Australia is a welcoming country to live in, and people who move to Melbourne do so for many reasons. It’s culturally diverse with a melting pot of varied cuisines to match. And it celebrates both arts and sports on a local and international scale.
Melbourne is perfect for any group of people — from young professionals and international students to multigenerational families and older couples. The city’s estimated residential population in 2019 is almost 180,000 and is predicted to rise to 275,000 by 2029.
It’s an exciting place to start fresh because the city offers so many things. In the latest Census of Land Use and Employment (CLUE) report, Melbourne offers almost 500,000 jobs and 2,390 cafe and restaurant venues. It’s a green urban city too, with 4,979,000 square metres of parks and reserves.
This gives a glimpse to why people move to Melbourne. Let’s take a deeper look at what makes it one of the most liveable cities in the world.
7 things that make Melbourne an enticing world-class city
We’ve shortlisted seven reasons people move to Melbourne and why you should also consider living in Victoria’s capital city.
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Diversity
Melbourne has been welcoming immigrants of different nationalities since the 1800s. Even when the city had just been established, it was already inclusive and respectful of diverse heritage. To this day, Melbourne is known as one of the most harmonious and culturally diverse communities in the world.
According to the World Population Review, more than 50,000 people in Melbourne were born in countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Italy, and Vietnam. While Christianity is the most widely followed religion, other religious groups such as Buddhists, Muslims and Jewish are also recognised.
The people of Melbourne accept and celebrate each other’s culture even if it’s different to their’s. This warm inclusiveness makes Melbourne a peaceful and colourful city to live in.
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Safety
You can only be happy and content if you feel safe in your environment. The Safe Cities Index 2019 recognised Melbourne as the 10th safest city in the world, outranking London and New York.
The factors for getting a high rank includes personal safety, health safety, digital security, and infrastructure security. Melbourne outranks other major cities because it consistently scores well in each area.
According to Crime Statistics Agency’s 2020 data, Melbourne’s total criminal incidents only increased by 2%, likely influenced by the peak of COVID-19 last year. The only factor that increased incident rates was public health and safety offences (again, COVID-19). Otherwise, every major offense subgroup such as theft decreased.
Melbourne is still internationally recognised as a low-threat location for crime and violence. It offers many suburbs that are safe and secure to live in including Footscray, Yarraville, and Seddon.
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Arts and culture
The city’s vibrant arts and culture scene deeply reflects its multicultural identity.
Known as Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne is home to galleries, museums, theatres, and heritage sites. It also hosts different kinds of events such as the Emerging Writers’ Festival, Fashion Festival, and International Comedy Festival.
The street art along Melbourne’s laneways makes up the city’s unofficial outdoor gallery. Hosier Lane, for example, is a major attraction for exhibiting colourful and detailed urban art.
Here are other arts and culture spaces you shouldn’t miss out on:
National Gallery of Victoria: This is the oldest and most visited art gallery in Australia, exhibiting over 70,000 works by local and international artists.
ACMI: The Australian Centre for the Moving Image celebrates film, television, digital culture, and video games with exhibits and scheduled performances.
Federation Square: The “Fed Square” is a popular precinct that regularly hosts cultural experiences such as film watching, live streaming of sports events, and masterclass workshops.
As a local, it’s important that your citylife is never boring. In Melbourne, you can discover something different everyday.
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Food and coffee
Because Melbourne represents so many cultures, it offers so many different cuisines.
Among other reasons, people also love Melbourne for its authentic and delicious food, especially now that it’s recognised as a culinary capital. You can enjoy dishes like Chinese dumplings, Russian borscht soup, or Vietnam pho. Having this food diversity is especially comforting if you’re homesick for your country’s dishes.
Melbourne is also known for its unique coffee culture, which showcases both classic and innovative coffee styles. Its coffee is hailed the best in the world and Melbournians expect the highest quality from their coffee. Getting a perfectly poured cup in the morning from your favourite coffee shop is part of the daily routine for locals.
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Student-friendly
Melbourne is home to many universities such as Melbourne University, La Trobe University, and RMIT University. International and regional students love to live and study in Melbourne because it offers great universities and student-friendly housing options.
Because every suburb has its own personality, students can find housing options in Melbourne that suit their needs. It can be in a multicultural foodie haven like Footscray or a more quiet and hipster suburb like Thornbury. Student housing with roommates is also available to make costs more affordable.
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Green and clean
Maintaining good physical and mental health should be a priority when you pick a place to live. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called urban pollution levels a “public health emergency” since 90% of people live in areas where air pollution exceeds area guidelines.
This definitely isn’t the case for Melbourne. While it is a sophisticated urban city, Melbourne still enjoys clean air and water and high-quality fresh produce thanks to Victoria’s strict land management standards and food safety measures.
According to Numbeo’s index, pollution (from air, water, to noise) is very low in Melbourne while the city’s air, water, and even park quality consistently rank high.
Melbourne also has more public parks and gardens than any other Australian capital city. Living in a green, thriving environment helps to keep you healthy and thriving, too.
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Sports capital of the world
Once an Olympic city, Melbourne is known as the sports capital of the world. It’s a way of life for Melbournians. Loyal fans attend and passionately support their team hoping for a win in rain, hail or shine.
Melbourne offers world-class sports complexes and atmospheric stadiums that serve as venues for the events. The iconic Albert Park is the place to be during the Australian Grand Prix. Melbourne Cup, Australia’s most popular Thoroughbred race, takes place in Flemington Racecourse. The Australian Open, which is the first of four Grand Slam tennis annual events, is held at Melbourne Park.
The MCG alone has held events attended by more than 100,000 people. By the ‘90s, annual attendees at MCG exceeded three million, which is more than Melbourne’s residential population.
Melbourne is an enriching and multifaceted city to live in. It offers everything you need and more. It covers basics such as cultural diversity, safety, and a clean environment. Then Melbourne raises the quality of living experience with great food and coffee, dynamic arts and culture, and world-class sports events. If you’re interested in moving to Melbourne, book a call now.