The Regional Movers Index presents fresh analysis of movements between Australia’s capital cities and regions.

The Index is a partnership between Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI),
powered by analysis of proprietary data to create an up-to-date and granular picture of a large sample of relocations.

The Index updates the trends identified in the RAI’s 2019 Big Movers report – that in recent decades more people have been moving from Australia’s capital cities to regions than in the opposite direction.

As cost of living pressures escalate, the latest data shows city dwellers are continuing to flock to the regions at a higher rate than those moving in the opposite direction. In the 12 months to September 2023, capital to regional migration accounted for an 11 per cent share of all relocations, compared to 9.1 per cent making the move from the regions to the city.

Although not making the Top Five, other notable growth hotspots were also observed in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, such as the Greater Hume Shire, Maitland, Cessnock, Gladstone, Southern Downs and Murray Bridge.

Those making the inter-regional move are increasingly heading to well-established regional centres with good employment prospects, with growth rates highest in the likes of Bendigo and Wodonga with its strong manufacturing industry, Maitland and Cessnock with construction and mining, Gladstone and Mackay with their resources
sector, and Geraldton with mining and agriculture.