Living in Sydney’s best suburbs is almost synonymous to living in a high-crime area. According to the Domain’s Liveable Sydney study by Tract Consultants and Deloitte Access Economics, a higher liveability ranking often goes hand-in-hand with a higher crime rate per capita. 

In fact, eight out of 10 suburbs with relatively high crime rates have an above average liveability score as they have bustling retail sectors, restaurants, cafes, and transport nodes. Among the top areas with high crime rates include The Rocks, Sydney CBD, Haymarket, and Potts Point.

“There’s more housing, more people, more crime, and a correlation between those facts,” said Georgia Sedgmen, Tract Consultants senior town planner.

According to 2013 to 2015 data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, property offences--which include motor vehicle theft and burglary-- are pushing up the crime rate in Sydney’s inner cities.

“Crime wouldn’t be a deterrent until it becomes extreme,” Sedgmen said. “Failure to have access to public transport, jobs, or education is more of a deterrent.”

On the other hand, suburbs, where there are fewer people visiting due to fewer amenities, have lower crime rates. They also did worse overall from a liveability perspective.

“When you have more attractions in an area, like restaurants or pubs, you have a lot of people coming in and the side effects is more crime,” said Rob Leith, Deloitte Access Economics senior analyst. “Crime and liveability… they often go hand-in-hand.”

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