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10 Best Suburbs for Walking and Cycling to Work
Perth is one of Australia's most car-dependent cities. But in a handful of suburbs, a surprising percentage of residents leave the car at home and walk or cycle to work. These are the suburbs where active commuting isn't aspirational — it's practical.
What we measured
We used ABS Census 2021 data on commute mode to calculate the percentage of working residents who walk or cycle. Specifically:
- Walked to work — residents who reported walking as their primary commute mode
- Cycled to work — residents who reported cycling as their primary commute mode
The combined percentage gives us the active commute share for each suburb. Suburbs are ranked from highest to lowest.
Important context
This is a mode share metric, not a walkability index. A suburb might be very walkable for errands (shops, cafes, parks) but show low walk-to-work numbers because most residents commute to distant workplaces. Conversely, a suburb near a university or hospital might show high walk rates because of a specific employer nearby.
That said, the suburbs topping this list share genuine walkability traits: mixed-use zoning, flat terrain, connected footpath networks, and proximity to major employment centres.
Who lives in these suburbs?
Active commuting suburbs tend to skew younger, denser, and more expensive. Many are inner-city or near-CBD locations where walking distance to major employers is realistic. But a few outer suburbs with employment hubs (like university campuses or regional hospitals) also score well.
Northbridge
Northbridge is Perth's undisputed entertainment and nightlife precinct, packed with bars, clubs, Asian restaurants and cultural venues. The Fringe Festival, live music halls and eclectic dining draw crowds year-round, and its multicultural food scene is widely celebrated. However, safety after dark is a dominant concern — people consistently describe aggressive behaviour, street fights, drug-affected individuals and homelessness. It polarises opinion: some find genuine warmth and energy, others call it an outright shithole. Daytime Northbridge is increasingly revitalised with new developments and creative spaces.
Perth
Perth CBD is a compact, walkable city centre that punches above its weight for dining and nightlife, with Northbridge just steps away. Public transport is increasingly the norm for commuters, though the network is straining under new demand. Apartments are expensive, youth antisocial behaviour near the Underground station draws regular complaints, and locals note the city feels smaller than east-coast capitals. Still, the welcoming culture and proximity to the Swan River make the CBD an appealing base for young professionals.
Crawley
Crawley sits quietly along the Swan River foreshore between UWA and Kings Park, one of Perth's most scenic and established inner suburbs. The iconic blue boatshed at Matilda Bay is a city landmark, drawing photographers year-round. Student life gives the suburb a cosmopolitan, multicultural pulse, while leafy streets and river walks keep it genuinely peaceful. Rents are high, but for those who can afford it, Crawley offers a rare blend of natural beauty and urban convenience.
West Perth
West Perth is Perth's premier corporate and government precinct, packed with mining company offices and Parliament House, sitting on the CBD's western edge with Kings Park as its backyard. It's a suburb of suits by day and relative quiet by night, attracting professionals seeking inner-city apartment living. Traffic and parking are the dominant frustrations, and development is ongoing. Community warmth surfaces in small ways, but this is more a place to work than to put down roots.
Shenton Park
Shenton Park is a quiet, established suburb in Perth's inner west, prized for its leafy streets, proximity to Lake Jualbup, and easy access to the city via the Fremantle train line. Local cafes and bakeries give it a neighbourhood feel, while abundant green space and wildlife sightings, from owls to possums, define its character. High demand and rezoning pressure reflect its desirability, making it one of Perth's more expensive western suburbs.
Subiaco
Subiaco is one of Perth's most livable inner-western suburbs, anchored by a lively strip of cafes, restaurants, and a beloved weekly farmers market along Rokeby Road. Well-connected by train and highly walkable, it attracts young professionals and families who prize the heritage streetscapes and genuine community atmosphere. A surge of new apartment developments — including ambitious plans for the former oval site — signals rapid change, but the suburb's polished dining scene and established character keep it among Perth's most sought-after addresses.
East Perth
East Perth divides opinion. Locals describe it as a suburb with prime bones: river views, walkable paths, and a short hop to the CBD, but one that has never quite lived up to its promise. People note the high number of vacant shops and empty offices, antisocial behaviour near Wellington Park, and a streetscape that feels eerily quiet. Yet new bridges, an arts precinct at the old Power Station, and ongoing apartment development suggest the suburb is slowly turning a corner.
