Living in George Town

George Town is a city in Penang, Malaysia, home to 158,336 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are remote workers (top 3%, #10 of 497), business owners (top 4%, #16 of 497), low-income households (top 4%, #17 of 497).

Residents158,336

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport14 km (Penang International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km2,821,800 people

Sea coast1 km

Terrain around itabout 30 m, height range 60 m

Main railway line6.2 km

Distance to Kuala Lumpur292 km

Within 10 km886,356 people

Greater areaGreater George Town, the core

Winter daylight11 h 48 min, sunset 12:11

See George Town on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about George Town

It is right on the coast of the Strait of Malacca.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 11 h 48 min and sets around 12:11; in late June it sets around 13:34.

Best places in Greater George Town

How George Town ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in Malaysia. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Regional overview: population, geography and modelled indicators for costs, schools and safety.

Profile	Score	In Malaysia	In Penang
Young family	64	#137 of 442	#12 of 37	Map
Low-income household	82	#17 of 497	#4 of 37	Map
Low-income family	71	#77 of 442	#10 of 37	Map
Single parent	72	#69 of 442	#7 of 37	Map
Pensioner couple	77	#70 of 442	#11 of 37	Map
Single pensioner	84	#19 of 442	#4 of 37	Map
Early retiree	66	#222 of 497	#12 of 37	Map
Single professional	84	#31 of 384	#3 of 37	Map
Young professional	85	#30 of 370	#3 of 37	Map
DINKS	86	#37 of 300	#3 of 36	Map
Remote worker	83	#10 of 497	#2 of 37	Map
Commuter	92	#15 of 380	#3 of 37	Map
Car-free household	85	#42 of 323	#3 of 37	Map
Student	3	#161 of 214	#30 of 32	Map
First-home buyer	79	#19 of 442	#4 of 37	Map
Budget-constrained mover	79	#20 of 497	#4 of 37	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	80	#40 of 344	#3 of 37	Map
Expat professional	86	#31 of 497	#3 of 37	Map
Healthcare-first mover	85	#16 of 442	#2 of 37	Map
Nature-focused household	29	#401 of 497	#23 of 37	Map
Cross-border commuter	22	#102 of 316	#6 of 37	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	33	#312 of 497	#34 of 37	Map
Rural value seeker	37	#394 of 497	#21 of 37	Map
High-net-worth mover	77	#23 of 497	#3 of 37	Map
Lottery winner	82	#17 of 497	#3 of 37	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	67	#203 of 497	#16 of 37	Map
Coastal living	77	#61 of 374	#14 of 37	Map
Business owner	93	#16 of 497	#2 of 37	Map
Digital native	68	#39 of 394	#3 of 37	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Mobility and connectivity100
Sea or lake shore100
Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Jobs and economy99
Foundation86
Lifestyle and amenities86
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)80
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)68
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)68
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)66
Flat land (terrain relief)62
Affordability57
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)56
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)45
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)43
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)37
Green space15
Education and family15
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)11
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)11
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.