Is Canberra a good place to live?

Q: Does Canberra flood?

Flood risk in Canberra is low (2/5), based on regional river/coastal flood exposure.

66/100 livability · Australia

Canberra, Australia scores 66/100 for livability — a strong place to live: cost 26/100, climate 98/100, safety 80/100. Warmest-month high ~19.2°C, coldest-month low ~5.0°C. Main natural-disaster exposure: flooding; homicide rate ~0.9/100k. Safety 80/100 blends disaster (69) and crime (97).

Canberra — average monthly high (°C, WorldClim)

Livability pillars (0-100)

Disaster risk by type (1-5)

How each score is calculated: CostiAffordability, 0–100. Higher = cheaper. = 100 − (country price level vs US × a city-size premium). Source: World Bank PPP ÷ exchange rate (US = 100). · ClimateiComfort, 0–100, from WorldClim monthly temperatures. Penalises hot summers (above ~24°C), cold winters (below ~6°C) and too-cool summers (below 15°C). Higher = milder. · Safetyi0–100. Higher = safer. Blends 55% natural-disaster safety (8 hazards — earthquake from real USGS records, plus flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold, tsunami) and 45% crime safety (homicide rate). · LivabilityiOverall score, 0–100 = 0.35 × Cost + 0.30 × Climate + 0.35 × Safety. (hover the i)

How to read the scores — all on a 0–100 scale, higher is better.

Livability — overall score = 0.35 × Cost + 0.30 × Climate + 0.35 × Safety.
Cost — affordability vs the United States (100 = US prices). Higher = cheaper to live.
Climate — year-round comfort; penalises extreme summer heat, harsh winters and chilly summers.
Safety — combined natural-disaster exposure (earthquake, flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold, tsunami) and crime (homicide rate). Higher = safer.
Hazard tiers — each disaster type is rated 1 (very low risk) to 5 (very high risk).

Natural-disaster risk in Canberra

Canberra has no high-rated natural-disaster exposure in our model (all hazards ≤2/5). Highest relative risk: Flood risk in Canberra is low (2/5), based on regional river/coastal flood exposure.

How scored: livability = 0.35·cost + 0.30·climate + 0.35·safety. Climate from WorldClim v2.1 normals; cost from World Bank PPP÷FX (real, open); earthquake from USGS (real); flood/storm/wildfire/drought/tsunami tiers indicative — verify before publish.

FAQ

Is Canberra a good place to live?

Canberra scores 66/100 for livability — cost 26, climate 98, safety 80.

Is Canberra safe?

Safety 80/100 = disaster safety 69 (main risk flooding) blended with crime safety 97 (homicide ~0.9/100k).

What's the climate like in Canberra?

Warmest-month highs average ~19.2°C and coldest-month lows ~5.0°C (WorldClim climate normals).

How much does it cost to live in Canberra?

Australia sits at 74/100 on the World Bank price level (US=100) — affordability score 26/100.

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