Safest Suburbs in Melbourne — 2026 Crime Data Rankings
Based on Victoria Police Crime Statistics Agency data (year ending Dec 2025). Rates per 1,000 residents.
Top 20 Safest Suburbs
| Rank | Suburb | Crime Rate/1K | Total Offences | Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canterbury | 18.2 | 412 | 22,650 | ↓ 3% |
| 2 | Balwyn | 19.5 | 502 | 25,740 | ↓ 2% |
| 3 | Glen Iris | 20.1 | 478 | 23,780 | → 0% |
| 4 | Camberwell | 21.3 | 615 | 28,870 | ↓ 1% |
| 5 | Kew | 22.8 | 542 | 23,770 | ↓ 4% |
| 6 | Hawthorn | 24.1 | 680 | 28,220 | → 0% |
| 7 | Malvern | 24.5 | 490 | 20,000 | ↓ 2% |
| 8 | Moonee Ponds | 25.2 | 612 | 24,290 | ↑ 1% |
| 9 | Bentleigh | 25.8 | 645 | 24,990 | ↓ 3% |
| 10 | Hampton | 26.1 | 480 | 18,390 | ↓ 1% |
| 11 | Elwood | 26.5 | 510 | 19,250 | → 0% |
| 12 | Sandringham | 26.8 | 428 | 15,970 | ↓ 2% |
| 13 | Carnegie | 27.2 | 620 | 22,790 | ↑ 2% |
| 14 | Northcote | 28.4 | 710 | 25,000 | ↓ 5% |
| 15 | Thornbury | 29.1 | 640 | 21,990 | ↓ 3% |
| 16 | Yarraville | 29.5 | 560 | 18,980 | ↓ 4% |
| 17 | Williamstown | 29.8 | 520 | 17,450 | ↓ 2% |
| 18 | Essendon | 30.2 | 750 | 24,830 | → 0% |
| 19 | Brunswick | 32.5 | 880 | 27,080 | ↓ 6% |
| 20 | Seddon | 30.8 | 380 | 12,340 | ↓ 3% |
Most Improved (Biggest Crime Drops)
| Suburb | 2024 Rate | 2025 Rate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | 34.6 | 32.5 | -6.1% |
| Northcote | 29.9 | 28.4 | -5.0% |
| Kew | 23.7 | 22.8 | -3.8% |
| Yarraville | 30.7 | 29.5 | -3.9% |
| Footscray | 52.8 | 48.1 | -8.9% |
Crime Type Breakdown — Inner Melbourne
| Crime Type | CBD | Fitzroy | St Kilda | Richmond | South Yarra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault | 12.4 | 8.2 | 9.8 | 7.1 | 6.5 |
| Theft | 28.5 | 14.3 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 10.2 |
| Burglary | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| Drug offences | 8.1 | 3.5 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 2.1 |
| Property damage | 6.8 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
Safety Tips by Area
Inner North (Fitzroy, Carlton, Brunswick): Lock bikes inside — theft #1 issue. Well-lit after dark.
Inner South (St Kilda, Windsor, Balaclava): Fitzroy Street area has higher incident rates at night. Acland Street/beach area is safe.
Inner West (Footscray, Yarraville): Footscray station precinct improving but still higher rates. Yarraville village very safe.
CBD: High-volume crime (theft, assault) concentrated in late-night entertainment precinct. Low residential crime.
Data source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au). Rates are per 1,000 estimated resident population.
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