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Melbourne in Australia

Melbourne is made up of Mornington Peninsula (S), Yarra (C), Frankston (C), Hobsons Bay (C), Moonee Valley (C), Knox (C), Darebin (C), Casey (C), Glen Eira (C), Yarra Ranges (S), Port Phillip (C), Monash (C), Bayside (C), Kingston (C) (Vic.), Maroondah (C), Cardinia (S), Brimbank (C), Greater Dandenong (C), Melbourne (C), Moreland (C), Mitchell (S), Banyule (C), Hume (C), Wyndham (C), Nillumbik (S), Melton (C), Whitehorse (C), Stonnington (C), Whittlesea (C), Boroondara (C), Maribyrnong (C), Macedon Ranges (S), Manningham (C), Moorabool (S), Hepburn (S), Murrindindi (S), and Merri-bek.

Living in Melbourne in May 2025

Melbourne Overall Liveability Index
Australia
59.5
Adelaide
62.9
Central NSW
59.0
Central QLD
57.2
Central VIC
60.8
Darwin
52.6
Eastern VIC
58.0
Far North Queensland
52.9
Hobart
58.1
Northern NSW
55.7
Perth
62.9
Regional NT
50.6
Regional SA
59.4
Regional Tas
58.8
Regional WA
61.0
Rest of QLD
66.5
South East Queensland
59.2
Southern NSW
59.1
Sydney
64.1
The ACT
64.2
Western VIC
60.9
Collected May 2025

Use the values and experiences matrix to understand the relationship between what your residents believe makes somewhere a good place to live and how they experience their local area in that regard. The matrix highlights the attributes that your community believe needs to maintained and improved to advance overall liveability.

Greater Importance & Worse Experiences    Greater Importance & Better Experiences    Less important attributes

Melbourne Overall Liveability Index

Melbourne Overall Liveability Index 60.6

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index 59.5

Melbourne
Australia
Importance
Experience
Feeling safe
Importance
Experience
64%
5.9
65%
6.2
Public transport
Importance
Experience
59%
6.4
40%
5.2
Natural environment
Importance
Experience
52%
7.1
50%
7.6
Affordable decent housing
Importance
Experience
52%
4.8
56%
4.5
Health services
Importance
Experience
40%
6.6
48%
6.1
Making your way
Importance
Experience
33%
6.0
30%
6.0
Social cohesion
Importance
Experience
30%
6.5
26%
6.3
Shopping, leisure & dining
Importance
Experience
26%
6.8
26%
6.1
Sense of community
Importance
Experience
25%
5.9
29%
6.2
Good job prospects
Importance
Experience
24%
5.4
29%
5.4
Opportunity for all
Importance
Experience
20%
5.9
19%
5.9
A lack of road congestion
Importance
Experience
18%
4.3
21%
5.3
Cultural facilities
Importance
Experience
18%
5.8
15%
5.8
Education
Importance
Experience
16%
6.5
20%
6.3
A prosperous economy
Importance
Experience
15%
5.6
16%
5.6
Sports and recreation
Importance
Experience
8%
6.8
9%
6.9
The arrows indicate whether a difference is statistically significant. Significance testing helps determine if a difference between two groups is likely real (shown by an arrow) or due to random chance (no arrow).
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Melbourne in May 2025

Physical Health
How would you rate your physical health?
Do you think your physical health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
6.8
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.7
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
12%
57%
31%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
15%
56%
30%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Mental Health
How would you rate your mental health?
Do you think your mental health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
6.8
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
11%
62%
26%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
12%
64%
24%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Social wellbeing
How would you rate your social wellbeing?
Do you think your social wellbeing will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
6.4
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
6.5
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
8%
65%
27%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
11%
67%
22%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Financial circumstances in Melbourne in May 2025

How would you rate your personal financial circumstances?
Do you think your personal financial circumstance will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
5.6
Very poor
Excellent
Australia (n = 4907)
5.7
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
24%
46%
29%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
27%
47%
26%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
How often, if ever, are you late meeting your financial commitments?
Do you think the economic situation in your local area will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 424)
Australia (n = 4683)
Always late
3%
2%
Often late
3%
6%
Sometimes late
29%
30%
Never late
65%
63%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
38%
52%
10%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia (n = 4907)
42%
48%
11%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change in Melbourne in May 2025

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
Australia (n = 4907)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
54%
43%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
27%
32%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
6%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
6%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
8%
11%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 40% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 44% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 5% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 36% somewhat confident. 50% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact your local area in your lifetime?
How confident are you that your local area will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 418)
Australia (n = 4304)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
40%
49%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
44%
36%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
16%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 344)
Australia (n = 3585)
Very confident
5%
5%
Somewhat confident
36%
35%
Not very confident
35%
39%
Not at all confident
15%
15%
Don't know
9%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt their local area is currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top local area climate-related events were: Extreme heat (82%), Severe wind (53%) and Storms (42%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Protect and enhance local biodiversity (62%), Reduce pollution of the environment (59%) and More sustainable transport options (54%).

