The 2021 census has given us some interesting insight regarding the moving location trends within Australia. If you are looking to move or to buy anytime soon, these may help inform you of places to consider moving to or possibly places to avoid. Much of this depends on your situation and your goals but you might find some surprising and unexpected trends in the locations people are moving to across the country.
In this blog, we’re going to cover:
- Interstate moving location trends - who won the popularity contest?
- Who is moving and who’s staying put in Australia?
- Regional areas are becoming increasingly popular
- Considering your options before making a move
Interstate moving location trends - who won the popularity contest?
In the 5 years leading up to the 2021 census, there was a clear winner in terms of the state that had the largest gain of people moving to it and this was Queensland. Older and middle-aged people chose the warmth of Queensland over other interstate moves and the ABS reported 107,500 people made the move in the 5 years preceding the 2021 census.
The most popular Local Government Area (LGA) for people to move to in this time period was Brisbane. In fact, the 3 most popular LGAs were all in the southeast corner of Queensland. Queensland is popular for good reason and if you’re interested in making the move north, our Queensland Moving News article can help you further.
Queensland wasn’t the only state that gained a significant number of people. In second place came Tasmania with 15,300 making the move to the Apple Isle. ACT came in third place with 10,600 new residents. Within a small population size, gains like these may have played a significant role in housing availability and prices.
All other states trended backwards in terms of interstate moves with New South Wales losing over 100,000 people to other states. This is clearly ahead of the Northern Territory, which was next in line losing quite a bit less at 13,400 people.
Who is moving and who’s staying put in Australia? 
It's definitely not just the younger generation who are on the move in Australia any more - seniors and middle-aged people are also relocating.
Occupations also play a big role. According to the interstate and intrastate moving location trends revealed in the 2021 census, those employed in defence force roles are the highest proportion of movers. This includes senior non-commissioned defence force members, and commissioned officers. Public sector roles such as sales, marketing and public relations professionals as well as special care workers were also big movers and we have worked with professionals such as these in our interstate removals business.
Conversely, occupations with the lowest proportion of movers include crop and livestock farmers, crop-only farmers and livestock-only farmers. Farm managers also like to stay put. The other groups that didn’t move around much were toolmakers and engineering patternmakers.
Regional areas are becoming increasingly popular destinations for those looking to escape city life
There was a significant shift to the regions between 2017 and 2021 with the Covid Pandemic likely playing a big role in the movement. Regional Australia gained 184,000 people which has really jumped up from an increase of 81,600 in the 2016 census. This has changed the housing landscape in rural areas with less availability and higher prices.
The ABS showed Queensland having the biggest gains with 63,700 people moving into rural areas; Victoria had 62,900 people move to regional locations; and 59,000 moved to New South Wales regions.
The top 10 spots for internal migration to regional areas are:
- Sunshine Coast (QLD),
- Gold Coast (Qld)
- Geelong (Vic)
- Moreton Bay (Qld)
- Latrobe Gippsland (Vic)
- Wide Bay (Qld)
- Ipswich (Qld)
- Hunter Valley (NSW)
- Mid North Coast (NSW)
- Newcastle/Lake Macquarie (NSW)
It's apparent that more and more people across the country are swapping their big city life for something a little smaller but still with plenty of facilities and natural attractions. With all their beauty, activities and opportunities on offer, it’s really no wonder these regions have become so appealing.
If you're thinking of making a move in 2023, be sure to consider all your options before making a decision!
If you're planning to move interstate or within the same state in 2023 and beyond, it’s worthwhile keeping up with the latest moving location trends so that you can stay informed. We’ve made our own house moving predictions for 2023 that you can check out here.
Everyone has unique reasons for moving and understanding what’s going on and how things are changing can be a great help when making big life decisions. Moving out of state does differ logistically from intrastate moves but don’t let that scare you off. Interstate removals can go smoothly and are something we can help you with.
So whether you choose an interstate relocation, an intrastate move or even decide to stay put, we wish you all the best on your journey.
Happy moving!
