While rankings vary, Canberra consistently appears as Australia's safest city due to very low crime rates and high quality of life, with suburbs in the Molonglo Valley, Weston Creek, and Woden also cited as particularly safe. Other contenders for safety include Adelaide and regional areas like Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, known for strong community spirit, though "safest" depends on specific metrics like petty crime vs. violent crime, and urban vs. regional living.
Canberra consistently ranks as Australia's safest city with the lowest crime rate, often cited as having low violent and property crime, followed closely by Adelaide and Hobart, according to various 2024-2025 analyses using data from sources like Numbeo, highlighting its high safety index and liveability.
Best Places to Live in Australia (2026 Guide)
Cities With the Lowest Crime Rates (2025)
1. Which city in Australia has the highest crime rate? Rockhampton has the highest crime rate in Australia, with 132 per 1000 people. Some of the sources have also pointed to Alice Springs as the city with the highest crime rate.
Sussan Ley recently declared Melbourne the 'crime capital of Australia'. But a closer analysis of the data shows a much more nuanced picture.
Adelaide is often regarded as the cheapest place to live in Australia, with lower living costs compared to major cities. Regional areas are becoming more popular due to remote work opportunities, making them affordable choices.
There's no single "highest crime rate" city globally due to varying metrics (homicide vs. overall crime) and data collection, but Pietermaritzburg (South Africa), Caracas (Venezuela), and Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) consistently rank high for overall danger/crime index in 2025. In the U.S., Memphis, Tennessee, leads in violent crime rates for cities over 100k population. Globally, Latin American cities like Tijuana (Mexico) also appear frequently on lists for homicide rates.
Parks and trails can be serene, but isolated walking paths may make you susceptible to opportunistic attackers or those lying in wait. Always use well-lit routes and avoid secluded areas at night.
It's official! Adelaide is the happiest city in Australia, and one of the happiest in the world! 🙌 We ranked #29 globally in the Happy City Index across six categories - environment, economy, mobility, citizen wellbeing, health and governance.
Yes, $70k is a fair salary in Australia, often near the median income, making it a decent living for a single person, especially outside major cities, but it can be tight in expensive areas or for those with high living costs like mortgages, with full-time averages now closer to $90k-$100k.
Brisbane has just been named as one of the friendliest cities in the world and we're the only Australian city to be listed in the top twenty. We've always known this about Brisbane but now the world is starting to discover it too.
Australia's Quiet Places
Sydney is Australia's largest city and considered the best by many families and professionals. It boasts some of the best beaches, world-class dining, and cultural attractions like the Opera House and Harbour. Sydney is also an expensive city to live, yet it remains highly desirable.
The most common type of offence in 2016-17 was illicit drug offences (20%), with sexual assault and related offences increasing by 3%, being the sixth successive annual increase and a total increase of 40%.
WASHINGTON – Wallethub has released its 2025 list of the safest states in the U.S., placing Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire at the top of the list. Maine and Utah were the fourth and fifth safest states. The least safe states were Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Arkansas.
In other words, the largest cities with more than 1 million populations in the U.S. have become more safe from violent crime incidences in the most recent-year period, compared to cities with less than 1 million to 250,000 populations. Comparison of homicide rate also follows the same ranking.
Top 10 Best Countries to Live in 2025
Sydney ranks among the world's safest cities, but safety levels differ significantly between suburbs. The North Shore, Hills Shire and newer masterplanned communities remain strongholds of safety.
The cheapest places to buy a house in Australia are generally regional and rural towns in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia, with Coober Pedy (SA) frequently topping lists for its sub-$100k median, alongside towns like Charleville (QLD), Peterborough (SA), and Tara (QLD). These areas offer significantly lower prices than capital cities, though often with fewer amenities and potentially lower earning potential, making them ideal for buyers prioritizing affordability over big-city convenience.
Yes, AUD 5,000 (around $3,300 USD) can be enough for a single person's month in Australia, especially in regional areas or if you're budget-conscious and can find work quickly, but it will be tight in major cities like Sydney or Melbourne, where it covers basics but leaves little for luxury, according to Anzuk Education and Reddit users, as city living costs, especially rent, can quickly consume most of that, requiring careful planning for accommodation, food, and activities.
Quilpie, Queensland, Australia
If you're not afraid to relocate, then you could soon be a landowner in the Australian outback. The district of Quilpie is incredibly remote, located 621 miles (1,000km) west of Brisbane.