Is Johannesburg a good place to live?

57/100 livability · South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa scores 57/100 for livability — a mixed pick: cost 49/100, climate 100/100, safety 28/100. Warmest-month high ~20.4°C, coldest-month low ~9.1°C. Main natural-disaster exposure: earthquake; homicide rate ~43.7/100k. Safety 28/100 blends disaster (58) and crime (0).
Johannesburg — average monthly high (°C, WorldClim)
JFMAMJJASOND
Livability pillars (0-100)
49Cost100Climate28Safety
Disaster risk by type (1-5)
4Quake3Flood1Storm2Wildfire1Heat2Drought1Cold1Tsunami

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.

Natural-disaster risk in Johannesburg

Is Johannesburg at risk of earthquakes?

Earthquake risk in Johannesburg is high (4/5). USGS records 204 magnitude-4.5+ earthquakes within 300 km since 1980.

Does Johannesburg flood?

Flood risk in Johannesburg is moderate (3/5), 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 Johannesburg a good place to live?

Johannesburg scores 57/100 for livability — cost 49, climate 100, safety 28.

Is Johannesburg safe?

Safety 28/100 = disaster safety 58 (main risk earthquake) blended with crime safety 0 (homicide ~43.7/100k).

What's the climate like in Johannesburg?

Warmest-month highs average ~20.4°C and coldest-month lows ~9.1°C (WorldClim climate normals).

How much does it cost to live in Johannesburg?

South Africa sits at 51/100 on the World Bank price level (US=100) — affordability score 49/100.

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