CensusAtlas

Indicator

Walkability score

It scores each area out of 10 from how much of everyday life — groceries, public transport, cafés, parks, health services, schools, culture and everyday retail — sits within a 2 to 30-minute walk of the average home, weighting closer and better-served destinations more heavily and folding in terrain, so a hilly walk counts for less than a flat one.

How to read it: Walkability shapes daily life, transport costs and health, and it answers the liveability question the Census alone can't: whether you can live here without depending on a car.

Good to know: It rests on OpenStreetMap, which is thorough in cities but patchy in regional and remote areas; where a populated area (over 2,000 residents) has no mapped shops nearby, the score is withheld rather than shown as a false near-zero.

About this measure

Source: Walkability (OpenStreetMap, GTFS, ACARA & G-NAF, via Valhalla) (OpenStreetMap contributors, state transport agencies, ACARA & Geoscape Australia), 2026, ODbL 1.0 + CC BY. Explore the map below for local values.

Explore on the map

See how walk score varies across Australia.

By statistical area 2 (sa2) By postcode By council (lga) By sub-region (sa3) By region (sa4) By capital city By state / territory By suburb / locality By urban area By urban centre By federal electorate By state electorate By section of state By section of state range By remoteness area By indigenous location By indigenous area By indigenous region

Highest areas

SA2 areas with the highest walk score (latest data).

  1. Chippendale 9.9
  2. Ultimo 9.9
  3. Melbourne CBD - East 9.8
  4. Fitzroy 9.8
  5. Sydney (South) - Haymarket 9.8
  6. Darlinghurst 9.8

Related indicators

Amenity types within a 15-minute walk View → Homes with a 15-minute-city walkshed View → Homes within 15 min walk of groceries View → Homes within 10 min walk of public transport View → Homes within 15 min walk of a school View → Homes within 15 min walk of a park View → Homes within 15 min walk of health services View → Walkable amenities per 1,000 residents View → Street connectivity (intersections/km²) View → Mean terrain slope View →

Frequently asked questions

How is Walkability score measured?

A 0–10 score for how much of daily life sits within an easy walk of the average home — weighing how close groceries, public transport, cafés, parks, health services, schools, culture and everyday services are, and how many of each. Walking times are measured on an elevation-aware pedestrian network, so hills count against reach. The methodology page describes how the score is put together. It is calculated as a percentage of the relevant population or dwellings, so it can be compared fairly between large and small areas.

Why does Walkability score matter?

Walkability shapes daily life, transport costs and health, and it answers the liveability question the Census alone can't: whether you can live here without depending on a car.

Worth knowing: It rests on OpenStreetMap, which is thorough in cities but patchy in regional and remote areas; where a populated area (over 2,000 residents) has no mapped shops nearby, the score is withheld rather than shown as a false near-zero.

How does Walkability score vary across Australia?

Across the 2,453 SA2 areas with data, Walkability score ranges from 0.0 to 9.9, with a typical (median) area at 5.4.

Where can I see Walkability score for my area?

Use the interactive map to compare Walkability score down to statistical area 2 (sa2) and postcode level, or search any suburb, postcode or council area to see its value in context against state and national figures.

Cite this page

OpenStreetMap contributors, state transport agencies, ACARA & Geoscape Australia. (2026). Walkability score [Walkability (OpenStreetMap, GTFS, ACARA & G-NAF, via Valhalla)]. CensusAtlas, used under ODbL 1.0 + CC BY. https://censusatlas.au/indicator/walkability