What makes a suburb liveable?

Liveability explained by Adam Terrill of Tract Consultants.

A new study launched by Domain ranks 555 Sydney suburbs based on liveability.

A total of 16 indicators were used to determine a suburb’s liveability, including transport, education, traffic, views, proximity to employment hubs and access to the beach. For the full list of indicators click here.

The study is the fourth of its kind authored by Tract Consultants and Deloitte Access Economics, but it is the first time they have run the liveability lens over the harbour city. Here are the results (words by Elicia Murray).

View the regional breakdown and use Domain’s liveability calculator.











1. Lavender Bay

Gold! Gold! Gold for Lavender Bay! This tiny pocket of the lower north shore is the most liveable Sydney suburb, with extremely strong scores for eating out, culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, harbour views, topographic variation, public transport and schools. Residents enjoy outstanding telecommunications coverage, plenty of open spaces and relatively little traffic congestion. The home of Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden also gets a big tick for its tree coverage.

2. Milsons Point

That toothy chap at Luna Park has plenty to smile about – he lives in the second most liveable suburb in Sydney. Milsons Point gets top marks for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, eating out, ferries and buses, education and open spaces. The only below par scores are for tree cover (or lack thereof) and crime.

3. McMahons Point

It’s a podium finish for McMahons Point, the third most liveable suburb in Sydney. This place is hard to beat in terms of water views, topographical variety, eating out, proximity to employment hubs, culture and public transport. It scores very well for telecommunications coverage, shops and the number of schools in its surrounds, but the crime rate is slightly higher than nearby suburbs.

4. Kirribilli

Home to the second official residence of the PM, and with good reason: Kirribilli smashes it out of the park for its harbour views, dining scene, proximity to employment hubs, mobile and internet coverage, culture, ferries, buses and schools. It outperforms most of Sydney on shops, open spaces, and train links, too. Only the crime rate was slightly above average.

5. Waverton

The lower north shore’s domination of the top-10 list continues, with Waverton performing well above average on every measure except crime. Full marks for open spaces, trains and ferries, harbour views, cafes and restaurants, shops, proximity to employment hubs and telecommunications coverage. It’s well above average for tree cover, topographical variation, buses, schools and culture.

6. Wollstonecraft

Named after settler Edward Wollstonecraft, the nephew of women’s rights activist Mary Wollstonecraft and cousin of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, Wollstonecraft is the sixth most liveable suburb in Sydney. It gets five stars for harbour views, trains, cafes and restaurants, proximity to employment hubs and telecommunications coverage and is average or above on all other measures.

7. North Sydney

The commercial heart of the lower north shore is a fabulous place to call home. It’s up there with the best for dining options, proximity to employment hubs, culture, telecommunications coverage, education, public transport and shops. Tree cover is about average and the only below-average score is for crime.

8. Millers Point

The top performer outside the lower north shore and the best of the city and east group, Millers Point is the eighth most liveable suburb in Sydney. Rich in history and pubs, it’s a winner for its culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, dining out, water views, topographic variation and ferries. Public transport is well above average, and there’s open space galore. The suburb could be safer though.

9. Elizabeth Bay

Sneaking into the city’s top 10 most liveable suburbs at no.9 and second placed for the city and east, Elizabeth Bay is head and shoulders above most of Sydney for eating out, jobs, culture, telecommunications, water views and bus routes. Train access and open spaces are excellent, especially if you like water views with your morning coffee. The downsides? Heavy traffic congestion and higher than average crime.

10. Darling Point

Rounding out the top 10 most liveable suburbs in Sydney and third for the city and east, Darling Point scores highly for culture, proximity to the eastern beaches, public transport, water views, nearby jobs and telecommunications coverage. It has great eating out options, tree cover, shops and public transport. Just don’t expect a smooth run during peak hour.

11. Rushcutters Bay

With bobbing boats and harbourside parks, Rushcutters Bay locals reside in one of the most liveable places in the eastern suburbs. It scores brilliantly for open spaces, beach access, public transport, cafes and restaurants, proximity to employment hubs, culture and telecommunication coverage. It is rated well above average for just about everything, except crime and – like neighbouring Darling Point – main road congestion.

12. Neutral Bay

There’s a lot to love about Neutral Bay, which scores A’s for its cafes and restaurants, proximity to jobs, telecommunications coverage and its ferries. It’s well above average on culture, shops, views, topographic variation, buses and schools. There’s room for improvement on crime, and it’s rated average for tree cover, trains (or lack there of), main road congestion and open spaces.

13. Woollahra

It’s hardly surprising that the home of Queen Street gets high scores for its cafes, restaurants and shops. It scores consistently well across the board, including top marks for culture, telecommunications coverage and tree cover. The only category bringing Woollahra down is main road congestion.

14. Woolloomooloo

Glitzy harbourside apartments and restaurants dominate the former docklands area at Wolloomooloo. It scores impressively on just about every measure, including proximity to employment hubs, dining options, shops, culture, tree cover, public transport, education and open spaces. As for negatives, it’s rated above the city’s average for crime and main road congestion.

15. Balmain East

And the gong for most liveable suburb in the inner west goes to … Balmain East! While this harbourside neighbourhood doesn’t have as many shops or restaurants as neighbouring Balmain, it is slightly safer, has more open spaces and ferries, more bus stops relative to its size and much better views of the NYE fireworks. It also gets top marks for its culture, telecommunications and proximity to employment hubs.

16. Greenwich

Greenwich isn’t dux of the lower north shore, but it’s one of the area’s best all-rounders, performing well above average on every measure except main road congestion, proximity to schools and open spaces. The study identified its best features as its harbour views, trains, ferries, proximity to employment hubs and telecommunications coverage. It’s also one of the area’s safest neighbourhoods.

17. Kurraba Point

Kurraba Point, between Neutral Bay and Shell Cove, is close to both ferries and employments hubs and there’s relatively low road congestion and plenty of cultural attractions nearby. It doesn’t perform as strongly as some of its lower north shore neighbours for public transport – especially buses – or its proximity to the local schools.

18. Edgecliff

Culture? Tick! Shops? Tick! Schools? Tick! The study reveals Edgecliff as a veritable tick-fest, with great scores for just about every category. It’s close to jobs and beaches, has its own train station – a rarity in the eastern suburbs – and some parts even enjoy water views. There’s room for improvement on crime and main road congestion.

19. Sydney

It doesn’t get much closer to the action than the heart of Sydney, where residents enjoy cultural options aplenty, as well as a smorgasbord of shops, cafes, restaurants, jobs, train links and educational institutions. Tree cover is average and Sydney city is not rated well for crime or traffic congestion.

20. Cammeray

Cammeray’s best scores are for its proximity to employment hubs and telecommunications coverage. It’s above the Sydney average for culture, buses, ferries, open spaces, topographic variation and dining options. The suburb doesn’t perform as well as some of its lower north shore neighbours for shops, tree cover, water views and train links.

21. Paddington

The suburb renowned for its pretty terrace houses has outstanding cultural options, shops, cafes and restaurants, jobs and telecommunications coverage. It’s also well above average on education, public transport and beach access. The only drawbacks identified by the study were main road congestion, crime and scant tree cover.

Back to top

22. Cremorne

Comfortably in the top 50 per cent of the lower north shore in terms of liveability, Cremorne’s best scores are for its telecommunications coverage and nearby ferry wharves, which are in striking distance for those on the harbour side of Military Road. It’s also well above average for culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, water views, topographic variation, buses, beach access and schools. Main road congestion, tree cover and open spaces are rated about average.

23. Birchgrove

Step into the spotlight Birchgrove, the second most liveable suburb in the inner west. Its results are overflowing with top marks, from ferries, harbour views and dining options, to proximity to employment hubs, telecommunications and culture. It’s well ahead of most of Sydney for its low crime rate and nearby shops, but below average for buses.

24. St Leonards

Transport infrastructure upgrades are set to make St Leonards even easier to get to. It already has excellent train links, shops, cafes, culture and local job options. It is rated about average for open spaces, topographic variation and tree cover. There’s room for improvement on the crime rate.

25. Potts Point

If it’s culture, cafes, shops, harbour views, public transport or education you’re after, Potts Point is the place to be. Serviced by Kings Cross train station, the suburb is ultra-liveable according to all measures on the study except tree cover, crime, open spaces and main road congestion.

26. Naremburn

Sitting close to the middle of the lower north shore suburbs in terms of liveability, Naremburn scores brilliantly for culture, nearby jobs, shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s also very good for train links, open spaces and topographic variation. The suburb has a lower crime rate than some of the its busier neighbours but it’s not rated well for education or buses.

27. Bellevue Hill

Main road congestion and lack of open space are the only areas in which Bellevue Hill performs poorly, according to the study. The affluent harbourside suburb’s best ratings are for its culture, beach proximity, mobile and internet coverage and educational options. Train access and crime are about average for Sydney.

28. Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst is overflowing with cultural offerings. It has great public transport, dining options, shops, schools and plenty of nearby jobs, too. The study rates the suburb well below average for tree cover, main road congestion and crime.

29. Middle Cove

A haven of leafy areas and wide open spaces, Middle Cove is a quiet sanctuary on the lower north shore. There’s a high level of topographic variation, plenty of educational options nearby and it rates very well for culture. Not so flash are its scores for main road congestion, train access, eating out and shopping.

30. Balmain

Once blue-collar heartland, Balmain is ultra-liveable these days, scoring top marks for its culture, cafes, telecommunications and ferry links. However the crime rate could be lower, traffic can get heavy and it could use a few more bus stops. There’s not much tree cover either but what Balmain lacks in leafy vistas it makes up for with harbour views.

31. Northwood

It’s not as showy as some of its southern neighbours but Northwood achieves very respectable scores for everything except proximity to schools, cafes and restaurants. Shops, open spaces and main road congestion are bang on average for Sydney, and it performs very well for culture, tree cover, topographic variation, water views, ferries and buses. The crime rate is also relatively low.

