It’s the new ranking that has everyone talking. The Urban Living Index has slammed western Sydney and Blue Mountains suburbs as un-liveable compared to their inner-city counterparts.
It ranked neighbourhoods to the immediate north and south of Sydney's central business district - Crows Nest-Waverton and Surry Hills – as the city's most liveable but left easy going western suburbs and leafy Blue Mountains living near the bottom.
The new index, which ranks the liveability of 228 suburban areas in Sydney, was produced by social research firm McCrindle for the Urban Taskforce Australia, an industry group representing property developers.
No measure will ever be perfect and the findings of the Urban Taskforce's index are bound to spark debate.
Suburbs at the bottom of the table were a long distance from the CBD. Lethbridge Park-Tregear received the lowest rankings – at 228.
Penrith ranked at 157 and Kingswood was 169.
Castlereagh and Cranebrook residents might be surprised to learn they were lumped in together at 197, far below Kingswood.
Blue Mountains towns didn’t fare much better.
Katoomba and Leura, with their bustling tourism scene and vibrant bed and breakfasts were measured together but could only muster 140th on the index.
Is it better to visit but not live in those towns?
Springwood folks will smile at their rank, with Winmalee tagging along at 108, well above their Upper Mountains counterparts.
Blaxland – Warrimoo ties with Springwood at 108 as well. So what makes Blaxland 49 places better than Penrith?
Wentworth Falls residents will wonder where they went wrong when they scroll down the list to number 208.
The data on 20 separate indicators was used to assess the affordability, community, employability, amenity and accessibility of a suburb to determine its liveability.
Other indexes take into account attributes such as access to parks and tree cover - but those things are missing from the one prepared for the Urban Taskforce.
Its indicator of suburban "amenity" focused on restaurants and cafes, shopping, arts and culture and educational attendance. Another key indicator – "accessibility" – favoured neighbourhoods where residents could walk to work.
The analysis also drew on a survey of 1000 Sydneysiders about the liveability of suburbs. It revealed deep concern about the cost of housing.
SMH.com.au put together a full list of greater Sydney area results so you can see how your suburb compares.
See the full urban living index: http://www.urbanlivingindex.com/#uliSmallMaps
- With smh.com.au.
