Melbourne crime rate and Crime Score · Victoria council area
Melbourne is a council area in Victoria with about 194,481 residents. It has a Crime Score 88 out of 100 (very high), 7th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (83rd percentile), sexual offences (93rd percentile), break-ins (89th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 90.
In 2024-25: violent 2,900 per 100,000 (+18% vs five years earlier); property 15,384 per 100,000 (+30% vs five years earlier); break-ins 1,495 per 100,000 (+27% vs five years earlier); theft 9,729 per 100,000 (+51% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 1st of 79 Victoria councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Melbourne council area is 7.6% (Victoria 5%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 3.5% of occupied homes (1,978 public and 533 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; Victoria 2.5%). An estimated 1,164 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 73.1 per 10,000 residents (Victoria 47.1), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 59% of residents were born overseas (Victoria 31.6%), most often in China, India, Malaysia. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 8.6% (confidence 85 of 100); social housing about 3.3% of homes; about 71.8 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 60% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
Figures are for 2024-25, the latest year Victoria has published; some other states have released 2025-26.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 2,900 | 5,639 | +18% |
| Property | 15,384 | 29,918 | +30% |
| Break-ins | 1,495 | 2,907 | +27% |
| Theft | 9,729 | 18,921 | +51% |
Questions
Is Melbourne safe?
Melbourne recorded 2,900 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2024-25, 2.7 times the Victoria rate (1,060) and 2.4 times the national rate (1,220). Its Crime Score is 88.4 out of 100 (very high), 7th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Melbourne?
2,907 break-ins were recorded in 2024-25: 1,490 per 100,000 residents, 2.1 times the Victoria rate (705).
Explore every council on the interactive map.
Police news near Melbourne
- Police investigate Reservoir death · Reservoir, 28 Oct 2026 · 12 km away
Part of Melbourne: Melbourne crime rate and crime map.
Suburbs in the Melbourne council area
Carlton · Carlton South · Docklands · East Melbourne · Flemington · Kensington · Melbourne · North Melbourne · Parkville · South Wharf · Southbank · West Melbourne
Postcodes in the Melbourne council area
3000 · 3002 · 3003 · 3005 · 3006 · 3010 · 3031 · 3051 · 3053
australiancrimerate.com.au/council/vic-melbourne/ · Australian Crime Map