Nothing’s more important than family. Much is made of capital growth and other financial factors, but many members of the Microburbs community are simply looking for a safe, happy home for themselves and their children. Convenience, hipness and lifestyle can take a back seat compared to the right environment for your kids.
The latest Microburbs Family score rankings reveal Melbourne’s top suburbs for families and schools. We talked to Microburbs founder and lead suburb score analyst, Luke Metcalfe, about the results.
Why A Family Score?
Family scores measure how desirable an areas is for raising children. Microburbs founder and family score creator Luke Metcalfe told us “Nothing’s more important than our children, and nothing is more critical for parents who are researching suburbs than how suitable it is for their children. How are the local schools? Where are the catchments? Are there nice parks and playgrounds? Most importantly, is it safe and welcoming?”
What factors influence the family score?
“The Microburbs family score is what we call a ‘multi-factor model’, involving several areas which are weighted and combined to give a final number. NAPLAN rankings of nearby schools are considered, for private options as well as government school catchments. Family amenities, like parks and swimming pools, are included. Then there are demographic considerations to check if there are young families in the area and if they’re mostly moving in or desperate to get out. Lastly, we undertake surveys to validate that our algorithms and data models reflect the way real families feel about types of areas.”
How often does Microburbs release new data, and why?
“We are always gathering new data on Australian suburbs”, says Luke, “and we will periodically release new insights. As demographics shift and new NAPLAN data is released, we’ll be updating our models and releasing updated family scores and rankings.”
Where are the Melbourne suburbs with the top family scores? What about the bottom of the class?
Melbourne’s top family suburb is Alphington. This leafy suburb in the North East boasts close proximity to excellent schools, as well as a high number of preschools and after school facilities. Expect somewhat smaller families than in other areas, with Alphington’s somewhat posh mums having less kids each than the Melbourne average.
Most of the top scorers are in the inner East or North East, with the exception of coastal Beaumaris. Beaumaris has access to a number of excellent schools in the suburb and in neighbouring Mentone, and is home to a community rich with young families.
At the bottom of Melbourne’s Family Score rankings is Coolaroo. Unfortunately, the local schools are struggling in the NAPLAN rankings and the area has not proved popular with other parents.
How does it compare to other cities?
Melbourne ranks 3rd, nationally, in our city scores for family score. Melbourne scores 9.1, city-wide, relative to Sydney’s 9.4 and Perth’s 9.2. To arrive at a city score, we considered not just the quality of a city’s top family suburbs, but how all suburbs compare if you were to take them collectively.
Melbourne’s Top 10 Family Suburbs
| Rank | Suburb | Family Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphington | 9.6 |
| 2 | Beaumaris | 9.6 |
| 3 | Camberwell | 9.6 |
| 4 | Eaglemont | 9.6 |
| 5 | Balwyn | 9.6 |
| 6 | Blackburn | 9.6 |
| 7 | Ivanhoe East | 9.5 |
| 8 | Ivanhoe | 9.5 |
| 9 | Mont Albert North | 9.5 |
| 10 | Surrey Hills | 9.5 |
The Family Score panel on all Microburbs reports breaks down the data behind the score. It also maps schools, parks and playgrounds.
You can find your suburb’s family score and Microburbs report now, just by searching here.
For press enquiries about this article, please call Microburbs Founder Luke Metcalfe on 0414 183 210.