32. Cremorne Point

Main road congestion, education and shops are the only categories in which Cremorne Point doesn’t rate well. It’s a high-flyer in terms of its open spaces, proximity to beaches, buses, ferries, water views, proximity to employment hubs and mobile and internet coverage. The crime rate is impressively low, there are trees all over the place and it’s close to cultural attractions.

33. The Rocks

The colonial hotspot has kept up with the times, receiving top scores for culture, shops, restaurants, proximity to employment hubs, trains and ferries. As you would expect it’s also rated above average for harbour views. The only areas in which it receives below average marks are for it’s lack tree cover and open spaces and higher than average crime rate.

34. Double Bay

Lack of open space, heavy main road congestion and crime are the only negatives identified in Double Bay. Other than that, it performs well above average in just about every category, receiving top marks for education, proximity to beaches, ferries, shops, jobs, culture and telecommunications coverage. The cafe scene, topographic variation and proximity to Edgecliff station boost its liveability score.

35. Queens Park

This little enclave near Bondi Junction is among the best performers in Sydney for cultural offerings, shops, cafes and schools. It scores very well for public transport links, open spaces, proximity to employment hubs and access to the beaches of the eastern suburbs, but it is dragged down by its main road congestion.

36. Centennial Park

Main road congestion brings Centennial Park’s liveability score down, but the light rail should improve things on that count. Aside from that, it outperforms most of Sydney with its culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, open spaces, beach access and telecommunications coverage.

37. Northbridge

If only there were a category for medieval-style sandstone bridges. There’s not, so Northbridge will have to make do with relatively strong telecommunications coverage and above average scores for pretty much everything else except buses, trains and proximity to schools. It performs very well for culture, shops, proximity to employment hubs, tree cover, topographic variation and open spaces.

38. Chatswood

Chatswood gets great marks for shops, eating out and telecommunications coverage. The area is well serviced by buses and trains – and will get better service with the Sydney Metro Northwest. There are plenty of educational options, but there’s room for improvement in terms of traffic congestion and open spaces.

39. Bondi Junction

As you would expect, the home of Westfield Bondi Junction gets gold stars for its shops, cafes and restaurants. It also excels in the categories of culture, proximity to schools, trains and, of course, access to nearby Bondi Beach. The suburb’s overall ranking is dragged down slightly by its scores for tree cover, main road congestion and crime.

40. Mosman

Ferries and buses are Mosman’s transport highlights – drivers will know all too well the frustrations of Military Road at peak hour. The suburb is rated outstandingly for culture, water views, beach access and telecommunications coverage. Dining options get above average scores, there are lots of open spaces and it’s leafy to boot.

41. Lane Cove

Lane Cove gets a gold star for telecommunications coverage and a pat on the back for 10 other categories, including culture, ferries, proximity to employment hubs, shops, eating out, tree cover, buses and open spaces. There’s room for improvement on education and main road congestion, and it’s further from the beach than some of its north shore neighbours.

Back to top

42. Surry Hills

Once down-at-heel, Surry Hills has undergone a renaissance, bringing it into the top 50 most liveable suburbs in Sydney. The neighbourhood gets fantastic scores for culture, buses, cafes and restaurants, shops and proximity to employment hubs. There’s plenty of room for improvement on tree cover, traffic congestion and crime.

43. Glebe

While it just missed out on a podium finish for the inner west, Glebe is still at the top of its game for education, rail links, eating out, proximity to employment hubs and culture. It gets very impressive results for telecommunications and shops. Glebe’s only less impressive scores are for crime and traffic congestion.

44. Waverley

Sitting comfortably in the top half of the east’s most liveable suburbs, Waverley gets outstanding results for its ocean views, beach access, schools, cafes and buses. It performs admirably on culture, proximity to employment hubs and shops but is rated below average for tree cover, public open space and traffic congestion.

45. Forest Lodge

Tiny Forest Lodge packs a liveability punch, rated fifth in the inner west overall. Like Glebe, crime and traffic congestion are the only areas in which it falls short. Elsewhere, it scores top marks for nearby jobs, buses, cafes and restaurants. Shops and telecommunications are rated well above average for Sydney, but it could do with more trees.

46. Dawes Point

Of course the home of the Sydney Theatre Company gets top marks for culture, not to mention, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, harbour views and ferries. Dawes Point, which is bordered by the Harbour Bridge on its eastern side, also has excellent public transport links, but isn’t rated as well in the categories of crime, open space and tree cover.

47. Pyrmont

The inner-city suburb of Pyrmont is a winner for its culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, cafes, ferries and light rail links. It also scores above the Sydney average for buses and open spaces. On the downside, it receives below average ratings for tree cover, education, main road congestion and crime.

48. Queenscliff

Named in honour of Queen Victoria, Queenscliff reigns supreme as the most liveable suburb on the northern beaches. Sure, there are no trains and peak hour traffic is a drag, but on most other measures it outshines its northern neighbours. The best scores are for open spaces, ocean views, access to the beach and buses. It also gets big ticks for culture, telecommunications coverage, cafes, views and the low crime rate, which drags nearby Manly down a few spots.

49. Riverview

Safe, leafy and topographically interesting, Riverview receives solid scores for most categories. It enjoys access to ferries strong mobile and internet coverage, it is close to employment hubs and cultural attractions and it has decent scores for education and water views. The only below average scores are for cafes and restaurants, main road congestion and lack of trains.

50. Manly

One of the most famous northern beaches suburbs is also one of the most liveable. Ranked second in the region and 50th in all of Sydney, Manly is a haven for outdoorsy types, with the beach, open spaces and decent tree cover. Manly’s ferry wharf is a major drawcard and there are plenty of cafe and dining options. Its lowest ratings are for main road congestion, crime and lack of trains.

51. Rozelle

Rozelle is a treasure trove with its abundance of cafe and dining options – rated sixth in the inner west for overall liveability. It outshines most suburbs for telecommunications coverage, ferries (via Balmain) and education. However all those tightly packed terraces mean it’s not particularly leafy. Rozelle’s next lowest ratings are for open space and crime.

52. Bronte

Bronte’s best scores are for its beach, buses, ocean views and telecommunication coverage. The coastal neighbourhood is also onto a good thing with its culture, cafes, schools and topographic variation (coastal walk, anyone?) The suburb gets below-average ratings for shops and main road congestion.

53. Randwick

Rated above middle of the pack for liveability in the eastern suburbs, Randwick should leapfrog a few neighbours with the South East Light Rail. In this study, it is rated brilliantly for telecommunications coverage, cafes, restaurants and schools. It’s above average for culture, shops, proximity to employment hubs, buses and beach access but suffers from peak-hour congestion.

54. Meadowbank

The relatively low number of bus stops is the only real weak spot in Meadowbank’s results. It performs average or above average everywhere else, receiving outstanding ratings for telecommunications, ferries and rail access (with such good boats and trains, who need buses?) It also boasts water views, shops and is relatively close to employment hubs and schools.

55. Bondi

Bondi smashes it out of the park in terms of its beach access, water views and telecommunications coverage. It’s also well rated for its culture, dining options, proximity to employment hubs and buses, but the main road congestion and lack of open space bring down its overall score.

56. Artarmon

Artarmon sits just below average for liveability among the suburbs of the lower north shore, but there’s some stiff competition in that region of Sydney. Its best ratings are for cafes and trains. It also performs above the Sydney average for culture, proximity to employment hubs and shops. Artarmon is not rated particularly well for traffic congestion.

57. Haymarket

The home of Sydney’s Chinatown receives top marks for its cafes and restaurants, shops, proximity to employment hubs, culture and public transport. Telecommunications coverage and education are rated average and Haymarket doesn’t perform well on measures of crime, tree cover, open space or main road congestion.

58. Longueville

Overlooking the Lane Cove River, Longueville gets its best scores for its water views. It’s a winner for mobile and internet coverage, too. There’s an abundance of open space, rich cultural offerings and great ferry and bus links. The suburb is rated below average for main road congestion, education, shops and eating out.

59. Willoughby

Willoughby performs solidly across a range of categories, including culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, cafes and restaurants and education. It is also rated excellent for its telecommunications coverage. The suburb receives below average scores for buses and open space.

60. Clovelly

If it’s ocean views and a kid-friendly beach you’re looking for, Clovelly delivers. The neighbourhood has numerous bus links, solid telecommunications coverage, very good cultural options, dining offerings and topographic variation. Tree cover is below average for Sydney and, like many beach side suburbs in the east, quite a bit of main road congestion.

61. Waitara

Waitara wins the prize for most liveable suburb on the upper north shore and is sandwiched between Clovelly and Crows Nest on the overall liveability league table. It is a star performer in terms of train links and shops, and performs well above average for telecommunications coverage, cafes and restaurants and proximity to schools. All the other results are around the Sydney average.

62. Crows Nest

Crows Nest is a hotspot for jobs, cafes, restaurants, shops and cultural offerings. Its bus links are above the Sydney average, but it has room for improvement on tree cover, crime and open spaces. The study gives Crows Nest average scores for main road congestion.

63. Harris Park

Parramatta’s neighbour Harris Park is the best in the west for liveability. It gets top marks for trains, education, shops, eating out and proximity to employment hubs. With great bus links too, it’s one of the more accessible parts of Sydney if you’re using public transport. It also scores well for culture with Riverside Theatres and Parramatta City Library nearby. However, the suburb’s scores for crime and open space drag down its overall rating.

64. Dee Why

As the third most liveable suburb on the northern beaches, Dee Why gets top marks for its beach – all 1.2 kilometres of it – and ocean views. Mobile phone and internet coverage are relatively superior to other parts of Sydney. The suburb is ranked highly for its shops, cafes, schools and buses, but it receives lacklustre scores for main road congestion and lack of rail.