Highgate
Highgate sits on the inner-city edge where Northbridge's energy meets the leafy calm of Hyde Park. Beaufort Street serves up one of Perth's best cafe and dining strips, and Federation-era apartment blocks give the suburb genuine character. It attracts young renters and buyers who want walkable urban living, but the trade-off is a persistent undercurrent of street-level disorder and one of Perth's tightest, most competitive rental markets.
Fremantle
Fremantle is Perth's most character-rich suburb: a compact, walkable port town of Victorian limestone streetscapes, thriving live music venues and one of Australia's best-loved cafe strips. It attracts artists, young professionals and long-term locals who value its bohemian energy, beach access and strong sense of identity. The flip side is a very real homelessness and drug presence in the town centre, steep property prices, and an ongoing debate about whether its retail scene is losing ground.
Pickering Brook
Pickering Brook is a quiet semi-rural retreat in the Perth Hills, best known as a hidden gem for day-trippers drawn to its acclaimed Italian restaurant La Fattoria and the natural beauty of the Bickley Valley. The suburb's orchard heritage and bushland setting, including a popular billabong picnic spot, give it a distinctive rural character, though residents contend with poor mobile coverage and a long commute to the city.
The geography of active commuting
Perth's active commuting hotspots cluster in predictable locations:
- Perth CBD fringe — Northbridge, West Perth, East Perth
- Fremantle — a self-contained employment hub with strong cycling infrastructure
- River suburbs — flat terrain and riverside paths make cycling practical
- University precincts — Crawley, Bentley, Joondalup (near campuses)
Making active commuting work
If walking or cycling to work is a priority for your lifestyle, look beyond the raw percentages. Consider:
- Your workplace location — these numbers assume CBD or local employment; if you work in an industrial park 20km away, active commuting won't work regardless of suburb
- Cycling infrastructure — Perth's principal shared paths (PSPs) along the freeways and river are excellent, but last-mile connectivity varies by suburb
- Weather — Perth's dry climate is ideal for cycling 9 months of the year
For a pure distance-to-CBD ranking, see our Best Suburbs for Commuters guide.
Data & methodology
Suburbs are ranked by active commute share — the combined percentage of working residents who walk or cycle to work, sourced from ABS Census 2021 commute mode data. Only Perth metro suburbs with a population above 500 and a combined walk + cycle percentage above 0% are included.
The metric captures primary commute mode only (what residents reported on Census night). Residents who drive to a park-and-ride and then walk to the office, for example, would typically report their primary mode as driving. CBD distance is shown alongside for context but is not used in the ranking.
Data sources: ABS Census 2021 (commute mode share), real estate websites + WA Rental Bonds (rent context), WA Police (crime score context).
Nick Lilleyman
Founder & Data Lead, Burb Score
Nick built Burb Score to give Perth families a data-driven view of where to live. He works directly with the ACARA, WA Police, ABS Census, WA Rental Bonds and real estate datasets that power every ranking on this site. Rankings are generated programmatically from official data sources, not opinions, and refresh automatically. No sponsored content or paid placements.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a walkability score?
No. This measures the percentage of residents who actually walk or cycle to work (from Census data), not how walkable a suburb is for general errands. A suburb might be walkable for shopping and cafes but show low active commute numbers because most residents work far from home. It's a practical measure of who actually commutes actively, not a theoretical walkability index.
Why use Census data instead of a walkability index?
Census data tells us what people actually do, not what's theoretically possible. Walk Score and similar indices measure proximity to amenities, which doesn't always translate to active commuting. A suburb near shops but far from employment centres will score high on walkability indices but low on actual walk-to-work rates.
Is the Census data out of date?
The most recent Census was conducted in 2021, so the commute mode data reflects pre-pandemic patterns. Post-pandemic, work-from-home rates are higher and commute patterns have shifted. However, the relative walkability and cycling infrastructure of suburbs hasn't changed significantly, so the ranking remains a useful guide.
Are these suburbs expensive?
Generally, yes. Inner-city suburbs with high active commute rates tend to be among Perth's more expensive areas. However, each suburb card shows the median rent so you can assess affordability at a glance. For affordable options, try our Safest Suburbs Under $800 Rent guide.
What about e-bikes and scooters?
The Census 2021 data doesn't distinguish between regular cycling and e-bike commuting. E-bike adoption has grown significantly since 2021, which may mean active commute rates are higher now — especially in hillier suburbs where e-bikes make cycling practical. Future Census data should capture this trend.
Explore these suburbs further