Melbourne City · Sub-region (SA3)
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.
Almost every home in Melbourne City is within a short stroll of a school, yet this is the hardest daily destination to reach quickly. While 98.2% of residents are within 15 minutes of a school, far fewer can reach one in just 5 minutes. Despite this, the area is a walker's paradise with a walkability score of 9.5, well above the Victorian figure of 6.4.
All sub-region (sa3) areas, 2021. The marker is Melbourne City — a walker's paradise of areas.
| Melbourne City | 9.5 |
|---|---|
| Greater Melbourne | 7.1 |
| Victoria | 6.4 |
Share of homes (G-NAF addresses) in Melbourne City 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.
Nearly all homes (99.9%) here have a 15-minute-city walkshed, which is far above the 74.3% seen across Victoria. On average, residents have 7.9 different amenity types within a 15-minute walk, well above the state average of 6.0.
9.5
A walker's paradise of sub-region (sa3) 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.
7.9
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) 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.
99.9%
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) 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 exceptional, with 100% of homes within 10 minutes of public transport and 99.6% within 15 minutes of groceries. While most residents can reach health services, parks, and food within 5 minutes, only 38% of homes are that close to a school.
99.6%
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or everyday shopping. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
100.0%
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) 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.
98.2%
Higher than 94% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a school. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
99.9%
Higher than 85% of sub-region (sa3) 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.
99.0%
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) 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.
There are 622 intersections per square kilometre and 19.8 walkable amenities per 1,000 residents, which is well above the Victorian figure of 15.7. The typical terrain slope is 9.1%, well above the state average of 4.7%.
19.8
Higher than 74% of sub-region (sa3) 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.
622
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Walkable street intersections per square kilometre. Denser, better-connected street grids give more direct routes on foot than winding, cul-de-sac layouts.
9.1%
Higher than 89% of sub-region (sa3) 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 Melbourne City [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/20604/melbourne-city/topic/walkability
