwell | Boroondara | 87.4 | $8,566 | Willison, 4 min walk |
| Surrey Hills | Boroondara | 85.3 | $9,441 | Union, 3 min walk |
| Balwyn | Boroondara | 85.2 | $8,793 | Chatham, 20 min walk |
| Mount Waverley | Monash | 84.9 | $9,393 | Mount Waverley, 4 min walk |
| Strathmore | Moonee Valley | 84.1 | $8,290 | Pascoe Vale, 9 min walk |
Suburban, 20km to 40km
174 of the 525 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Mitcham scores highest at 76.5, at $10,319 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest train |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitcham | Whitehorse | 76.5 | $10,319 | Mitcham, 9 min walk |
| Parkdale | Kingston | 75.9 | $10,890 | Parkdale, 5 min walk |
| Vermont | Whitehorse | 73.5 | $10,350 | Mitcham, 30 min walk |
| Mentone | Kingston | 73.4 | $10,620 | Mentone, 5 min walk |
| Heathmont | Maroondah | 71.3 | $11,053 | Heathmont, 1 min walk |
| Eltham | Nillumbik | 70.7 | $11,459 | Eltham, 8 min walk |
| Ringwood East | Maroondah | 70.1 | $11,075 | Ringwood East, 1 min walk |
| Burnside Heights | Melton | 68.7 | $10,140 | No station within a 30 minute walk |
Fringe, beyond 40km
144 of the 525 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Bunyip scores highest at 63.6, at $8,268 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest train |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunyip | Cardinia | 63.6 | $8,268 | Bunyip, 4 min walk |
| Berwick | Casey | 61.2 | $12,041 | Berwick, 4 min walk |
| Shoreham | Mornington Peninsula | 57 | $8,562 | No station within a 30 minute walk |
| Garfield | Cardinia | 56.9 | $8,169 | Garfield, 15 min walk |
| Bittern | Mornington Peninsula | 56.8 | $10,547 | Bittern, 4 min walk |
| Point Leo | Mornington Peninsula | 56.5 | $8,791 | No station within a 30 minute walk |
| Flinders | Mornington Peninsula | 55.4 | $8,249 | No station within a 30 minute walk |
| Tyabb | Mornington Peninsula | 55.2 | $11,245 | Tyabb, 10 min walk |
Best Melbourne suburbs for families
Filtering for a catchment school ICSEA of 8.0 or above and low flood and fire risk leaves 62 suburbs. The ten highest scoring, with their government school zones for 2026:
| Suburb | Zoned primary, 2026 | Zoned secondary, Year 7 2026 | ICSEA | Running cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travancore | Flemington Primary School | Mount Alexander 7-12 College | 9.5 | $6,826 |
| Clifton Hill | Spensley Street Primary School | Fitzroy High School | 10 | $6,118 |
| Glen Huntly | Glen Huntly Primary School | Glen Eira College | 9.8 | $8,069 |
| Rosanna | Rosanna Golf Links Primary School | Viewbank College | 9.3 | $8,516 |
| Canterbury | Canterbury Primary School | Camberwell High School | 10 | $8,584 |
| Elsternwick | Elsternwick Primary School | Elwood College | 9.7 | $7,541 |
| Camberwell | Canterbury Primary School | Camberwell High School | 10 | $8,566 |
| Fitzroy North | Fitzroy North Primary School | Fitzroy High School | 9.8 | $6,044 |
| Kingsville | Kingsville Primary School | Footscray High School | 8.9 | $7,703 |
| Moonee Ponds | Moonee Ponds West Primary School | Mount Alexander 7-12 College | 9.4 | $7,534 |
ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio Educational Advantage, published by ACARA. It describes the background of a school's community, not the quality of its teaching. Victorian school zones are drawn by address and can split a suburb, so confirm the zone for a specific house on the Victorian Government's Find my School site before you rely on it.