65. Lane Cove North

Lane Cove North is rated roughly the same as Lane Cove for liveability on most measures, but it doesn’t score as highly for shops, cafes and restaurants or topographic variation. Mobile and internet coverage are relatively strong, it’s about average for Sydney in terms of cultural offerings and main road congestion, and its education score is below average.

66. Lane Cove West

Lane Cove West beats Lane Cove and Lane Cove North for open spaces and (lack of) main road congestion. It sits in the middle of the three in terms of its crime rate and retail offerings, and it’s above the Sydney average for culture, proximity to employment hubs and topographic variation.

67. Freshwater

Just missing out on a podium finish, Freshwater is ranked fourth on the northern beaches for liveability. Its strongest scores are for the beach and buses. The suburb is well above average for its culture, cafes and restaurants, water views, topographic variation, ferry links (via Manly) and schools. Like most of its neighbours, main road congestion and lack of trains are its lowest ratings on the scoresheet.

68. Ultimo

Ultimo is rated brilliantly on about half the liveability categories and a long way below average on many of the others. Its best scores are for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, cafes and restaurants, trains, light rail and education. The inner-city suburb is close to the bottom of the class for crime, main road congestion and tree cover.

69. Lilyfield

Lilyfield is hard to beat for culture and light rail access. In every category except open space, its scores are average or above average, with particularly strong results for eating out, shopping, telecommunications coverage and water views. It could benefit from a few more bus stops.

70. Balgowlah

Congested roads pull down the liveability scores for Balgowlah and its near neighbours. It’s the same story with lack of rail access. But there are plenty of highlights, including the nearby beaches, telecommunications coverage, culture, tree cover, water views, open spaces and topographic variation. The suburb receives average ratings for education, proximity to employment hubs, shops, buses and eating out.

71. Manly Vale

Bordered on its western side by Manly Dam, Manly Vale is the sixth most liveable suburb on the northern beaches. Its top marks are for shopping and telecommunications coverage. It achieves solid results for tree cover, ferry links (via Manly), beach access, open space and schools. Peak hour congestion and the lack of trains drag down the overall score.

72. Kareela

Hurrah for Kareela, the most liveable place in southern Sydney! The suburb on the southern shores of Oyster Bay has loads of open space and an impressively low crime rate. It also has plenty of bus stops, good telecommunications coverage, tree cover and water views. The only below-average scores are for culture and shopping.

73. Newtown

Rated eighth in the inner west for overall liveability, Newtown is a railway superstar, also scoring brilliantly for education, eating out, proximity to employment hubs and culture. It’s well ahead of most suburbs for telecommunications coverage and shops. Main road congestion and crime are the ratings with the most room for improvement.

74. Davidson

Part of The Forest district, Davidson is one of the smallest – and most liveable – suburbs inland from the northern beaches. It’s a winner for its open spaces, tree cover, low crime rate and topographic variation. It’s close to the Sydney average for most other categories, including main road congestion, education, beach access, bus links, cafes and restaurants.

75. Woolooware

Just missing out on first place for liveability in Sydney’s south, Woolooware is at the top of its game for education, proximity to ferries (over to Bundeenda) and water views. The suburb, near Cronulla, also scores well for cafes and restaurants, trains and beach access. In all other categories, it is around about the average for Sydney.

76. Huntleys Cove

Linked to the inner west by the Gladesville Bridge, the tiny suburb of Huntleys Cove has both ferry and bus options, plus oodles of open space. It is rated well for tree cover, water views and its telecommunications coverage. On almost every other measure, it receives around about average scores.

77. Cronulla

Take a bow Cronulla, the third most liveable suburb in Sydney’s south. This ‘burb has beaches and ferries (although only over to Bundeena), not to mention pretty impressive bus and train links (contain your envy, northern beaches.) The only not-so-flash scores are for proximity to employment hubs and crime. Everything else is average for Sydney, including telecommunications coverage, shops, tree cover, education and open spaces.

78. Castle Cove

It’s safe, topographically interesting, has plenty of open space and top-notch mobile and internet coverage. Castle Cove also scores highly for culture, tree cover and harbour views. Its lowest rating is for rail access, though it’s hardly alone on the north shore on this score.

79. Curl Curl

Aside from the main road congestion and absence of trains, Curl Curl receives average or well above average scores for every category. The beach is the standout result. Almost as impressive are its scores for culture, telecommunications coverage, nearby ferry access (via Manly) and bus links. Curl Curl’s results for education, water views, tree cover, restaurants, shops and proximity to employment are around about average.

80. Bardwell Park

Eating out is a weak spot on the liveability chart for Bardwell Park, just north of the M5 East near Wolli Creek. The fourth most liveable suburb in the south gets solid scores for buses, trains, open space and telecommunications coverage. It has average results for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, tree cover and education.

Back to top

81. Tempe

Tempe stands out in the inner west’s top 10 list as one of the only suburbs that doesn’t hug the harbour. For train access, education and culture it receives top marks, and, although not specifically identified in this study, benefits from proximity to Swedish meatballs at IKEA. It gets solid marks for telecommunications, proximity to employment hubs, shops and eating out, but for crime, tree cover and buses it’s not rated highly.

82. Waterloo

Like Ultimo, there’s not much that’s average about Waterloo. It is outstanding for culture, proximity to employment hubs and shops, not to mention well above average for mobile and internet coverage, cafes and restaurants and bus links. It does not perform well on measures of crime, open space, main road congestion or topographic variation.

83. Killarney Heights

Killarney Heights has more liveability highs and lows than most of the suburbs ranked above it in the surrounding area. It gets top marks for open spaces, tree cover, telecommunications coverage and having low crime. The mains roads are relatively unclogged and it performs well for culture, too. Less impressive are its scores for jobs, shops, eating out and public transport.

84. Killara

The onetime home of famed architect Harry Seidler is the second most liveable suburb on the upper north shore. Killara is very well rated for its telecommunications coverage, culture, tree cover, train access, low crime rate and topographic variation. It receives average scores for just about everything else except buses with the stops quite spaced out.

85. Erskineville

Just inside the top 10 for liveability in the inner west, Erskineville gets top marks for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, eating out and rail access. Well played, too, for telecommunications coverage and education. Its not-so-great aspects? There’s not much tree cover, the main roads get busy and the crime rate could be lower.

86. Coogee

In terms of liveability, Coogee is all about the beach. The suburb is also highly rated for its telecommunications coverage. It receives above average scores for culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, ocean views, topographic variation and bus links. The lowest scores are for its tree cover, traffic congestion and rail links, though the light rail should improve this somewhat.

87. Macquarie Park

Macquarie Park already scores well above average for its bus and train connectivity, so it will be one of Sydney’s bona fide public transport hotspots with the start of the Sydney Metro Northwest. The suburb is rated very highly for proximity to employment, shops, cafes and restaurants, tree cover, telecommunications coverage and open space. It scored lower for education and crime.

88. Clontarf

Across the water from The Spit, Clontarf is one of the study’s star performers for its beach access, water views, topographic variation and telecommunications coverage. It’s well above average on measures of culture, tree cover and open space and has low crime. The downsides? Few bus stops, non-existent train links and main road congestion at The Spit.

89. Rose Bay

Rose Bay performs outstandingly thanks to its education, beach, ferry links and telecommunications coverage. There suburb is well above the Sydney average for culture, water views, buses and eating out. It is rated around the middle of the lot for proximity to employment hubs, shops, tree cover and crime but has a long way to go to improve its main road congestion.

90. Woolwich

Up for a shopping spree? Woolwich isn’t the place to do it, unless you have your eye on real estate. The suburb’s lowest rating is for retail. It achieves average scores for education, main road congestion, buses and trains, but it blitzes the competition for ferries, harbour views and general leafiness.

91. Point Piper

Home to some of the most expensive real estate in Sydney, Point Piper gets top marks for its famous harbour views, beach access, proximity to ferries and telecommunications coverage. It is highly rated for culture, proximity to employment hubs, tree cover and topographic variation but its bus links, main road congestion and open spaces bring the suburb’s ranking down slightly.

92. Rhodes

Rhodes, at the northwest tip of the inner west, is just outside the region’s top 10 suburbs for overall liveability. The study identifies its best bits as telecommunications coverage, shops, water views, trains and access to ferries. It didn’t score as well in terms of proximity to schools and tree cover.

93. Bondi Beach

It’s no surprise that one of Australia’s most famous strips of sand is rated among the best in Sydney in the beach category. It has an abundance of dining options and fabulous telecommunications coverage, too. The study rates Bondi Beach highly for schools, buses, ocean views and culture but it is near the bottom of the pack for crime and traffic congestion.

94. Marsfield

If you’re after an all-rounder in the north west, Marsfield is the pick! Impressively connected to Macquarie University, businesses and shops, this suburb rates solidly everywhere except for schools. Shopping, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, tree cover, telecommunications and open space are its highest rated categories. It is middle-of-the-road for culture, crime and topographic variation and its public transport links will improve with the Sydney Metro Northwest.

95. North Curl Curl

Comfortably in the top half of the northern beaches suburbs for liveability, North Curl Curl is ahead of the pack for its beach, telecommunications coverage, water views, shops, culture and low crime rate. It doesn’t rate as well for buses and main road congestion.

96. Rockdale

Buses and education are the big scores on Rockdale’s report card. Rated fifth for liveability in Sydney’s south, Rockdale also performs well for telecommunications, proximity to employment hubs, shops, cafes and restaurants, trains and access to the beach which is one suburb away at Brighton-Le-sands. Its lowest ratings are for crime, open space and tree cover.

97. Lindfield

Lindfield is the bronze medallist for liveability on the upper north shore, receiving its highest mark for telecommunications coverage. It’s also well ahead of the pack for proximity to employment hubs, tree cover, topographic variation, train access and its low crime rate. The only really low scores are for buses and main roads.

98. Sutherland

Though Sutherland doesn’t get top marks for any category, the suburb north of the Royal National Park achieves solid results in most areas. Its strongest scores are for telecommunications, cafes and restaurants, topographic variation, trains, open space and education. The only below-average areas shops and crime.