How is your local area currently, or how do you expect it will, feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
What do you feel are the best ways to address the effects of climate change in your local area?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 330)
Australia (n = 3490)
Extreme heat
82%
74%
Severe wind
53%
44%
Storms
42%
53%
Droughts
40%
42%
Bushfires
38%
50%
Flooding
33%
48%
Extremely cold temperatures
28%
16%
Sea level rise
17%
24%
Earthquakes
8%
5%
Cyclones
5%
24%
Landslide
5%
7%
Other
4%
5%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 344)
Australia (n = 3585)
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
62%
60%
Reduce pollution of the environment
59%
51%
More sustainable transport options
54%
41%
Adopt renewable energy sources
51%
48%
More sustainable building and development practices
48%
44%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
47%
53%
Conserve natural resources
46%
48%
Provide options for recycling waste
45%
47%
Create renewable energy sources
43%
38%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
43%
36%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
42%
35%
Encourage residents to buy locally
28%
30%
Other
7%
6%
None of these
3%
2%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change on residents

Among those that believe in climate change, 45% indicated that they themselves are currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 40% expected to within their lifetime. Of those, 8% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 50% somewhat confident. 36% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact you personally in your lifetime?
How confident are you that you personally will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 418)
Australia (n = 4304)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
45%
47%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
40%
37%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
15%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 348)
Australia (n = 3506)
Very confident
8%
8%
Somewhat confident
50%
52%
Not very confident
31%
30%
Not at all confident
5%
6%
Don't know
7%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt they are currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top personal impacts were: Increased household running costs (74%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (62%) and My ability to leave my home due to weather (53%). 56% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 23% feel it will reduce their quality of life a lot.

How are you currently, or how do you expect to, personally feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Which of the following best represents how you believe the effects of climate change will affect your quality of life?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 348)
Australia (n = 3506)
Increased household running costs
74%
77%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
62%
61%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
53%
46%
Reduction in air quality
50%
36%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
39%
40%
My ability to access nature due to weather
35%
32%
Challenges getting around
32%
36%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
30%
26%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
30%
29%
Challenges accessing essential services
24%
28%
Loss or damage to your home/property
20%
29%
Reduced value to your home/property
11%
15%
None of these
1%
2%
Other
2%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Melbourne 2025 (n = 348)
Australia (n = 3506)
It will improve a lot
1%
2%
It will improve somewhat
7%
7%
It will not change
9%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
56%
49%
It will reduce a lot
23%
22%
Don't know
4%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns in Melbourne in May 2025

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
Australia (n = 4907)
Inflation/Cost of Living
58%
54%
Housing/Price of Housing
47%
50%
Law & order
40%
36%
Transport
22%
20%
Population/Overpopulation
16%
13%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
15%
15%
The Economy
13%
12%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
12%
13%
Poverty/Inequality
11%
11%
Environmental Concerns
10%
10%
Healthcare/Hospitals
10%
20%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
9%
12%
Immigration
9%
7%
Unemployment
9%
9%
Taxation
7%
6%
Race Relations/Racism
6%
5%
Education
2%
3%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
2%
4%
Defence
2%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Residential Development and Local Area Decision-Making in Melbourne in May 2025

What concerns do you have with residential development (building more homes to accommodate more people) in your local area?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
Australia (n = 4907)
Increased traffic and congestion
52%
46%
Strain on infrastructure and public services
42%
42%
Loss of green space or natural areas
32%
28%
Lack of affordable housing
30%
38%
Rising housing costs
28%
35%
Changes to neighbourhood character
26%
21%
Overcrowding
25%
18%
Environmental impact
17%
20%
Noise or disruption during construction
15%
10%
Other
4%
5%
None/not applicable to my area
3%
5%
Don't know
2%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
What other concerns do you have with residential development in your local area?

What do you see as the potential benefits of residential development (building more homes to accommodate more people) in your local area?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
Australia (n = 4906)
Increased housing availability
45%
49%
Support for local businesses and services
39%
42%
More affordable housing options
34%
37%
Revitalisation of underused or vacant areas
22%
20%
Opportunity for more sustainable, energy-efficient housing
21%
15%
Improved infrastructure and amenities (e.g. roads, parks)
17%
18%
Attraction of new residents and economic growth
17%
23%
Enhanced public transport options
15%
13%
Greater diversity in housing types
10%
10%
Other
4%
4%
None/not applicable to my area
17%
13%
Don’t know
4%
3%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
What do you see as the other potential benefits of residential development in your local area?

To what extent do you feel your community’s views are considered in local area decision-making?
Melbourne 2025 (n = 456)
Australia (n = 4907)
Very well considered
3%
4%
Somewhat well considered
29%
27%
Not well considered
31%
34%
Not considered at all
26%
27%
Don't know
12%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower