Canberra has snared the title of Australia’s most liveable city, nudging out Adelaide for the top spot for the first time in four years.
A poll commissioned by the Property Council of Australia asked 5,400 people in 10 Australian metropolises to rate their own city on the issues that matter to them.
Canberra came out on top, scoring highly in outdoor recreation, education, and safety, while also ranking second for healthcare services, cleanliness, design, roads, employment and economic opportunities.
It has finished runner-up the past two years and this is the first time it has taken the crown.
Adelaide dropped from its pole position last year to second despite a small increase in its livability rating, while Hobart held steady in third spot.
Melbourne improved its ranking by two spots to wind up in fourth place with big increases in ratings for the road network, attractive city design, and having a diverse range of people who get along well.
Culture and outdoor recreation were other areas Melbourne was rated highly in.
Brisbane and Newcastle finished fifth and six on the table, while Wollongong took out seventh place.
Sydney moved up the table from ninth last year to eighth spot, but is still performing poorly on cost of living, high housing costs and traffic congestion.
On the positive note, residents rated the city higher in having a diverse range of people who get along well, a good balance of different housing types and an attractive city design.
Perth finished ninth after a drop in ranking thanks to the low economic rankings arising from a slowdown in the mining sector.
Darwin took out the wooden spoon, despite ranking highly for economic opportunities and employment.
Its low ranking was mainly down to affordability issues, education, healthcare and safety.
Property Council Chief Executive Peter Verwer said while there have been improvements in some cities, the message from residents is clear that they want more action from governments.
“Australians know what makes a city great and they continue to rate our cities poorly in relation to housing affordability, congestion and public transport,” he said.
Overall Australians rated their cities good for outdoor recreation, climate, education and culture, but are disappointed with affordable housing, public transport, traffic congestion and cost of living.