Northcote - West
Darebin council · default-weight liveability
Also known as: Northcote, Thornbury
Buying here?
Two ways to look past the suburb average: drop a pin on the exact property for a precise check, or run a quick area-level read right here.
The exact-address check measures amenities, hazards and noise from the pin you drop. The quick check uses this area's centre point, so it is approximate.
In brief
Northcote - West, in Darebin, is a dense, urban part of Greater Melbourne. Among Greater Melbourne areas it ranks strongly for the local economy, public transport and affordability. Housing is a mix of renters and owner-occupiers (about 39% of homes rented). This describes the wider area, not any single property, and is context - not advice.
Score breakdown · default weights
Above average · Lower rent burden than 76% of Greater Melbourne
Excellent · Better public transport access than 89% of Greater Melbourne
Around average · Around the Greater Melbourne average for safety
Above average · Better health access than 76% of Greater Melbourne
Around average · Around the Greater Melbourne average for hazard exposure
Around average · Around the Greater Melbourne average for schools
Excellent · Stronger local economy than 90% of Greater Melbourne
Explore context (never in the score)
Key facts
Trends over time - context only, never in the score
Resident population
Source: ABS ERP by SA2 — full annual series (2001–2023) · context only - not in the score.
Affordability trend (medians)
Source: ABS Census 2021 Time Series Profile (C21_T02_SA2) · ratio of medians (cost / income), not a 30%-stress share · context only - not in the score.
Sources & licences (12)
- Rent-to-income ratio — ABS Census 2021 median weekly rent ÷ ABS Data by Region equivalised household income
- Licence: CC BY 4.0Period: 2021Fetched: 2026-05-29
- PTV GTFS Schedule — metropolitan train, tram, bus (DTP)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0Period: rolling schedule exportFetched: 2026-06-11
- VCSA Recorded offences — suburb (Table 03) + LGA fallback (Table 02)
- Licence: CC BY 3.0 AUPeriod: 2025 (latest year in export)Fetched: 2026-06-11
- Vicmap / MapShare — general hospitals (Emergency Services FOI)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Victoria)Period: currentFetched: 2026-05-29
- OpenStreetMap — GP/clinic points (Overpass; hospital fallback only)
- Licence: ODbL — attribute OSMPeriod: currentFetched: 2026-06-15
- Modified Monash Model 2023 - health-access remoteness (MM1-7) by SA1, rolled up to SA2 (Dept of Health and Aged Care)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0Period: 2023 (published Mar 2025)Fetched: 2026-06-13
- Vicmap Planning — Bushfire Prone Area (regulatory overlay)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Victoria)Period: currentFetched: 2026-05-29
- Vicplan — Land Subject to Inundation overlay (LSIO; SBO unavailable from API)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Victoria)Period: currentFetched: 2026-06-14
- OpenStreetMap — schools within 2 km (Overpass)
- Licence: ODbL — attribute OSMPeriod: currentFetched: 2026-06-15
- ABS Census 2021 — children enrolled in preschool (SA2)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0Period: 2021Fetched: 2026-06-01
- ABS Data by Region — median equivalised household income (weekly)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0Period: 2021Fetched: 2026-05-29
- ABS Census 2016 — labour force (employed, participation) by SA2
- Licence: CC BY 4.0Period: 2016Fetched: 2026-06-01
Areas like Northcote - West
Closest peers by how their domain percentiles line up - not by price or a single score.
- Brunswick EastMorelandBoth strong in Economy, Transport, Health94%alike
- Northcote - EastDarebinBoth strong in Transport, Economy, Health93%alike
- Fitzroy NorthYarraBoth strong in Transport, Economy, Rent burden92%alike
- Hawthorn - NorthBoroondaraBoth strong in Transport, Economy, Health91%alike
- Hawthorn - SouthBoroondaraBoth strong in Economy, Transport, Health91%alike
- Malvern - Glen IrisStonningtonBoth strong in Transport, Economy, Health91%alike
Not relocation or financial advice. The composite score is a percentile rank within Greater Melbourne presented as an optional lens - a data-access tool, not a definitive ranking of places. Context metrics are never folded into the locked seven-domain composite.