The Worst Suburbs in Melbourne for Living – 2025 Guide

Thinking of making Melbourne your home? As someone who’s helped people move in and out of every corner of this city, I know how exciting a fresh start can be. But it can turn sour quickly if you land in the wrong area. Melbourne may be Victoria’s bustling, multicultural capital, but let’s face it—some spots have earned their place among the worst suburbs in Melbourne. Ending up in one of them is an experience you’d rather avoid.

I’m Joaquin Trapero, owner of North Removals, a five-star rated moving company right here in Melbourne. With more than two decades in the moving business, I’ve relocated families and businesses to nearly every suburb you can imagine. I’ve guided customers through their first apartment moves, advising them on essential details from our First Apartment Move Checklist and even helped pet owners manage their relocation smoothly with our tips on Moving House With Dogs.Those years of experience have given me a deep understanding of Melbourne’s suburbs—from the safest havens to the spots with rough reputations.

In this guide, I’m sharing that insider knowledge with you. We’ll walk through how to spot the red flags when choosing your new neighbourhood, whether it’s high crime rates, natural disaster risks, or a lack of essential amenities. My goal is to help you steer clear of any suburb that might jeopardise your fresh start. With a bit of local insight and preparation, you can find a community where you’ll truly feel at home in Melbourne.

If you are considering moving to Melbourne I personally recommend our cost of living calculator Melbourne where you can estimates your expenses depending on your lifestyle.

15 Worst Suburbs in Melbourne by Crime Rate

The crime rate reflects the number of reported crimes within a defined geographical area and a specific time frame; it is calculated for each 100,000 residents. Assessment of the crime rate serves a number of important governmental and business purposes while offering residents-to-be important information about suburb safety risks. 

The crime rate in Melbourne has increased in the past five years across all areas while particular offences affect different sections of the city, especially theft and assault incidents. Certain areas like Melbourne CBD and suburbs like St Kilda and Richmond consistently show higher crime statistics compared to other suburbs.

For a comprehensive overview of crime statistics in Melbourne, you can visit the Crime Statistics Agency Victoria for detailed information.

Melbourne Crime Statistics Summary

• The most current crime rate statistics indicate Melbourne maintains a rate of over 43. The average number of reported crimes stands at 43.761 but specific suburb variations make this figure unreliable for comparisons.
• The most common crimes include theft, assault, and property crimes.
• The way people perceive crime should be noted because different evaluations exist. 

Suburb	Crime Rate	Types of Crimes
Melbourne CBD	20,041	Theft, Assault, Breaches of Orders
South Wharf	18,500	Theft, Assault
East Melbourne	17,800	Theft, Property Damage
Greater Dandenong	16,500	Assault, Burglary
Yarra Area	15,500	Theft, Drug Offences
Brimbank	14,800	Assault, Property Damage
Whittlesea	14,200	Burglary, Theft
Hume	13,900	Assault, Drug Offences
Casey	13,600	Burglary, Theft
Darebin Area	13,300	Assault, Breaches of Orders
Moreland Area	12,800	Theft, Disorderly Conduct
Hobsons Bay	12,500	Property Damage
Maribyrnong	12,200	Assault
Port Phillip	11,900	Drug Offences
Frankston	11,500	Assault, Property Damage

Data sourced from RedSuburbs and Crime Statistics Agency Victoria.

Australia vs. Melbourne: A Crime Rate Comparison

If you are considering to choose to move to Melbourne among Sydney or any other Australian cities, it´s a good idea to know Melbourne’s safety rating compared to other locations. Even though we have a rich culture alongside a vibrant lifestyle in Melbourne, you will still need to examine its crime rates against other major urban centres across Australia. The following section outlines an analysis which shows Melbourne’s national standing.

Ranking	City	Crime Rate (Index)
1	Alice Springs	74.8
2	Rockhampton	67.6
3	Cairns	61.7
4	Darwin	60.4
5	Townsville	57.4
6	Toowoomba	56.4
7	Geelong	55.6
8	Ballarat	53.2
9	Wollongong	51.7
10	Newcastle	48.1
11	Gold Coast	46.2
12	Melbourne	44.0
13	Perth	41.7
14	Brisbane	35.5
15	Sydney	33.9
16	Hobart	32.3
17	Adelaide	31.1
18	Canberra	23.2

Source: ABS

Flood-Prone and High-Risk Fire Suburbs in Melbourne 

The flood risk in Melbourne can be severe due to its extensive river and creek system. Areas like Footscray, which sits close to the Maribyrnong River, experience frequent flooding events. If you’re considering this suburb despite its challenges, consulting experienced removalists in Footscray is advisable, as they know how to navigate its tricky locations during a move.

