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In news that will surprise precisely no Pilates-loving residents of Bondi, where you live does a whole lot more than shape your daily routine – the place you wake up each day is linked to health, wellbeing, and even life expectancy. A new iSelect analysis comparing regions across ten indicators, including mental health, employment, housing affordability, GP access, safety, and social connection, has ranked Australia’s most liveable places – and NSW dominates the list.
Topping the list is Sutherland in Sydney’s south (with a total livability score of 68.96 out of 100), which combines the lowest unemployment rate in the top ten (2.3 per cent) with a strong sense of belonging (66.2 per cent) and easy access to coast (including the best beach in Australia for 2026) and green space. Sutherland also performs steadily on safety and health, although its work–life balance is weighed down by longer commutes (typical for outer-Sydney regions).
NSW dominates the upper rankings, with four regions in the top ten, including the Northern Beaches (third) and Baulkham Hills & Hawkesbury (fourth). The Northern Beaches scores highly for coastal proximity, remote work rates, and lower mental health prevalence, while Baulkham Hills leads the entire top ten for environmental quality, driven by extensive green space and high life expectancy.
In second place overall is Adelaide’s Central and Hills region (68.78), which stands out for having the strongest work–life balance in the country’s top ten. Shorter commutes, fewer long working hours, and strong GP access help it outperform expectations, even if its environmental score is lower due to limited green space and distance from the coast.
Inner Perth rounds out the top five, excelling in healthcare access with the highest GP availability nationally. However, it records weaker belonging and higher crime rates, showing the trade-offs of inner-city density.
Beyond the top five, the scores compress sharply. WA’s Wheat Belt, Melbourne’s Outer East, and Adelaide’s broader Central and Hills regions all sit within a narrow band just a few points apart. Notably, WA’s Wheat Belt records the strongest housing affordability in the country and the highest volunteering rates nationally, suggesting community engagement can offset structural disadvantages like lower healthcare access.
Meanwhile, Melbourne’s Outer East quietly posts the highest “belonging” score in the top ten (69%), alongside strong housing affordability – reinforcing a familiar pattern: suburban stability often shows up in connection and cost-of-living metrics, even if it lags in healthcare density.
These are the most liveable places in Australia right now
1. Sutherland, NSW
2. Central & Hills, SA
3. Northern Beaches, NSW
4. Baulkham Hills & Hawkesbury, NSW
5. Inner Perth, WA
6. Warrnambool and South West, Vic
7. Hornsby, NSW
8. Western Australia - Wheat Belt, WA
9. Melbourne - Outer East, Vic
10. Brisbane - West, QLD
You can check out the full study over here.
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