99. Linley Point

Burns Bay Road runs through this tiny suburb near where it crosses the Lane Cove River. Residents enjoy excellent views of the water and solid telecommunications coverage. It scores highly for topographic variation, tree cover and culture, though it doesn’t have any train stations nearby.

100. Annandale

Rated 100th in Sydney for liveability, Annandale is onto a winner for its culture, telecommunications coverage, proximity to employment hubs and dining scene. Its proximity to schools is above average and while it doesn’t rate as highly as neighbouring suburbs in terms of buses, it has a couple light rail stops nearby. The crime rate, water views, shops and topographic variation are so-so.

101. Homebush

Homebush is one of the inner west’s strongest performers for liveability. It gets five stars for telecommunications coverage, shops and train services, with very good scores for culture, proximity to employment hubs, eating out, ferries and education. The landscape is flat, there’s not much open space and the crime rate could be much lower.

Back to top

102. Woronora

With houses on both sides of the Woronora River, this southern Sydney suburb scores brilliantly for tree cover, topographic variation and open space. It also does well on measures of main road congestion, crime, bus links, water views and telecommunications coverage. The study revealed below-average scores for proximity to employment hubs, shops, cafes and education.

103. Fairlight

Fairlight outperforms most of its northern beaches neighbours for bus and ferry links, which is handy given there’s no train line and this part of the world rates below average for main road congestion. Its scores for tree cover and open space aren’t as high as Manly’s, but there’s outstanding beach access and telecommunications coverage.

104. Asquith

Just west of the M1 and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Asquith straddles the upper north shore and Hills District. It achieves its highest results for its relatively low main road congestion, schools and rail access. For tree cover, topographic variation and low crime it gets big ticks, but it isn’t well rated for buses.

105. Vaucluse

Finding a car park near Parsley Bay or Nielsen Park in summer is like winning the lottery, so of course the suburb is rated as outstanding for its beach and harbour views. Mobile phone and internet coverage are also top-notch. The negatives? It’s further than many of its neighbours to employment hubs, has no nearby train stations and fairly clogged main roads.

106. Leichhardt

Schools? Tick! Culture? Tick! Shops? Tick! And more ticks for telecommunications coverage, dining options and nearby jobs. Leichhardt is rated average for topographic variation and buses. Its score is only really dragged down by its results for crime, open space, traffic and tree cover.

107. Eastlakes

Eastlakes‘ highest scores are for its shops, telecommunications coverage, proximity to employment hubs, dining options, buses, schools and beach access. It’s close to the Sydney average on nearly every other measure but scores below average for topographic variation. Perfect for all those sporting fields.

108. Roseville

In the top five for liveability on the upper north shore, Roseville scores brilliantly for mobile and internet coverage. It is rated very well for proximity to employment hubs, tree cover, buses and crime, and average for culture and education. The only really low numbers are for main road congestion and lack of open space.

109. Tamarama

One of the best places in Sydney for ocean views, beach access, open spaces and telecommunications coverage, Tamarama is also one of the poorer performers for main road congestion. It’s about average for crime, tree cover and eating out, and better than most for culture and topographic variation.

110. Parramatta

Hats off to Parramatta, the second most liveable suburb in the west. It blitzes most of the competition for shopping, eating out, proximity to employment and telecommunications coverage. Parramatta does very well on measures of culture, ferries, buses and schools. Crime is its lowest result and it doesn’t rate highly for traffic congestion or tree cover.

111. Redfern

Redfern doesn’t do much by halves, according to this study. Its good sides include culture, proximity to employment hubs, eating out, shops, public transport links, schools and proximity to beaches in the east. Its downsides? Sparse tree cover, little topographic variation, heavy main road congestion and – its worst performing category – crime.

112. North Manly

Rated 13th for liveability among the northern beaches suburbs, North Manly scores admirably for culture, telecommunications, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, ferries, buses and beach access. Its best study results are for its shops. Like pretty much everywhere in that part of Sydney, it is well below average for main road congestion and rail access.

113. Kogarah

Rated eighth for liveability in Sydney’s south, Kogarah performs solidly for culture, telecommunications coverage, shops, eating out, proximity to employment hubs, buses, trains and beach access. Education is its strongest suite though there is room for improvement in its results for tree cover, ferries, crime and open spaces. Main road congestion is average.

114. Denistone West

In terms of telecommunications coverage, Denistone West is better than many other parts of Sydney. It also achieves impressive ratings for its low crime, open spaces, buses and topographic variation. Its ratings aren’t quite as high for culture, shopping, cafes, education and traffic.

115. Balgowlah Heights

Balgowlah Heights is near the top of the class for beach and telecommunications coverage. It also scores very well for topographic variation, water views, tree cover, open space, culture and its low crime rate. The suburb receives below average ratings for education, cafes, jobs and shops, plus the northern beaches hallmarks of no rail access and chock-a-block main roads at peak hour.

116. Bonnet Bay

Bonnet Bay, on the eastern bank of the Woronora River, gets its highest ratings for open space, low crime, buses, topographic variation and tree cover. The results for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, cafes and restaurants drag down the overall score, and the suburb is about average for Sydney in terms of education and main road congestion.

117. Warriewood

Warriewood is rated average or above average for most categories, including open space, beach, buses, water views, tree cover, shops and culture. Its main roads are not as congested as many of its near neighbours, but it scores below the Sydney average for education, proximity to employment hubs and – predictably for the northern beaches – rail access.

118. Castlecrag

Castlecrag nails many a lower north shore stereotype, from its leafy environment and rich cultural offerings, to wide open spaces and low crime rate. The suburb doesn’t perform so well on measures of its cafes and restaurants, bus or train links. Congestion on Warringah Road and Eastern Valley Way bring down the overall liveability score.

119. Hornsby

Head 25 kilometres north of the city and you’ll find Hornsby, which receives very good scores for telecommunications coverage, train services, tree cover, cafes and restaurants. Its lowest ratings are for crime and buses, and the suburb outperforms Hornsby Heights on everything except leafiness, buses, crime, open spaces and main road congestion.

120. East Ryde

East Ryde is a high-flier in the fields of telecommunications coverage, low crime and open space. It performs admirably for local employment, tree cover, topographic variation and has reasonable cultural offerings. Bus links, main roads and education are areas with room for improvement.

121. Miranda

One of southern Sydney’s retail hotspots, the home of a Westfield, Miranda gets top marks for shopping. It is rated above average for proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, water views, train links and education, while its lowest scores are for crime and open space.

Back to top

122. Camperdown

Camperdown is inside the top third of suburbs in the inner west for liveability, with strong results for culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants. Its next strongest areas are telecommunications coverage, education and buses. Tree cover and topographic variation are average and Camperdown is not well rated for crime or traffic congestion.

123. Bilgola

Leafy, with views to die for and low crime, Bilgola has a lot going for it. It gets more ticks for its beach access and open spaces, but it doesn’t score as well for buses, shops, proximity to employment hubs, schools or telecommunications coverage. Don’t expect to get there by train either.

124. Concord West

Telecommunication coverage is the only field in which Concord West achieves superb marks but it is average or strong in almost every other category studied. It performs well in terms of shops, eating out, water views and trains. Crime, education, traffic, tree cover and culture are rated average and there’s not much topographic variation or open space.

125. Liberty Grove

Developed in the late 1990s, Liberty Grove performs well in terms of telecommunications coverage and shops, and boasts good scores for access to employment, eating out and water views. What it lacks in bus services, it makes up for with great nearby rail connections. On crime, culture, tree cover, education and congestion, it is rated average.

126. South Turramurra

Tree cover, open spaces and a low crime rate are South Turramurra’s liveability highlights. It also has plenty to write home about on the telecommunications and topography fronts, not to mention slightly less road congestion than neighbouring suburbs. South Turramurra’s lowest ratings are for shops, cafes and restaurants. Its scores are about average in the other categories.

127. Marrickville

Marrickville is in the top half of the inner west’s suburbs for overall liveability. It blitzes most of the competition in its results for education, telecommunications coverage and culture. Other strong areas are proximity to employment hubs, shops, eating out and trains. However, Marrickville didn’t perform as well as nearby suburbs in the categories of crime, open space, main road congestion and tree cover.

128. West Pymble

Significantly higher than neighbouring Pymble on the overall liveability table, West Pymble has good tree cover, open spaces and telecommunications coverage. It is topographically varied and being just that bit closer to Macquarie Park means it scores higher than Pymble in terms of proximity to employment hubs. Pymble, however, pipped its neighbour in the train category.

129. Normanhurst

Normanhurst is well inside the top half of suburbs on the upper north shore for liveability. It is rated well for its nearby schools, low crime rate, train station, tree cover, shops and telecommunications coverage. The suburb has average scores for culture, proximity to employment hubs and there’s room for improvement on open space and buses.

130. Darlington

The tiny suburb between the University of Sydney and Redfern, Darlington, punches above its weight for culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants and rail links. It is also rated very well for shops, schools and telecommunications coverage. Main road congestion, crime, tree cover and buses are the categories that bring down its overall liveability rating.

131. Ryde

Ryde is the third most liveable place to live in the north west. For telecommunication coverage, education, access to nearby ferry wharves, shops and proximity to employment hubs it rated very well. For the region, it also has decent tree cover, cafes and restaurants and topographic variation. Its lowest scores – still average for Sydney – are for culture, crime, rail links, open space and traffic.

132. Jannali

Just outside the top 10 most liveable suburbs in the south, Jannali earns decent scores for open space, train links, topographic variation, water views, tree cover and telecommunications. It is rated average for Sydney in all other other categories except for culture, cafes and bus links, which are underdeveloped.

133. Brookvale

Education and shopping are Brookvale’s strong suits, according to the study. Residents also enjoy above average cultural offerings, telecommunications coverage, proximity to employment hubs and dining options. Buses, trains and crime are Brookvale’s lowest scores and the main roads become gridlocked during peak hour.