Best Melbourne suburbs for commuters
124 of the 525 suburbs have a train station with morning-peak services within about a 10 minute walk of their centre. The ten highest scoring:
| Suburb | Station | Walk | Tram and bus departures, 7 to 9 am | Running cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travancore | Flemington Bridge | 9 min | 165 | $6,826 |
| Clifton Hill | Clifton Hill | 4 min | 175 | $6,118 |
| Glen Huntly | Glen Huntly | 4 min | 123 | $8,069 |
| Caulfield North | Malvern | 10 min | 367 | $7,644 |
| Rosanna | Rosanna | 6 min | 122 | $8,516 |
| Canterbury | Canterbury | 4 min | 34 | $8,584 |
| Elsternwick | Elsternwick | 8 min | 190 | $7,541 |
| Camberwell | Willison | 4 min | 102 | $8,566 |
| Fitzroy North | Rushall | 8 min | 342 | $6,044 |
| Northcote | Northcote | 8 min | 168 | $6,882 |
Running cost here assumes you drive to the CBD. On a yearly myki Pass the commute costs the same from every suburb, which changes which suburbs are cheapest. The cheapest Melbourne suburbs study shows both.
The highest scoring suburb in each Melbourne council
If you have already picked an area, this is the strongest suburb in each of the 31 councils and where it ranks across Melbourne.
| Council | Suburb | Score | Melbourne rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moonee Valley City Council | Travancore | 89.5 | 1 |
| Yarra City Council | Clifton Hill | 89.1 | 2 |
| Glen Eira City Council | Glen Huntly | 88.9 | 3 |
| Banyule City Council | Rosanna | 87.9 | 5 |
| Boroondara City Council | Canterbury | 87.7 | 6 |
| Darebin City Council | Northcote | 87.1 | 10 |
| Maribyrnong City Council | Kingsville | 87 | 11 |
| Stonnington City Council | Toorak | 85.5 | 16 |
| Monash City Council | Mount Waverley | 84.9 | 19 |
| Hobsons Bay City Council | Newport | 84.3 | 21 |
| Merri-bek City Council | Pascoe Vale South | 84.3 | 22 |
| Melbourne City Council | Parkville | 83.7 | 27 |
| Port Phillip City Council | Ripponlea | 83 | 33 |
| Bayside City Council | Sandringham | 82.9 | 34 |
| Whitehorse City Council | Mont Albert | 82.1 | 42 |
| Manningham City Council | Doncaster East | 79.7 | 62 |
| Kingston City Council | Parkdale | 75.9 | 102 |
| Maroondah City Council | Heathmont | 71.3 | 135 |
| Whittlesea City Council | Lalor | 71.1 | 137 |
| Brimbank City Council | Sunshine | 70.8 | 139 |
| Nillumbik Shire Council | Eltham | 70.7 | 140 |
| Melton City Council | Burnside Heights | 68.7 | 155 |
| Wyndham City Council | Williams Landing | 66.5 | 165 |
| Knox City Council | Ferntree Gully | 64.9 | 176 |
| Cardinia Shire Council | Bunyip | 63.6 | 185 |
| Hume City Council | Roxburgh Park | 62.3 | 196 |
| Casey City Council | Berwick | 61.2 | 206 |
| Greater Dandenong City Council | Springvale South | 59.5 | 211 |
| Mornington Peninsula Shire Council | Shoreham | 57 | 230 |
| Yarra Ranges Shire Council | Mooroolbark | 56.1 | 243 |
| Frankston City Council | Sandhurst | 51.7 | 286 |
How the Melbourne Suburb Score works
A 100 point composite of six measures with fixed, published weights.
| Measure | Points | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Annual running cost | 25 | Percentile within Greater Melbourne: the cheapest suburb to run scores 25 |
| Catchment school ICSEA | 20 | ACARA ICSEA of the catchment schools, out of 10; the 7 suburbs without a figure take the midpoint |
| Crime | 15 | Crime Statistics Agency property and other offences per 1,000 residents, year to June 2026, by suburb (council rating under 1,000 residents) |
| Flood and fire risk | 15 | Victorian planning scheme flood overlays and bushfire overlays, low, medium or high |
| Train access | 10 | Walking time to the nearest station with morning-peak departures |
| Tram and bus service | 5 | Departures between 7 and 9 am from stops within 800 m, full marks at 120 |
| Everyday amenities | 10 | Supermarkets, cafes and parks within a 2 km walk (OpenStreetMap) |
The weights differ from the Sydney and Brisbane scores in two places. Crime carries 15 points rather than 20, because 110 of the 525 suburbs, those under 1,000 residents, take their council's rating rather than their own, and the suburb figures leave out sexual offences. Those 5 points go to transport, which is split between trains (10) and the tram and bus network (5), since trams carry so much of Melbourne's everyday travel. Everyday amenities are counted exactly as in Sydney and Brisbane, from OpenStreetMap. Scores are comparable within Melbourne, not across cities.
