What makes a neighbourhood a great place to live? Safe and clean tree-lined streets may be an answer; walking distance to corner shops, schools and parks may be another. Well, a new national study looked at thousands of neighbourhoods in the country to find the most liveable – and it turns out that Lane Cove, found on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, came out on top. Leafy, clean, safe, community-orientated? You bet.
The 2025 Australian Liveability Census, in partnership with social research company Place Score, analysed data from more than 27,000 Australians across more than 15,000 areas. Aussies evaluated their neighbourhoods against 50 markers including things like safety, natural environment, nearby shops, cafés and medical services, as well as its visual character, with Lane Cove topping the list.
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Lane Cove locals praise the area’s sense of community, lots of green space, beautiful national park, local swimming pool, parks for kids to play at (including Blackman Park), and close proximity to shops and cafés. My picks include Via Napoli for pizza, Shorties Bar & Dining for cocktails and after-work snacks, and Barrel One for my morning brew.
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The other highly desirable Australian neighbourhoods include Vincent in Western Australia, Sydney’s Inner West, Victoria’s Surf Coast, Hobart in Tassie, North Sydney, Willoughby in Sydney, Bayside in Victoria, Camden in Sydney, Joondalup in Western Australia, Ku-ring-gai on Sydney’s Upper North Shore, and the City of Sydney.
As a proud Inner West local, I can agree it’s a fabulous place to live, home to excellent restaurants, cool small bars and pumping live music venues.
Australia's most liveable local government areas for 2025:
- Lane Cove (NSW)
- Vincent (WA)
- Inner West (NSW)
- Surf Coast (VIC)
- Hobart (TAS)
- North Sydney (NSW)
- Willoughby (NSW)
- Bayside (VIC)
- Camden (NSW)
- Joondalup (WA)
- Ku-ring-gai (NSW)
- Sydney (NSW)