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Methodology

How scores work

Every composite suburb score is a fixed, documented weighting — the tables below are the exact ones the scorer uses, published in full.

Each score is a fixed, documented weighting of a suburb’s percentile ranks — every metric is ranked 0–100 against all suburbs in the same state, then combined with the weights below. No machine learning, no black box: the tables here are the exact ones the scorer uses. Metrics marked lower is better contribute their inverted rank (100 − percentile).

Growth score

Sustained price momentum, scarcity (low supply pipeline), income and livability as demand proxies, development activity as an investment signal, and low hazard exposure.

MetricWeightDirection
3-year house price growth25%Higher is better
1-year house price growth15%Higher is better
5-year house price growth10%Higher is better
Supply pipeline15%Lower is better
Median household income10%Higher is better
Livability score10%Higher is better
Development applications (12m)5%Higher is better
Flood overlay share5%Lower is better
Bushfire overlay share5%Lower is better

Cashflow score

Gross yield dominates; rent level and bond momentum measure rental depth; affordability and renter share support lettability; low supply and hazard protect the income stream.

MetricWeightDirection
Gross rental yield (houses)35%Higher is better
Median weekly house rent10%Higher is better
Rental bond trend15%Higher is better
Median house price10%Lower is better
Renter share of households10%Higher is better
Supply pipeline10%Lower is better
Flood overlay share5%Lower is better
Bushfire overlay share5%Lower is better

Balanced score

A blend — yield and growth share the lead, with livability and tenancy momentum rounding it out.

MetricWeightDirection
3-year house price growth15%Higher is better
1-year house price growth10%Higher is better
Gross rental yield (houses)20%Higher is better
Rental bond trend10%Higher is better
Supply pipeline10%Lower is better
Livability score15%Higher is better
Median household income5%Higher is better
Flood overlay share7.5%Lower is better
Bushfire overlay share7.5%Lower is better

Coverage & confidence

Not every suburb has every metric. A score’s coverage is the share of its weights backed by real data; missing metrics are dropped and the rest renormalised — never silently filled in.

  • Under 50% coverage the score is withheld (shown as “Low data”) rather than displayed as a biased number.
  • 80%+ coverage — high confidence
  • 6579% — medium confidence
  • 5064% — low confidence

Hover any score’s dot in the Explore table for that suburb’s exact coverage.

Scores are derived from state government open data, ABS Census 2021 and OpenStreetMap contributors. Metrics are indicative and derived from public data; not financial advice.