Greater Melbourne · Capital City
How much of daily life sits within a walk of home — a transparent 0–10 walkability score and the everyday destinations you can reach on foot: shops, public transport, schools, parks and health services, plus the streets and terrain in between.
Over 82% of homes in Greater Melbourne pass the 15-minute-city test, meaning residents can reach most essential services on foot. This makes the region very walkable, with a score of 7.1 that is a little above the Victorian figure of 6.4. It is a place where the vast majority of people can access a wide range of amenities without needing a car.
All capital city areas, 2021. The marker is Greater Melbourne — very walkable of areas.
| Greater Melbourne | 7.1 |
|---|---|
| Victoria | 6.4 |
Share of homes (G-NAF addresses) in Greater Melbourne by walking time to the nearest amenity of each type, on an elevation-aware pedestrian network. How we calculate this →
The overall walkability score and how much of daily life is a short walk away.
The region's walkability score of 7.1 means it is very walkable, ranking second among similar areas. This is supported by the fact that 82.6% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed, which is well above the 74.3% seen across Victoria.
7.1
Very walkable of capital city areas.
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.
6.6
Higher than 97% of capital city areas.
How many of the eight everyday amenity types — groceries, food & drink, health, schools, parks, culture, everyday services and public transport — the average home can reach on foot within 15 minutes, out of 8.
82.6%
Higher than 94% of capital city areas.
Share of local homes that can reach at least five of the eight everyday amenity types within a 15-minute walk — the "15-minute city" test. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
How many homes can walk to groceries, transport, schools, parks and health services.
Access to essentials is strong, with 97.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park and 82% within reach of groceries, both well above the state figures. While most people can reach a park or transport within five minutes, health services are the hardest to reach, with 10% of homes located more than 30 minutes away.
82.0%
Higher than 99% of capital city areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or everyday shopping. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
91.0%
Higher than 82% of capital city areas.
Share of local homes within a 10-minute walk of a public-transport stop — bus, train, tram or ferry. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
87.2%
Higher than 98% of capital city areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a school. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
97.3%
Higher than 92% of capital city areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a park or area of open space. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
73.0%
Higher than 99% of capital city areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of health services such as a GP, pharmacy or hospital. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
Amenity density, how well the streets connect, and how hilly the walk is.
Street connectivity across the region stands at 76 intersections per square kilometre. The typical terrain slope is 4.8%, which is about the same as the Victorian figure, while there are 13.9 walkable amenities per 1,000 residents, a little below the state average of 15.7.
13.9
Lower than 82% of capital city areas.
Walkable amenities — shops, cafés, parks, health services, schools, cultural and community places, everyday services and public-transport stops — per 1,000 residents. Measures how much is around, apart from how far it is to walk there.
76
Higher than 99% of capital city areas.
Walkable street intersections per square kilometre. Denser, better-connected street grids give more direct routes on foot than winding, cul-de-sac layouts.
4.8%
Lower than 57% of capital city areas.
Average terrain slope across the area, as a percent grade. Steeper ground shortens how far people will walk; it is already folded into the walkability score through the elevation-aware pedestrian network, and is shown here on its own for context.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Walkability in Greater Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/gccsa/2GMEL/greater-melbourne/topic/walkability
