How to find out if your suburb is safe

Moving to a new area is a big deal. Not only does it mean potentially moving away from your network of friends and family, but it means finding new hairdressers, doctors and gyms, and having to get a whole new lay of the land.

It's not always possible to rent in an area before you buy there, and if you're moving really far away, visiting isn't always going to be an option.

Fortunately, there are tools you can use to get a better sense of the safety and amenities available in your new 'hood.

Microburbs is the most thorough suburb research tool available in Australia. It distils data about demographics, geography, amenities, education, green space availability, crime rates, property values, and more into a detailed report for every suburb in the country. Simply pop your address or postcode in the search bar and go.

Each report includes scores out of 10 for the following factors:

• Hip Score: How diverse and lively an area is, including how many pubs, cafes, restaurants and art galleries are in the suburb.
• Family Score: A heat map showing proximity to childcare centres, schools and playgrounds.
• Affluence Score: Resident income statistics and industry information, rent vs. ownership, public housing percentage.
• Safety Score: A heatmap showing the rates of different types of crime, from assaults to property crimes.
• Lifestyle Score: How many cafes, restaurants, beaches and gyms are in (or near) the suburb.
• Convenience Score: Public transport access, distance to work centres, access to supermarkets, chemists and general stores.
• Tranquility Score: Population density, leafiness and maximum height of buildings.
• Communications Score: Internet speed and mobile network coverage.
• Community Score: Resident tenure, volunteerism, community centres, clubs, libraries, leisure centres, places of worship and markets.

For suburb research that's more focused on crime specifically, Red Suburbs is going to be your best bet. It collates crime data from police all over the country, with the exception of the Northern Territory and Tasmania. You can see data as broad as state-level to as granular as suburb-level.

Each report shows a snapshot of crimes per capita, year-on-year trends, and comparative data to show how each area stacks up against the state and country's crime level.

The reports also show a breakdown of the top crime types in a given area, ranging from violent crimes to property crimes and even transport regulation offences.

Statistics are great, but sometimes the best way to get an idea of what an area is like is to talk to locals. When you can't do that in the flesh, Homely is a solid alternative.

Though primarily a real estate listing website, Homely has a whole section dedicated to suburb reviews from locals. It also collects data on what the suburb is good for, what it's not so good for, and the type of people who live there (e.g. families, professionals, retirees).

The only downside is that not every suburb will have many (if any) reviews. Still, it's a great resource to check, especially if you're moving to quite a popular suburb.

Safety is subjective. What you consider a "safe" suburb, someone else may not. We chose a range of tools to include the different dimensions of suburb safety. From crime reports to school ratings, safety is a complicated, multi-layered concept. 

While reading this article, consider how you use suburb safety tools. Are you using them to build or divide your community? When you find problems, look for solutions. Remember that community safety comes from putting in work. 

Biases against race, sex, and class aren't always easy to spot, especially in ourselves. So it's important not to make assumptions about those you don't recognise in your neighbourhood. 

Crime is just one piece of the puzzle that makes a suburb safe. And many statistics are subject to what police and law enforcement report to state and federal governments. Crime statistics like these also rely on citizens reporting crimes, and not all crimes or scary incidents are reported and tracked.

The elements listed below can make a suburb safer, but aren't usually included in government-made reports. 

• Ample street lighting 
• Safe sidewalks and bike lanes
• Accessible emergency and fire services
• Active, well-funded schools
• Access to medical care
• Clean parks

Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. We strongly recommend considering setting up security cameras to help protect your loved ones and valuables. Just seeing a security camera or home security sign or sticker can deter a would-be intruder.