Safety

Next up in our suburban hunt is Preston, located about 9 kilometers northeast of the CBD. After looking at Rosanna and Point Cook, I wanted to see how Preston compares. Let’s dig into the details to see if it could be a good fit for our family. Rental Prices Rent here for a three-bedroom house ranges from $520 to $600 per week. The houses are pretty average, nothing fancy, but livable. Safety Here’s where things get a little worrying. Preston has a crime rate of 20/100, which is higher than some other areas we’ve looked at. In 2023, there were 1,677 reported thefts. That makes me a bit cautious, especially with two young kids to think about. It’s definitely something to consider. ...

Our next stop on this family-friendly exploration journey is Point Cook, located about 22 kilometers southwest of the CBD. This suburb has been popping up in my searches, so I wanted to take a closer look, especially after checking out Rosanna and Preston. Rental Prices Let’s start with rent—I found that three-bedroom houses here range between $400 and $490 per week, and a lot of the houses are fairly new. That’s nice to see! The housing prices seem reasonable too, but you know when something feels a little too good? The lower rent makes me wonder about the neighborhood. I guess we’ll need to check that out more closely. ...

Next up on our family’s Melbourne suburb exploration is Rosanna, located around 12 kilometers northeast of the CBD. We’re continuing our search for the right suburb, and Rosanna has some interesting features worth diving into. I am comparing it with other suburbs like Point Cook and Preston, so I look at rent, safety, schools, and community in the same way. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far. Rental Prices Let’s talk numbers first—because, well, that’s what I do! The rent in Rosanna for a three-bedroom house falls between $430 and $580 per week. That’s quite a range, but one thing to note is that many of the houses I came across seem a bit on the older side. Not a dealbreaker, but if you’re picky about more modern living spaces, it’s something to think about. Buying a house here is a different story—prices are over $1.2M, which is way outside our budget. ...

Next on our list of potential suburbs is South Morang, about 20 kilometres north‑east of the CBD. We are exploring different areas to see what could fit our family. South Morang seems worth a closer look, though there are some mixed signals. Population Diversity One thing that stands out is the diverse mix of people living in South Morang. The top countries of birth here are: India: 6.5% Italy: 2.4% North Macedonia: 2.4% Sri Lanka: 1.7% Philippines: 1.4% It is a varied community, which helps when you want a welcoming, family‑friendly vibe. ...

As part of our journey to find the right suburb in Melbourne, we have been looking at different areas and their trade‑offs. We are not living in Blackburn yet, but it is on our radar. Like many places in Melbourne, housing here can be expensive. It is still worth a look, especially for families who value a safe, friendly environment. Here is what we have learned so far about Blackburn. ...

When we first moved to Melbourne, figuring out where to live was one of our biggest challenges. As a family with young kids, we wanted to make sure we picked a safe suburb. That’s when we stumbled upon the RedSuburbs Crime Map, and honestly, it made a world of difference. Let me walk you through how we used it and how you can too. If you need the practical steps we used to search, inspect, and apply for rentals, I wrote a simple guide: Finding a Rental House in Australia: Our Simple, Real Experience. ...

Living in Melbourne has been quite a journey for our little family. My husband works hard, and while we’re not rolling in money, we make sure to focus on what really matters: a safe home. When we moved here, one of the biggest things I worried about was safety, especially for our two kids. So, I got to work looking into the safest places around Melbourne. At first, I thought choosing a safe council would be easy, but here’s the thing: not all suburbs in a council are the same. Some are much safer than others, even in the safest councils. So, while it’s good to know which councils are doing well overall, you’ve really got to check the crime rates in each suburb. ...

If you’re preparing to rent a place in Melbourne, crime rates are one of the first things to consider. For families like mine, choosing a safe area is crucial. While we aren’t looking for luxury, we definitely want a peaceful, secure home for our kids, where we can enjoy the simple things in life, like eating out on Saturdays and cooking together on Sundays. I’ve gathered data from RedSuburbs, based on 2023 state police data and 2021 ABS census data. While this data may be a little outdated, it’s still a good starting point when considering your options. ...