134. Gladesville

Located 10 kilometres from the CBD, Gladesville’s only real downsides are bus and train links. In all other areas, it’s rated average or above average, with its strongest results for ferries, cafes and restaurants, shopping and telecommunications coverage. There’s not quite as much open space as some neighbouring suburbs.

135. Frenchs Forest

Living up to its name, Frenchs Forest gets excellent marks for open space and tree cover. The suburb is also topographically varied, there are a decent number of shops, and the mobile and internet coverage is above the Sydney average. On the downside, it scores below average for education, cafes and restaurants, and proximity to employment hubs.

136. Allambie Heights

Allambie Heights gets full points for open space, low crime, tree cover and telecommunications coverage. It sits in the middle for culture, shops and dining options, though it is held back on the liveability chart by its ratings for buses, trains, main road congestion and education.

137. Petersham

Petersham has every right to boast about its train connectivity and strong telecommunications coverage. It also performs admirably on measures of culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants. It is around the middle of the road for buses and topographic variation, and there is room for improvement on crime and traffic.

138. Hunters Hill

Hunters Hill boasts great marks for education and water views, an interesting landscape and a ferry stop. The suburb is rated about average for its culture, cafes, buses, crime and main road congestion. Its lowest scores are for its lack of rail access and retail choices.

139. Newington

Culture and shopping are Newington’s biggest liveability drawcards, according to the study. The suburb also fares well for telecommunications, eating out and its low crime rate. It’s right on the average for open space, traffic congestion and buses.

140. Mona Vale

The beach is the liveability highlight of Mona Vale, closely followed by culture, views, open space, trees, cafes and shops. Its scores for main road congestion, crime, and telecommunications coverage are about average for Sydney, and it isn’t rated well for bus services, education or rail.

141. Caringbah

Caringbah is one of the better places in south Sydney for shopping. It also receives great scores for its cafes and restaurants, water views, public transport, beach access and education. There’s room for improvement on crime and open spaces. Culture, proximity to employment hubs, telecommunications coverage and main road congestion are all about average by Sydney standards.

Back to top

142. Burraneer

Burraneer, on the north shore of the Port Hacking estuary, is well inside the south’s top 20 most liveable suburbs. The beach and water views get top billing, and it also performs admirably on measures of leafiness, topographic variation, ferries, buses and crime. The only below-average scores are for education, open space, proximity to employment hubs and shops.

143. Enmore

Enmore achieves suburban superhero status in the fields of eating out and telecommunications coverage. It is very highly rated for culture, proximity to employment hubs, education and train links, but not so strong on open space, traffic or tree cover.

144. North Parramatta

There’s certainly a lot to like about North Parramatta. The suburb has strong telecommunications coverage and rated very well for culture, tree cover, cafes and restaurants, education, ferries, buses and proximity to employment hubs. There’s not a single below-average score, though it has room for improvement with regards to crime and open space.

145. North Strathfield

North Strathfield is rated as outstanding for its train links, educational offerings, shops and telecommunications coverage. The suburb scores very well for proximity to employment hubs and dining options and achieves average results in most other categories. Tree cover, bus services, open space and main road congestion results drag down its rating.

146. Engadine

This suburb on the north-eastern edge of the Royal National Park is (almost) off the charts for topographic variation and open space. As well as great tree cover, residents of Engadine enjoy relatively less congestion on their main roads and a low crime rate. The only below-average score is for proximity to employment hubs.

147. St Ives

St Ives receives ratings equal to or higher than St Ives Chase in most categories. It is rated highly in terms of tree cover and also scores impressively for telecommunications coverage, topographic variation, open space and low crime. It isn’t rated particularly well for buses, trains or proximity to employment hubs.

148. North Narrabeen

Above average for the northern beaches without being rated outstanding under any category, North Narrabeen can still brag about its culture, shops, tree cover, ocean views, beach, open space and topographic variation. It’s in the top half of Sydney’s suburbs for its telecommunications coverage, cafes, bus access and low crime, but doesn’t score so well on proximity to employment hubs, education, main road congestion or – predictably – rail.

149. Avalon

The study identifies Avalon’s best features as its beach, topographic variation and tree cover. Apart from being home to satirical series Avalon Now, the suburb also gets a thumbs up for its low crime rate and its decent amount of open space. Other strengths include water views, cafes, restaurants and culture, though it scores lower for proximity to employment hubs and (predictably) lack of trains.

150. Gordon

Granted, it’s not the sexiest liveability measure, but Gordon knocks it out of the park for telecommunications coverage. Other pluses are the suburb’s culture, tree cover, topographic variation and train links. It scores lower for main road congestion, buses, education, water views and proximity to employment hubs.

151. Summer Hill

Rail access and telecommunications coverage are Summer Hill’s highlights. It fares well for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shopping and education. Summer Hill is around the middle of the ratings table for the inner west, achieving average results for tree cover, eating out, topographic variation and buses.

152. Belrose

Belrose gets top marks for open space and tree cover. Its scores for low crime, topographic variation, shops and telecommunications coverage are better than most. However, it is rated below average for education, buses, proximity to employment hubs and rail access.

153. Alexandria

Apartments have largely replaced industry in Alexandria. The suburb receives strong ratings for culture, proximity to employment hubs, eating out and bus links. It’s also better than most for education, shops and telecommunications coverage. It could do with more trees and less traffic.

153. Gymea

Gymea scores well for proximity to schools and its train access. It scores moderately for culture, shops, buses and crime.

155. Loftus

It’s safety first at Loftus, which scores top marks for its low crime rate. Also impressive are the results for telecommunications coverage, open space, trains, buses, topographic variation and tree cover. Its scores are well below the Sydney average for retail, proximity to employment hubs and education.

156. Warwick Farm

Warwick Farm is miles ahead of the rest of the south west for liveability. On more than half the subjects measured, it’s well above average. This includes shopping, cafes, proximity to employment hubs and telecommunications coverage. The home of Warwick Farm Racecourse has access to buses and schools and plenty of open space, but it scores poorly for crime and topographic variation.

157. Denistone

Denistone is one of the better places in Sydney for mobile and internet coverage. It also scores well for tree cover, topographic variation, trains and crime. Bus stop aren’t in abundance, the main roads can be busy and it’s not as close to schools as many other places.

158. Chippendale

Culture vultures will find plenty to love in Chippendale, which also gets top marks for proximity to employment, shops and restaurants. This suburb on the CBD’s southern edge is well serviced by public transport and educational institutions. It scores below average for traffic congestion, crime and tree cover.

158. Kirrawee

Kirrawee, on the Princes Highway near Gymea, achieves its highest marks for telecommunications coverage and trains. It has average results for culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants, tree cover, topographic variation, buses, open spaces, schools and main road congestion. The only area in which the study found it is underdeveloped is retail.

160. Haberfield

Heritage-listed Haberfield has strong mobile phone and internet coverage and scores well above average for its proximity to trains and light rail as well as employment hubs, cafes and restaurants. Haberfield gets average marks for crime, buses, shops, and its least liveable aspect is the traffic.

161. Sydenham

The study reveals Sydenham’s best bits are its culture and train connections. Residents enjoy access bus services, cafes, shops and proximity to employment hubs. In terms of ferries and water views it predictably scores low and there is room for improvement in terms of tree cover, crime, education and traffic.

Back to top

162. Kensington

The only stellar score Kensington receives is for its telecommunications coverage. The light rail will boost its liveability for public transport. For now though, the home of the University of NSW scores well for culture, education, beach access and eating out. It’s below average for crime, open space and main road congestion.

163. Stanmore

Stanmore gets gold stars for education, dining options and telecommunications coverage. It performs admirably in the fields of culture, proximity to employment hubs and trains and receives an average rating for retail. On the downside, the traffic can get heavy and there’s not as much open space as some neighbouring suburbs.

164. North Bondi

With no category for budgie smugglers, North Bondi will have to content itself with top marks for its beach and telecommunications coverage. It also gets bragging rights for culture, eating out options, ocean views and schools. It’s not as leafy as many of its neighbours, the suburb isn’t serviced by trains and it’s rated well below average for main road congestion.

165. Bexley North

Full bars on your mobile phone and you live close to a bus stop? You’re probably in Bexley North. The suburb also gets solid scores for trains, open space and main road congestion. Culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, crime and education received average ratings, and its cafe scene isn’t as developed as some of its neighbours.

166. Chatswood West

Chatswood West receives its lowest ratings for education, main road congestion and proximity to employment hubs. It’s not all bad news though: the suburb performs admirably in terms of open space, has a relatively low crime rate as a well as decent bus links and telecommunications coverage.

167. East Killara

For most categories created by Mother Nature, East Killara nails it with great open space, topographic variation and tree cover. It’s head and shoulders above most of Sydney for its low crime rate and telecommunications coverage, too. Proximity to employment hubs, retail and cafes are rated below average and it gets average scores for everything else, from education to main road congestion and public transport.

168. Melrose Park

Melrose Park, on the Parramatta River, has decent telecommunications coverage and mighty fine ratings for its low crime, buses, water views and proximity to employment hub. It is around the middle of the pack for all other categories.

169. South Coogee

With strong mobile phone and internet coverage and impressive views, beach access, culture and open spaces, South Coogee is around the middle of the eastern suburbs pack for liveability. The categories in which it doesn’t fare well are shopping, tree cover, rail links and traffic.

170. Rydalmere

Rydalmere, northeast of Parramatta, gets serious liveability brownie points for its telecommunications coverage. The study also acknowledges its cultural offerings, proximity to employment opportunities, shops and cafes. In all other areas, it is rated average for Sydney, with slightly lower scores for main road congestion, crime and topographic variation.

171. Heathcote

First, the bad news: Heathcote scores very low for proximity to employment hubs and retail. That doesn’t stop it appearing relatively high on the list of south Sydney suburbs, with excellent scores for open space, topographic variation and tree cover. It has relatively less main road congestion, a low crime rate and decent access to buses and trains.