Key Flood-Vulnerable Suburbs in Melbourne

Elizabeth Street (CBD): Heavy rain conditions turn Elizabeth Street into a crucial flood zone because it stands on top of an old creek channel. The drainage system reaches its limit and creates major water accumulation that impedes pedestrians and vehicles.

Southbank: The Yarra River flooding affects Southbank specifically because the area sits near the riverbank. The areas surrounding Crown Casino face recurring flood problems.

Kensington and North Melbourne: The locations adjacent to Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek experience frequent sudden flooding events. The areas identified as critical points for flash flooding include Bent Street and Langford Street because they lack proper drainage systems.

Footscray: To the west of Melbourne, Footscray also faces significant risks due to its proximity to the Maribyrnong River. Intense rainfall can cause overflow that affects both residential and commercial areas.

Resources to control flood risks

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)	You can access detailed flood maps designed for particular suburban areas through this service.
Melbourne Water	You can interact with maps which show the flood extent of the Maribyrnong River and other key areas
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)	The organisation provides real-time weather alerts and flood-related forecasts through its official website.

High-Risk Bushfire Suburbs in Melbourne

Bushfires typically occur in Victoria´s regional space, but multiple Melbourne suburbs in outer districts also remain at high risk because they border grassy plains and thick forested areas. The fires move swiftly across their path and endanger both people and structures.

Key Melbourne Suburbs with Higher Bushfire Risk

Kinglake: The suburb became one of the region´s most severely impacted by the disastrous Black Saturday bushfires that occurred in 2009. The dense forest in this area elevates its exposure to fire hazards.

Yarra Ranges: The natural beauty of this area comes with a significant danger because of its thick forests and steep terrain. The combination of high heat and powerful wind conditions creates speedily advancing wildfires.

Dandenong Ranges: The region presents the same steep landscapes with dense vegetation, serving as perfect fuel for fire propagation. The suburbs of Olinda and Belgrave face high vulnerability to fire risks.

Outer Northern Suburbs (Whittlesea): Areas near Whittlesea face risks due to a combination of open grasslands and extreme weather conditions during summer.

Essential Bushfire Resources for Melbourne

CFA (Country Fire Authority)	This website provides comprehensive information on daily fire danger levels, as well as fire limitation rules and emergency preparedness strategies.
Emergency Management Victoria	The system provides complete guidance on bushfire preparedness for homes concurrently with live warning notifications
VicEmergency App	The tool provides vital alerts about active wildfires within proximity to your area.

So knowing where the floods and fires might occur might affect your choice of location for your new residence. Insurance policies are also affected by these inherent risks to life and property. Your peace of mind is most important too.

Which Melbourne Suburbs Have the Worst Schools?

For families (or future families) in Melbourne, school quality is a crucial factor in deciding where to live. Victoria generally boasts a strong public education system, but there are definitely some suburbs where schools struggle – often reflecting broader socio-economic challenges. Now, it’s important to approach this topic with care. “Worst schools” doesn’t mean the teachers aren’t trying; it usually means the schools are under-resourced or serving communities doing it tough.

To give you a clearer view, here’s a table highlighting ten Melbourne suburbs often associated with lower academic performance. These observations are based on NAPLAN outcomes, My School data, and overall school reputation:

Underperforming School Zones in Melbourne

Suburb	Public School Areas	Common Challenges	NAPLAN / Outcome Trends
Broadmeadows	Broadmeadows & Dallas	Low literacy, high dropout rates	Consistently below state benchmarks
Meadow Heights	Northern Hume corridor	Language barriers, economic hardship	NAPLAN scores well below average
Dandenong	Dandenong High, local primaries	Resource limitations, high ESL population	Persistently below state average
Doveton	Doveton College (P–9)	Chronic absenteeism, intergenerational disadvantage	Struggling across multiple years
St Albans	St Albans Secondary, local colleges	Overcrowding, limited support programs	Mixed results, trending below state
Sunshine	Sunshine College (multiple campuses)	Socio-economic disadvantage, low attendance	Test scores lagging behind
Frankston	Frankston North, Karingal	Behavioural challenges, low Year 12 completion	Outcomes weaker than nearby zones
Noble Park	Noble Park Primary & Secondary	Language barriers, transient population	Improving, still under average
Thomastown	Thomastown High & feeder primaries	Under-resourced, low tertiary transition	Below average in most indicators
Melton	Melton, Melton South schools	Attendance issues, youth disengagement	Consistently underperforms academically

Source: Better Education

In Melbourne, school performance often mirrors the city’s socio-economic divides. Broadly speaking, the wealthier inner and eastern suburbs boast many of the top performers, whereas parts of the outer north and west (and some pockets in the south-east) have schools with lower academic results. The latest data continues to show a stark gap – for instance, the 2024 NAPLAN results highlighted vast achievement differences between rich and poor communities, with most struggling schools being public.

