Australia may have done reasonably well during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially compared to some other countries, but would we be prepared for a Zombie apocalypse?

Given the pressing need to prepare, rental-search site Rentola has compared Australia’s capital cities to see which would be best in which to hide out during such an event.

“What if the world is taken over by a new epidemic that turns people into zombies?” is the burning question the site asks.

“What if a new war breaks out, a war between the living and the dead? And where, in Australia, will it be most likely to survive?”

To determine which city would be best, Rentola looked at five groups of data: Vulnerability, hideouts, supplies, safety, mobility. Each city was given a1-to-10, ten being the highest.

It turns out the safest city overall is Brisbane, with a score of 7.2. However, other cities outranked Queensland’s capital in other categories.

So, to help you make the most informed choice should the walking dead turn up on your doorstep, here are the overall rankings and scores for each city.

1. Brisbane — 7.2
2. Sydney — 7.0
3. Melbourne — 6.1
4. Perth — 5.5
5. Darwin — 4.7
6. Adelaide — 4.5
7. Australian Capital Territory — 4.1
8. Hobart — 3.9

Each city was rated out of ten on how it would survive a zombie apocalypse.

Darwin won’t leave people vulnerable to zombies

To assess vulnerability, Rentola looked at indicators such as population density, death, disability and long-term health conditions.

“Certain places are simply created for epidemics and their rapid spread,” it said.

“Think back to the past few years. The huge population density, the influx of tourists, the percentage of chronic diseases among the population and even the disaster risk index, yes, we used all this to calculate which of the provinces is most vulnerable in the face of the wave of the dead.”

Darwin ranked first for vulnerability, receiving a score of 10 and was followed by Perth and Hobart.

Melbourne ranked the worst for vulnerability with a score of just one, however, it came out on top in other categories.

Melbourne has the best hideouts

If your plan of attack in the event of a zombie apocalypse is to hide, then you better to get to Melbourne, which copped a perfect score.

Victoria’s capital ranked the best for hideouts, after Rentola analysed appropriately sized houses, total dwelling units and separate houses.

“Apocalypse isn’t just about astronauts flying on a heroic mission to destroy an asteroid heading toward Earth, it’s often a game of hide and seek,” Rentola said.

“Therefore, it is important to find the best, most protected, or remote place to save your life and grow potatoes. This index shows how many hiding places there are in the region.”

Melbourne was followed by Sydney and Brisbane, while Darwin was dead-last on this list.

Sydney is tops for supplies

Sydney outranked all other cities in terms of supplies, with a score of 10 out of 10.

Rentola looked at indicators such as agricultural commodities, agriculture, forestry and fishing index, accommodation and food services to come to that number.

Even in a zombie apocalypse, people will still need food, water, fuel, weapons and clothes.

“So it is better to have all these shops nearby so that you can borrow goods from them as soon as possible. (But you will have to give it back later!), Rentola said.

Brisbane came in second and Melbourne came in third, while the ACT ranked last.

Darwin slips

While any Sydneysider who has travelled by road during peak hour might beg to differ, Sydney was also ranked best for mobility.

Rentola looked at road safety, camper-vans and the number of motor vehicles per household for this category.

“It may also be that you will have to travel a lot in search of survivors, provisions, or a better fate. Therefore, it is important that transport is your friend, and mobility is your best ally,” it said.

Melbourne and Brisbane once again made the top three, while Darwin came in last.

The ACT is the safest

In terms of safety, the ACT came out on top, thanks to its lack of criminality and the number of people serving in forces.

“Speaking of weapons and self-defence tools. We looked at who has the most weapons, specialised stores, and military bases. So now we know who is most likely to have a zombie roast,” Rentola said.

The ACT scored 10 for safety and was followed by Darwin which scored 9.79. There was a massive drop in score between second and third place — Hobart scored just 5.71. Melbourne was deemed the least safe.