172. Caringbah South

Caringbah South gets average or above average results for everything but open space. Its best marks are for cafes and restaurants, water views, tree cover, the low crime rate and access to beaches. Education and main road congestion receive average scores and it is not as well serviced by buses as Caringbah.

173. Ashfield

Right in the middle of the inner west’s liveability league table, Ashfield has brilliant telecommunications coverage and scores impressively on proximity to employment hubs, eating out, shops, education, buses and trains. Its score isn’t helped much by its results for open space, traffic, crime or tree cover.

174. North Balgowlah

Did somebody say low crime rates and solid mobile and internet coverage? North Balgowlah is the spot. It scores very well for open space (bonus points for proximity to Wakehurst Golf Club), plus beach, ferry and bus access, tree cover and topographic variation. But there are no trains, the main roads get clogged and the scores for shops and cafes are below average.

175. Canada Bay

Like your internet reliable and your bus stops nearby? Head to Canada Bay, which also gets above average scores for culture, proximity to employment hubs, crime, open space, ferry access and eating out. It’s one of Sydney’s least topographically interesting destinations and the traffic can be ghastly, but in all other areas it is rated average or better.

176. Hurstville

Though Hurstville doesn’t get top marks in any area, it has very good scores in more than half the categories studied, such as shops, proximity to employment hubs, eating out, culture, telecommunications coverage, buses, trains and schools. The lowest result is for open space, and it is rated below average for main road congestion, crime and tree cover.

177. Yarrawarrah

If only the study awarded extra points for windmills. Yarrawarrah has one – it is also rated brilliantly for open space, crime and topographic variation. The hilly suburb near the Royal National Park isn’t well rated for proximity to employment hubs, retail or education. It receives average ratings in all the other areas studied, including main road congestion, culture and eating out.

178. Newport

Between the Pacific Ocean and Pittwater, Newport is rated outstanding for its beach and topographic variation. It is high on the liveability rankings for culture, cafes and restaurants, water views and tree cover and average for just about everything else except education, buses, trains and proximity to employment hubs – all areas in which it receives low scores.

179. Concord

A golfer’s paradise, Concord achieves its highest liveability rating for telecommunications coverage. It’s pretty strong on proximity to employment hubs and eating out, and scores better than most on the public transport front for its combination of buses, trains and ferry access via neighbouring suburbs. Main road congestion is the suburb’s only low score.

180. Burwood

Regarded by some as the CBD of the inner west, Burwood is a standout performer for its shopping options and combination of rail and buses. Schools are another liveability highlight. Burwood has solid scores for eating out, proximity to employment and telecommunications. Crime, traffic, tree cover and open space are the lowest-ranked categories.

Back to top

181. Putney

You’ll probably get great mobile phone coverage on your ferry in Putney. This suburb reaches superstar status for ferries, telecommunications and low crime, and scores very well for proximity to employment hubs and water views. It’s rated average by Sydney standards for all other factors, including traffic, open space, education, tree cover, cafes and culture.

182. Dover Heights

Great heights mean incredible views for this suburb, which overlooks the ocean near South Head. Dover Heights has a relatively high number of bus stops, as well as scoring well for its proximity to beaches and telecommunications coverage. It doesn’t score as well for eating out, tree cover, trains, open space or traffic congestion.

183. North Willoughby

Don’t expect to find much open space in North Willoughby – and the main road congestion could slow you down – but it has excellent telecommunications coverage and performs better than most of the suburbs studied for education, low crime, proximity to employment hubs and culture.

184. Lewisham

Lewisham rates highly for its nearby schools, trains and decent telecommunications coverage. Public transport is a huge drawcard, with the suburb also scoring above average for buses. Its results for shops, eating out, tree cover, topographic variation and are middling. There is room for improvement on open space, crime and traffic.

185. West Ryde

West Ryde outshines roughly two thirds of suburbs in the north west for overall liveability, scoring brilliantly for telecommunications coverage and very well for shops as well as proximity to trains and ferries. There’s very little open space and its lowest scores are for traffic, crime, buses and culture – though these are still average for Sydney.

186. North Ryde

North Ryde‘s transport indicators will likely get a boost from the Sydney Metro Northwest but for now it gets very good results for telecommunications coverage, proximity to employment hubs and topographic variation. It receives average scores for culture, shops, cafes, tree cover, open space and main road congestion.

187. Rosehill

Rosehill takes out third place on the west’s liveability ratings table, with outstanding scores for shopping, trains and education. It performs strongly in the fields of culture, telecommunications coverage, proximity to employment hubs and eating out. Crime, open space and topographic variation are the lowest-rated categories.

188. Daceyville

Right at the end of the upcoming South East Light Rail, Daceyville can expect big improvements for its so-so transport scores. For now, the suburb has room for improvement on its crime rate and open space but it is rated above average for proximity to employment hubs, telecommunications coverage, shops, eating out, education and proximity to beaches.

189. Allawah

With plenty of schools and a train station, Allawah appears in the top half of south Sydney’s liveability league table. The crime rate is relatively low, it’s relatively close to beaches and above average for Sydney in terms of telecommunications coverage and proximity to employment hubs. The suburb’s lowest scores are for main road congestion, buses, shops and open space.

190. North Wahroonga

North Wahroonga scores highly for its lack of main road congestion (compared to nearby suburbs) as well as its topographic variation and low crime rates. Though it scores relatively low for shops, cafes and restaurants and education, its public transport results are average for Sydney.

191. Willoughby East

Willoughby East has more open space than Willoughby and North Willoughby, but its main roads are on par with North Willoughby’s during peak hour. In most categories in the liveability study, it performs close to the average for Sydney, including for shops, tree cover and education.

192. Mount Kuring-Gai

Between Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Berowra Valley National Park, it’s no wonder Mount Kuring-Gai scores brilliantly for tree cover and topographic variation. The study also awards high marks for train links and open space. Its proximity to employment hubs and local cafe/restaurant scene isn’t as strong as other nearby suburbs.

193. Wahroonga

It’s not the best but Wahroonga is still far from the least liveable suburb on the north shore. The strongest performances are for relatively low main road congestion, low crime, topographic variation, tree cover and telecommunications coverage. It receives average ratings for culture, cafes and buses, and there’s room for improvement in retail.

194. Maroubra

One beach south of Coogee, Maroubra rates just below the middle of the suburbs in the east for liveability. As you would expect it performs well in the beach and ocean views category, but it also achieves admirable scores for its buses and mobile and internet coverage. Where it falls short is tree cover and main road congestion.

195. Penrith

Penrith is close to the top of the list of most liveable suburbs in the west. It scores top marks for shopping, eating out and bus services, and well above average for culture, telecommunications coverage and main road congestion. There is a lot of room to improve in the crime rate and there is very little topographic variation.

196. Zetland

Zetland’s apartment boom has brought plenty of liveability benefits, including improved public transport links as well as retail options. The suburb isn’t a strong performer in the areas of crime, tree cover or main road congestion. It’s also as flat as a tack.

197. Beecroft

Low crime, telecommunications coverage and tree cover are Beecroft’s liveability strong suits. It gets relatively average marks in most other categories, including culture, shops, cafes, trains, open space, schools and main road congestion. The area with the most room for improvement? The number of bus stops.

198. Seaforth

Just below average on the liveability table for the northern beaches, Seaforth gets high marks for topographic variation and telecommunications coverage. It’s well rated for culture, tree cover, water views, beaches and open space, but there’s room for improvement on main road congestion, education, cafes and shops.

199. Epping

Entered a mobile phone black spot? It’s unlikely you’re in Epping, which scores brilliantly for telecommunications coverage and very well for tree cover. It also benefits from having a train station, as well as above average shopping options. Like Beecroft, its score is dragged down by its few bus stops relative to local population.

200. Sylvania

The Southgate Shopping Centre means Sylvania performs very well in the retail space. It also rates for its water views, cafes and restaurants and proximity to beaches. The suburb’s nearest rail link is Gymea and it has average ratings for buses and open space.

201. Kingsford

What Kingsford lacks in tree cover and open spaces it makes up for in mobile and internet coverage, bus links, dining option and proximity to employment hubs. The light rail will boost its public transport score, improving access to the CBD and beyond.

Back to top

202. Hurlstone Park

Near the halfway mark for overall liveability in the inner west, Hurlstone Park enjoys fabulous train services and telecommunications coverage. Its next best results are for education and it is about average for crime, traffic, buses, culture and proximity to employment hubs. Hurlstone Park is let down by the limited open space and tree cover.

203. Westleigh

Westleigh has fabulous tree cover and topographic variation, not to mention a low crime rate. It performs admirably on measures of open space, shopping and telecommunications coverage and receives average scores in all other areas, except education and main road congestion.

204. Eastwood

Eastwood can claim bragging rights for its telecommunications coverage as well as its trains and multitude of cafes and restaurants. Traffic congestion is the only real downside in its ratings, with the suburb scoring average results by Sydney standards for crime, open space, buses, tree cover and shops.

205. Strathfield

Strathfield is a star performer for education and telecommunications coverage. It is highly rated for bus links, eating out and proximity to employment hubs. Cultural attractions aren’t a stand-out feature and there is a lot of room for improvement on its scores for traffic, open space and crime.

206. Yowie Bay

Near Gymea Bay on the Port Hacking River, the suburb of Yowie Bay is rated well for topographic variation, water views, tree cover and telecommunications coverage. The only categories in which it is below average are culture, bus links, education and open space.

207. Mays Hill

Mays Hill is rated as more liveable than most suburbs in the west, with relatively strong telecommunications coverage and strong results in the areas of education, eating out and open space. Crime and culture are not its strong suits and it is right about average in terms of proximity to trains and buses.

208. Cheltenham

Cheltenham has good access to trains and better tree cover than many suburbs in Sydney. It is very highly rated for open space, topographic variation and telecommunications coverage.