Running cost means council rates, water, the modelled drive to the CBD and estimated building insurance, the same total as each suburb's page and the cheapest suburbs study. Victorian rates are each council's average residential rate for 2026-27. Train and tram data come from PTV's timetables (CC BY 4.0), the same figures as the Melbourne Suburb Finder. Walking times are measured in a straight line from the suburb's centre at 4.8 km an hour, so real walks run longer. 10 localities that are airports, a naval base, a treatment plant or industrial precincts are left out.
What this score does not measure
- Property prices and capital growth. Not included anywhere on SuburbCost.
- Quality of shops and parks. Amenities are counted from OpenStreetMap, which can miss or mislabel places. A count says nothing about how good they are.
- Crime street by street. Ratings cover the whole suburb, and the 110 suburbs under 1,000 residents share their council's rating.
- How a suburb feels. Street character, noise and community cannot be scored from open data.
- Your own commute. The drive is modelled to the Melbourne CBD. If you work in Clayton, Dandenong or from home, it does not describe your trip.
- Property level risk. Flood and fire are rated for the suburb, not the address. Check the planning overlays for a specific property.
If one measure matters more to you than the rest, the CSV has each part so you can re-rank on it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best suburbs to live in Melbourne?
On the SuburbCost Melbourne Suburb Score, the highest scoring suburbs in 2026 are Travancore (Moonee Valley City Council) at 89.5 out of 100, Clifton Hill at 89.1 and Glen Huntly at 88.9. The score combines annual running cost, catchment school ICSEA, suburb crime ratings, flood and fire risk, access to trains, trams and buses, and shops, cafes and parks on foot. 525 Greater Melbourne suburbs are ranked. It does not measure property prices, capital growth or how a suburb feels to live in.
Is the crime score for the suburb or the council?
For the suburb, in 415 of the 525. The Crime Statistics Agency publishes offence counts by suburb, and the score rates property and other offences per 1,000 residents, averaged over the years to June 2025 and June 2026. The 110 suburbs with fewer than 1,000 residents take their council's rating instead, because a few offences would swing a small suburb's rate. Sexual offences are not in the suburb figures, so they are not counted. None of the top 20 is rated high for other offences, while 10 are rated high for property offences, which are counted per resident and so read high in suburbs whose shops and stations draw people from elsewhere.
What are the best Melbourne suburbs for families?
Filtering for a catchment school ICSEA of 8.0 or above and low flood and fire risk leaves 62 suburbs. The highest scoring are Travancore, Clifton Hill, Glen Huntly, Rosanna and Canterbury. ICSEA describes the background of a school's community, not its teaching, and Victorian school zones are set by address, so check the zone for any house you look at.
What are the best Melbourne suburbs for public transport?
124 of the 525 suburbs have a train station with morning-peak services within about a 10 minute walk of their centre. The highest scoring of those are Travancore, Clifton Hill, Glen Huntly, Caulfield North and Rosanna. Tram and bus departures within 800 m count for the rest of the transport score.
Are the best Melbourne suburbs expensive to run?
No. The top 20 average $7,694 a year to run, against a Melbourne median of $10,291, and 20 of the 20 cost less than the median. Most sit within 16.2 km of the CBD, where the commute is short. That says nothing about what they cost to buy, which this score does not measure. The cheapest suburbs to run are ranked in the cheapest Melbourne suburbs study.
How is the Melbourne Suburb Score calculated?
Six measures out of 100. Annual running cost 25 points, as a percentile within Greater Melbourne. Catchment school ICSEA 20. Crime 15, from the Crime Statistics Agency's suburb offence counts for property and other offences, year to June 2026, with suburbs under 1,000 residents taking their council's rating. Flood and fire overlays 15. Public transport 15: walking distance to a train station with morning-peak services (10) and tram and bus departures within 800 m between 7 and 9 am (5). Everyday amenities 10: supermarkets, cafes and parks within a 2 km walk. The weights are fixed and published.
Compare your own shortlist
Put up to five suburbs side by side on council rates, water, insurance, electricity and your commute, ten years out, with flood, fire, crime and school ratings for each.
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