Best Suburbs for Outdoor Living in Melbourne 2026
These are the best for outdoor living suburbs in Melbourne, drawn from SuburbCheck's data on every Melbourne suburb. Ranked by Outdoor Score — a national percentile led by parks and green space, plus bike paths, hiking trails, dog parks and picnic areas (per 1,000 residents) from OpenStreetMap. 80+ puts a suburb in the national top 20%. Scores update as new government data is released.
Last updated 12 June 2026.
- 1Essendon WestVIC 3040 · Moonee Valley$1.33M1,559 people99
- 2Princes HillVIC 3054 · Yarra$1.76M2,005 people99
- 3Strathmore HeightsVIC 3041 · Moonee Valley$1.01M1,047 people99
- 4CremorneVIC 3121 · Yarra$1.37M2,158 people98
- 5TravancoreVIC 3032 · Moonee Valley2,116 people98
- 6GardenvaleVIC 3185 · Glen Eira$2.06M1,019 people97
- 7Briar HillVIC 3088 · Banyule$1.01M3,220 people96
- 8Caulfield EastVIC 3145 · Glen Eira1,293 people96
- 9DeepdeneVIC 3103 · Boroondara$3.10M2,101 people96
- 10HuntingdaleVIC 3166 · Monash$1.22M1,949 people96
- 11RipponleaVIC 3185 · Port Phillip$1.73M1,532 people96
- 12St HelenaVIC 3088 · Banyule$1.19M2,890 people96
- 13Williamstown NorthVIC 3016 · Hobsons Bay$1.14M1,622 people96
- 14East MelbourneVIC 3002 · Melbourne$3.33M4,896 people95
- 15JacanaVIC 3047 · Hume$606K2,187 people95
- 16Notting HillVIC 3168 · Monash$1.08M2,895 people95
- 17Carlton NorthVIC 3054 · Melbourne$1.57M6,177 people94
- 18Bellfield (Banyule)VIC 3081 · Banyule$955K1,996 people93
- 19EumemmerringVIC 3177 · Casey$647K2,285 people93
- 20KaloramaVIC 3766 · Yarra Ranges$854K1,277 people93
Frequently asked questions
Which suburb in Melbourne is best for outdoor living?
Essendon West tops SuburbCheck's Outdoor Score ranking for Melbourne, with an Outdoor Score of 99/100. The score is led by parks and green space, with trails, bike paths, dog parks and picnic areas adding to it, all per 1,000 residents and benchmarked nationally.
How is the Outdoor Score calculated?
The Outdoor Score is a national percentile (0–100) led by parks and nature reserves, with bike paths, hiking trails, dog parks, picnic areas and skate parks as secondary factors — all within about 3km of the suburb centre, per 1,000 residents, from OpenStreetMap. A score of 80 or above puts a suburb in the national top 20% for outdoor access.
Does the Outdoor Score include beaches?
Not directly — the score is built from parks, reserves and trails. Each suburb profile separately shows the distance to the nearest beach, so coastal access is covered there rather than in the Outdoor Score.