209. Mount Colah

One of Sydney’s most northern suburbs, Mount Colah is also one of the highest by elevation. The liveability study rates it as having little main road congestion and high tree cover. The scores for education, eating out, shops and proximity to employment hubs are on the lower end of the scale.

210. Bangor

Bangor scores home runs on the liveability chart for open space and topographic variation. Other strong suits are relatively low congestion on its main roads, tree cover and telecommunications coverage. It has limited access to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants.

211. St Peters

Slightly below the halfway mark for liveability in the inner west, St Peters scores solid marks for culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants. It ranks well above average for trains, shops and telecommunications coverage, though has heavy peak hour traffic and little topographic variation.

212. Holroyd

One of the west’s smallest suburbs, Holroyd punches above its weight in terms of open space and telecommunications coverage. It can also claim bragging rights for its proximity to rail. Holroyd’s lowest scores are for culture, tree cover and topographic variation.

213. Eveleigh

It’s all or nothing on just about every measure in Eveleigh. The suburb rates as outstanding for culture, proximity to employment hubs, train links and education. It’s also good for shops and cafes, but Eveleigh ranks close to the bottom for crime, public open space, main road congestion and tree cover.

214. Auburn

A top 10 western suburb, Auburn performs well in the areas of telecommunications coverage, buses, trains, education, shopping and proximity to employment hubs. It is right on average in its results for culture, eating out, crime and open spaces. There is scant tree cover and not much topographic variation.

215. Henley

Henley’s proximity to Huntleys Point Wharf makes it a winner and where there is a ferry, there are water views. The riverfront suburb also has decent telecommunications coverage as well as tree cover.

216. Wolli Creek

Just west of Sydney Airport, Wolli Creek has outstanding rail links and educational offerings. Telecommunications, proximity to employment hubs and shops are above average for Sydney. The suburb doesn’t rate as well for crime, buses or topographic variation.

217. Croydon

Croydon performs well in terms of its telecommunications coverage, though its remaining results are a mixed bag. It has solid scores for trains, education, eating out and shopping while it comes up short for traffic, open space and tree cover.

218. Woronora Heights

Most of the streets in Woronora Heights are named after birds, so it’s only fitting that the suburb should perform well in the tree cover category. It also receives strong scores for topographic variety and open space. It is not so well rated for education, proximity to employment hubs, shops or cafes and restaurants.

219. Palm Beach

It’s all or nothing at Palm Beach. The holiday hub to the stars is very strong in some categories and lacking in others. The ups include tree cover, water views, topographic variation, access to the Pittwater ferries, open space and – of course – that beautiful beach. It’s not so well rated in terms of proximity to schools, employment and retail.

220. Narraweena

Narraweena, inland from Dee Why, performs well for mobile and internet coverage. It is also well rated for its proximity to nearby beaches, schools and topographic variation. It is less strong in terms of bus stops, shops, cafes and restaurants.

221. Warrawee

Rated average or above average on most liveability measures, Warrawee gets its highest results for telecommunications coverage, tree cover and trains. It rates as average compared with the rest of Sydney for culture, proximity to employment and shops, and falls below average for bus links and open space.

Back to top

222. Earlwood

Earlwood wins the prize for Canterbury Bankstown’s most liveable suburb, with strong mobile and internet coverage and decent rail links. Of the 555 Sydney suburbs ranked, Earlwood rates in the top half overall for liveability. It receives average scores for culture, proximity to employment hubs, shops, tree cover, bus links and open spaces.

223 .Forestville

Forestville receives excellent marks for telecommunications coverage, open space, topographic variation and tree cover. It’s in the middle of the group for retail and proximity to the northern beaches. Main road congestion is average for Sydney, but it lacks access to trains and has limited bus stops.

224. Beaconsfield

Culture and jobs are the biggest highlights on Beaconsfield’s score sheet. The tiny suburb south of Green Square train station also performs decently for transport links, eating out and mobile phone coverage. The overall liveability score is dragged down by its ratings for tree cover, topographic variation and education.

225. Hillsdale

Close to Westfield Eastgardens, Hillsdale has an impressive score for shopping options. It also scores well for telecommunications coverage, access to the nearby beach and schools. The negatives? Scant tree cover, topographic same-sameness, below average public transport links and congested main roads.

226. East Lindfield

Great telecommunications coverage and a low crime rate are the best bits about East Lindfield’s performance in the liveability study. It also scores well for tree cover and topographic variation, but doesn’t rate as highly for retail, cafes, restaurants and education.

227. Narrabeen

Narrabeen gets rave reviews for its beach and ocean views. The suburb’s results are well above average for telecommunications coverage, tree cover, topographic variation and open space. It scores lower for main road congestion and that thorn in the northern beaches’ liveability side: rail.

228. North Epping

Close to the middle of the pack for liveability in the north west, North Epping achieves A-grade results for telecommunications coverage. It also has very good ratings for topographic variation, open space and tree cover, but scores lower for culture, cafes and retail.

229. Barden Ridge

Barden Ridge, on the Woronora River, rates well for for telecommunications coverage, tree cover, open space and main road congestion, though is below average for public transport, eating out and proximity to employment hubs.

230. Gymea Bay

Gymea Bay performs very well for tree cover, water views and topographic variation. The suburb is around the middle of the pack for culture, proximity to employment, shops, cafes and restaurants.

231. Collaroy

Having your wallet stolen while you’re having a swim is unlikely in Collaroy, which is a liveability superstar for its beach and low crime rate. It gets impressive results for culture, buses, cafes and restaurants. But those buses might not be moving too quickly due to main road congestion during peak hour.

232. Kyeemagh

The buses and beach are the biggest liveability drawcards in Kyeemagh. The suburb on the western shore of Botany Bay also rates well for open space and telecommunications coverage. The downsides are a lack of topographic variation and tree cover.

233. Revesby Heights

Revesby Heights, near the Georges River National Park, is Canterbury Bankstown’s second most liveable suburb. All that parkland scores it top marks for open space and tree cover, and it performs well above the Sydney average for topographic variation and telecommunications. Less stellar are its scores for culture, proximity to employment hubs and shops.

234. Rodd Point

Rodd Point performs very well for its water views, telecommunications coverage and the high number of bus stops it has relative to its size. There are nearby ferries, meaning its overall public transport profile is good. For education, open space, beach access, traffic, shops, proximity to employment hubs, culture and cafes, it is rated average. Tree cover is its lowest score.

235. Bexley

It’s not at the top, but it’s also nowhere near the bottom of the table for southern Sydney. The study gives Bexley decent marks for telecommunications coverage, proximity to employment hubs, buses and education. In terms of retail, tree cover and open spaces there is room for improvement.

236. Dulwich Hill

Dulwich Hill has a jaw-droppingly high rail score because of its winning combination of a train station and light rail stop. It is weaker in terms of open space and tree cover and the traffic congestion can be heavy.

237. Roseville Chase

Despite falling in the bottom half of the upper north shore suburbs for liveability, Roseville Chase is a star performer for its topographic variation and telecommunications coverage. Its results for tree cover and open spaces are well above average, but there is plenty of room for improvement in terms of shops and restaurants.

238. Peakhurst Heights

Peakhurst Heights is a relatively high number of bus stops and plenty of open space. It is middle of the road when it comes to education, main road congestion, tree cover and telecommunications coverage. The study gives it below-average scores for cafes, shops, proximity to employment hubs and culture.

239. Rosebery

Part residential, part industrial, Rosebery achieves great scores for proximity to employment hubs, shops, telecommunications, and culture. Its ratings are not so impressive for tree cover, topographic variation and open space. Heavy congestion on the main roads also makes for slow peak-hour journeys.

240. Woodbine

Woodbine, near Campbelltown, is ranked second in the south west. Fifty-five kilometres from Sydney CBD, it has strong results for its bus stops, open space and relatively low traffic. It is rated average by Sydney standards on most other areas studied, including tree cover, topographic variation and shops.

241. Narwee

Narwee, about 18 kilometres south of the Sydney CBD on the East Hills line, is a railway rock star. The suburb also receives solid scores for education, buses and telecommunications coverage, and so-so ratings for culture, shops, eating out and tree cover.

Back to top

242. Berala

Berala, near Rookwood Cemetery, gets the biggest ticks for its shopping options, rail links and telecommunications coverage. It’s rated average for Sydney in most other categories, including bus services, open space and main road congestion.

243. Tennyson Point

It’s all about water views in Tennyson Point, the tiny suburb home to some of the city’s most exclusive real estate. It performs well for telecommunications but its marks for buses, trains, schools and traffic drag down the overall score.

244. Arncliffe

Close to the middle of the pack for liveability in the south, Arncliffe rates highly for train access and very well for telecommunications coverage and nearby schools. It is an average performer for main road congestion, crime, tree cover, shops, cafes and culture.

245. Granville

One of the west’s more liveable suburbs, Granville gets full points for telecommunications coverage and good scores for proximity to trains, eating out, shopping and employment hubs. Topographers wouldn’t find much to get their pulses racing and there’s not much open space or tree cover.

246. North Rocks

North Rocks boasts excellent tree cover, solid telecommunications services and a lot of open space. It is average by Sydney standards in most other categories, including shops, cafes and proximity to employment hubs. The cultural scene isn’t well developed yet and it could do with a few more bus stops.

247. Oatley

Oatley is another middle performer in the south, scoring slightly better than the overall Sydney average. Its best scores are for train links, topographic variation, tree cover, telecommunications coverage and views of the Georges River. The suburb’s lowest scores are for culture, buses and main road congestion.

248. Carss Park

Carss Park is smack in the middle of the south’s liveability table. It excels in terms of its proximity to schools and is above average for telecommunications, water views and beach access. The suburb is not as highly rated as some of its neighbours for shopping, eating out or main road congestion.