As a removalist, I’ve even had clients explicitly move across town for this reason – they wanted to be in a better school catchment. One family I moved from Sunshine to Glen Waverley joked that their moving costs would “pay for themselves” thanks to the better public school, saving them from considering private school tuition. It might sound extreme, but it underscores how school zones can drive relocation decisions. In Melbourne, school quality differences often shape a suburb’s reputation, and families in the know definitely factor in school catchments when choosing where to live.

Even if schools aren’t your top priority, it’s clear that a strong local school can boost a neighbourhood’s appeal (and a struggling one can do the opposite). So when you’re planning a move, it pays to think about the school catchment map as much as the real estate listings – your kids (present or future) will thank you for it.

Melbourne’s High-Density Apartment Zones

The parking of vehicles poses a challenge to those who choose to live in high-density apartments for their relocation to Melbourne. The massive number of apartment buildings creates space shortages alongside traffic congestion in specific areas and areas such as Southbank draw numerous residents and tourists, intensifying traffic and parking shortages, especially during weekends. If you depend on driving a car, knowledge about this situation will help you avoid parking-related problems. 

Where Is Parking Most Difficult in Melbourne?

Southbank: This region has numerous public areas together with active evening entertainment but offers restricted parking opportunities.

Carlton: Close to the university and the CBD, it experiences heavy traffic and few parking options. Amendment C133 allows construction with minimal parking, worsening the issue.

Fitzroy: The cultural appeal of Fitzroy is set into its narrow streets with many apartment buildings, leading to restricted parking options.

St Kilda: St Kilda draws numerous tourists because of its beachfront location, which causes heavy traffic congestion together with parking complications during the weekend.

RMIT estimates that unused parking spaces, allocated to apartment residents with no car, cost Melbourne residents over $6 billion. Besides being a waste, this contributes to higher housing costs.

Melbourne Gentrification Hotspots

The process of gentrification leads to neighbourhood revitalisation through new opportunities, while prompting ongoing development, and even possible adverse changes to neighbourhood standards. Moving to a Melbourne area that is undergoing gentrification requires you to assess its duality: benefits and drawbacks. The process of gentrification is affecting various Melbourne suburbs, including:

West Melbourne: This area experienced rapid expansion of apartment buildings as old warehouses received modern residential renovations. The area has a new lease of life due to development projects, yet the construction work causes both more noise and heavier traffic.

Reservoir: The continuous population growth in neighbouring Northcote has caused Reservoir to follow suit. The building of new houses together with other residential developments speeds up the transformation of city areas, but causes daily troubles for those who already live there.

Footscray: The Footscray area now attracts gentrification because it possesses both a strategic geographic position and improved CBD accessibility. The conversion of industrial areas to residential zones has triggered a sequence of construction initiatives that might disturb the peaceful nature of the neighbourhood.

Brunswick: The area known as Brunswick exists as a fashionable contemporary suburb; it lies near the Central Business District and boasts an artistic heritage. Young professionals along with artists now live in stylish apartments that were originally industrial buildings.

If you’re moving into one of these evolving suburbs, it’s helpful to plan effectively using our detailed guide on Melbourne storage costs, particularly if you’re downsizing or awaiting home renovations.

Also, before choosing to move into a gentrifying suburb, do thorough research about current development plans to see how they will impact your lifestyle. Your knowledge will help you choose a house with better prospects.

Decided on Your New Suburb? North Removals Makes Moving Easy!

All in all, I hope my insights have given you a clearer picture of how to avoid the common pitfalls when picking a place to live. We’ve covered everything from crime stats and safety concerns to school quality and traffic issues—key factors that can turn a neighbourhood sour. By doing your homework (and reading our guide “best suburbs in Melbourne“), you’ll be much better prepared to avoid any dangerous neighbourhoods in Melbourne and make an informed decision about where to settle down.

I remember a couple of months ago a young couple was about to move from Canberra to Melbourne when they stumbled upon my guide highlighting the worst suburbs in Melbourne. Thanks to this resource, they made a better-informed decision and chose a quieter, friendlier part of the city instead. Stories like theirs are the true reason why I continue writing guides like this—to help people make the right choice from the start.

So, if you’re gearing up for a move in Melbourne, remember that I’m here to help make it a smooth journey. And to plan accurately, use our convenient Moving Cost Calculator to estimate expenses and requirements beforehand. 

So when you’re ready, just pick up the phone and book your move with North Removals. My team and I pride ourselves on being the best rated removalist in Melbourne. Let us handle the heavy lifting while you focus on settling happily into your new home.