Recommended Free Tools
Warringah, NSW, ranked first in MCG Quantity Surveyors’ 2025 Four-Pillar Index, with Stirling, WA, second and Wanneroo, WA, third. The ranking, reported by PerthNow on 15 August 2025, compares lifestyle attributes—not every cost or circumstance that determines whether a place is right for a household.
2025 top 10 Australian places to live
PerthNow’s 15 August 2025 report lists these places in the order given by the MCG Four-Pillar Index. The labels below preserve the published ranking; MCG describes its comparison unit as Australian SA3 markets, and the available material does not provide a boundary crosswalk for every label.
- Warringah, NSW
- Stirling, WA
- Wanneroo, WA
- Wollongong, NSW
- Eastern Suburbs – South, NSW
- Townsville, QLD
- Shoalhaven, NSW
- Eastern Suburbs – North, NSW
- Southport, QLD
- Newcastle, NSW
Counting the labels in PerthNow’s list, six are in NSW, two in WA and two in Queensland. That is a count of the published top ten, not a separate statistic from MCG. PerthNow’s ranking and report provide the full list.
What the Four-Pillar Index measures
MCG says its 2025 Lifestyle Index compares liveability across Australian SA3 markets using four equally weighted attributes. The scores are summed on a 20-point scale:
#1 Best Overall
- Beach: coastal amenity.
- Nature: green assets.
- Urban: metropolitan access.
- Family: community depth.
PerthNow describes the factors in similar terms: proximity to the beach, natural environment, metropolitan access and family-friendliness. MCG’s official research page names Warringah, Stirling, Wanneroo, Wollongong and Townsville among the top-performing regions. The accessible summary does not provide individual pillar scores or the score gaps between places, so the ranking alone does not show how close the positions were.
Why Stirling and Wanneroo placed so highly
Stirling: second overall
PerthNow calls Stirling the highest-ranked WA entry and points to coastal access around Scarborough and Trigg, Karrinyup shopping, road access towards the CBD and Lake Gwelup. These are examples of the lifestyle features discussed in the report, not independently audited travel times or guarantees about access for every address.
Wanneroo: third overall
PerthNow’s discussion of Wanneroo highlights coastal areas, parks, shopping, schools and Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup campus. The article describes Wanneroo as the second-most affordable place on the list after Townsville, using the price estimates it reported at the time; this is not a current affordability comparison.
MCG managing director Mike Mortlock told PerthNow: “No other WA regions cracked anywhere near the top 10 this year, Stirling and Wanneroo were clear standouts.” That is Mortlock’s assessment of the results, not an independent validation of the ranking.
What the reported house prices do—and do not—tell you
PerthNow reported an average house price of $1.07 million for Stirling and $760,000 for Wanneroo in its 15 August 2025 article. The available article text does not identify the price-data provider or the precise date measured. Treat these as estimates reported in that article, not live prices or a like-for-like current comparison.
Those figures also do not establish the full cost of living. Contemporaneous coverage by Time Out says the index used SuburbTrends data and considered home-value growth, but did not include broader everyday costs such as utilities, groceries and transport. A high index position therefore does not mean a place is the cheapest to buy in, cheapest to run or best suited to every household.
Rank #4
How to use the ranking when comparing places
The list can help identify regions that performed well against MCG’s four lifestyle pillars. It cannot replace a household-specific comparison. If you are considering a move or purchase, assess the ranked places against your own needs:
- Compare current housing costs using recent, clearly dated data for the property type and area you are considering.
- Check transport options and likely commuting costs against your actual work and travel patterns.
- Verify the schools, health services and other local amenities that matter to your household rather than assuming a broad region label guarantees proximity or access.
- Include recurring household expenses—such as utilities, groceries and transport—that the index does not cover.
- Consider which of the index’s four pillars matter most to you; equal weighting in the index may not match your priorities.
The available pages do not establish exact boundaries for every ranking label, individual pillar scores, or a newer update to the 2025 list. Use the ranking as a dated lifestyle comparison, not as a definitive verdict on where Australians should live.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