249. Como

First, the good news: Como has fabulous views of the Georges and Woronora rivers. Telecommunications coverage, tree cover, topographic variation and rail links are significant drawcards. Como receives average ratings for open space, traffic and education, though scores lower in the areas of buses, eating out, shopping and proximity to employment hubs.

250. Chiswick

Chiswick ranks near the bottom third of inner west suburbs for liveability but it’s comfortably in the top half of Sydney suburbs overall. Telecommunications coverage, ferry links and water views are the highlights while it is less strong in terms of shopping, eating out and proximity to schools.

251. Port Hacking

Port Hacking achieves stellar results for its watery vistas. It’s a high achiever in several areas, including tree cover, topographic variation, ferry and bus links and beach access. The suburb is let down by its proximity to employment hubs, train links and schools.

252. Westmead

Not far outside the top 10 for liveability in western Sydney, Westmead is near the top of the class in terms of its telecommunications coverage. Also impressive are its scores for proximity to employment hubs, eating out, buses, trains and schools. It’s a long way from the beach, the traffic can get heavy and there is room for improvement on culture.

253. Dolans Bay

Dolans Bay, on the north shore of the Port Hacking estuary, has a similar liveability profile to its neighbour, Port Hacking, with killer views and respectable bus links. Like Port Hacking, education, culture and proximity to employment hubs aren’t highly rated. Telecommunications coverage, shopping and main road congestion are rated average for Sydney.

254. Five Dock

For the most part, Five Dock doesn’t do average. It tends to do very well or below average. Its highest scores are for telecommunications coverage, education, buses, water views, eating out, proximity to employment hubs and culture. It is rated below average for traffic, crime, tree cover and shopping.

255. Drummoyne

Drummoyne gets a big thumbs up for its harbour views and ferry access and also receives top marks for telecommunications coverage. It has cafe and restaurant options, but it’s average by Sydney standards for traffic, crime, topographic variation, shops and culture.

256. Denistone East

The low crime rate and outstanding telecommunications coverage are the biggest liveability bonuses to living in Denistone East. Culture, shopping, cafes, tree cover, buses, trains and education all received average ratings. There’s not much open space and the traffic can get heavy.

257. Mascot

Mascot is a relatively flat suburb, something those taking off and landing at Sydney Airport will be grateful for. It lacks tree cover but, on the bright side, there’s excellent mobile and internet coverage, it has good access to nearby employment hubs, cafes and restaurants as well as above average cultural options.

258. Watsons Bay

Watsons Bay: home to chip-thieving seagulls (is there any other sort?) and one of the prettiest little libraries in town. It’s a winner for its culture, water views, ferries, beach and parklands. Its overall score is dragged down by bus links, proximity to schools and main road congestion.

259. Hurstville Grove

Hurstville Grove is slightly below the middle of the group for liveability in Sydney’s south. The suburb is well rated for open space, buses and telecommunications coverage. Tree cover, train links and proximity to schools all receive average scores and it is less strong in terms of retail and dining options.

260. Menai

Residents of Menai, in the Sutherland Shire, enjoy outstanding tree cover and much more open space than most places in Sydney. The main roads are less congested than suburbs closer to the city, crime is low, there are great shops and very good telecommunications coverage. The suburb does not rate as well for buses, trains, proximity to employment hubs, cafes and restaurants.

261. Blair Athol

Retail is the big winner for Blair Athol, which also rates very well for its culture, dining options and relatively low main road congestion. It received average ratings in most other categories, except education and bus links, which ranked quite low.

Back to top

262. Blakehurst

Blakehurst, connected to the Sutherland Shire by Tom Uglys Bridge, receives very good marks for telecommunications coverage, water views and its bus stops. It is rated around average for its culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes, tree cover, train links, education and open space.

263. Homebush West

Homebush West scores highly for its telecommunications coverage and rail services. The study rates the suburb well for education, eating out, proximity to employment hubs and culture. Bus links, tree cover and open space aren’t big selling points.

264. Pymble

Close to the middle of the pack for overall liveability in Sydney, Pymble is highly rated for telecommunications coverage, topographic variation, trains, low crime and tree cover. The only real downsides identified by the study are main road congestion, buses, cafes and shops. In most other categories, it achieves average results.

265. Carlton

With its own train station on the Illawarra line, Carlton gets top marks for its rail links. Telecommunications, proximity to employment hubs, water views and beach access are above average. The only areas in which Carlton scores well below average are open space, main road congestion, tree cover and shopping.

266. Pennant Hills

Pennant Hills boasts fabulous tree cover, plus excellent telecommunications coverage, topographic variation and train services. Aside from heavy traffic, the other categories are rated average, including open space, crime, education, shops, cafes and culture.

267. Terrey Hills

Between the Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal national parks, Terrey Hills is rated brilliantly for its topographic variation and tree cover. Its lowest scores are for proximity to schools, bus services, proximity to employment hubs and lack of rail access. In other liveability areas, it performs around the Sydney average.

268. South Hurstville

South Hurstville’s score for main road congestion is lower than most in Sydney and performs quite well for education and telecommunications coverage. It is let down by relatively low open space and tree cover.

269. Ermington

Ermington gets top marks for its telecommunications coverage and the suburb next door, Rydalmere, has a ferry wharf. Its scores for crime, education, traffic, buses and topographic variation are around about the Sydney average.

270. Thornleigh

Thornleigh in the city’s north west achieves very good marks for telecommunications coverage, shopping, eating out, tree cover, topographic variation and rail access, with a station on the Northern Line. It achieves average results for crime, open space, proximity to employment hubs and culture.

271. Oyster Bay

Low crime and out-of-this-world views: they’re the best bits of Oyster Bay, according to the study. It also scores well for tree cover, telecommunications coverage and topographic variation, but is let down by its proximity to shops, cafes and restaurants.

272. Bankstown

Bankstown, the third most liveable suburb in Canterbury Bankstown, excels in the more urban categories, including jobs, shops, eating out, education and trains. The multicultural hotspot doesn’t score as well for open spaces, topographic variation or tree cover and there is room for improvement on its crime level.

273. Cabarita

It’s all about the water at Cabarita, which achieves outstanding scores for its Parramatta River views and ferry links, not to mention great mobile and internet coverage. Culture, low crime and open space push up its result, but the dining and shopping scene is underdeveloped.

273. Beacon Hill

A suburb of extremes, Beacon Hill scores very well for telecommunications coverage, tree cover, topographic variation, low crime and decent open space. The study didn’t give it many points for shops, cafes, buses, education or main road congestion.

275. Lilli Pilli

Lilli Pilli just scrapes into the top two thirds of southern Sydney for overall liveability. This small suburb west of Port Hacking has outstanding water views and very good tree cover, topographic variation, beach access and ferry links. It is rated average for telecommunications coverage, buses, open space, education and main road congestion. Proximity to employment and rail links were its lowest scores.

276. Peakhurst

Peakhurst’s standout features for liveability are bus connections and relatively clear roads during peak hour. It receives average scores for most other categories, including telecommunications coverage, tree cover, shops and restaurants, crime, open space and education.

277. Abbotsford

Abbotsford has standout scores for its ferries and telecommunications coverage. The suburb is rated above average for water views and culture. It is middle-of-the-road for education, traffic, buses, beach access, tree cover, cafes and proximity to employment hubs.

278. Beverley Park

Beverley Park is more liveable than a third of south Sydney’s suburbs, according to the study. Its highest marks are for open space, beach access and telecommunications coverage. For culture, proximity to employment hubs, cafes, tree cover, public transport, crime and main road congestion, its scores are average.

279. Carlingford

The study gives Carlingford very good scores for telecommunications coverage and tree cover, but average results for most of the other categories, including open space, main road congestion, ferry access and education.

280. Riverwood

Riverwood straddles the M5 between Narwee and Padstow. It has a train station on the East Hills Line, elevating its liveability score on the rail front. Main road congestion is better than most places in south Sydney and it also scores well for shopping and bus services. The only below-average scores are for culture, topographic variation and crime.

281. Sylvania Waters

Sylvania Waters isn’t the place to be if you’re into frolicking in open spaces, under trees or on hilly terrain. For heading to the beach, shopping or checking out some mighty fine water views, it hits the spot. The suburb’s scores for education, public transport, proximity to employment hubs, culture, eating out and telecommunications coverage are average.

Back to top

282. Kangaroo Point

Kangaroo Point is a tiny suburb on the southern side of the Georges River. It gets top marks for its water views and also performs admirably in its results for shopping with Southgate Shopping Centre nearby. In most other categories, it’s rated around about the Sydney average, but it is dragged down by proximity to employment hubs, lack of open space, education and bus stops.

283. Turrella

Turrella’s strong suits are trains, telecommunications coverage and proximity to schools. In the other liveability rankings it performs about average for Sydney.

284. Russell Lea

Russell Lea is right around average for overall liveability in Sydney. Telecommunications coverage provides its strongest result, though it also has low crime, decent bus links and some water views. It’s less strong in terms of open space and tree cover.

285. Mount Lewis

Fourth in the rankings for Canterbury Bankstown and around the middle of the pack for Sydney overall, Mount Lewis gets top marks for education and telecommunications coverage. Its scores are about average for most other categories except tree cover and main road congestion, which are its weakest points.

286. Ramsgate Beach

Like Kyeemagh a few suburbs north on the shores of Botany Bay, Ramsgate Beach is onto a good thing with its beach and bus services. There are shops nearby and the main roads typically aren’t as congested as in other parts of Sydney.

287. Dundas

Dundas boasts relatively strong telecommunications coverage, and it’s rated highly for trains. All the other liveability scores are around the city’s average, including for culture, retail, cafes and restaurants.

288. Hornsby Heights

For open space, easy traffic, tree cover and topographic variation, Hornsby Heights is a winner. The study doesn’t give it high marks for cafes and restaurants or proximity to employment hubs, and the suburb achieves average scores for culture, telecommunications coverage and bus services.

289. Penshurst

Penshurst’s numerous schools give it a high score in the education category and it