Australia’s regional migration boom is showing no signs of fading, with new Commonwealth Bank research revealing capital city residents are moving to the regions at the strongest June-quarter rate since the height of the pandemic.
The latest Regional Movers Index, released today by Commonwealth Bank (CBA) and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), shows capital-to-regional migration reached an equal-record June quarter high, matching the levels recorded in 2021.
The findings point to a widening pool of regional housing markets attracting new residents, with parts of northern Queensland emerging alongside established lifestyle destinations as significant migration hotspots.
Capital city residents moving to regional Australia continued to outnumber those heading in the opposite direction by 30 per cent, reinforcing the sustained shift towards regional living.
Sydney and Melbourne remain the biggest sources of capital city departures, accounting for 52 per cent and 36 per cent of capital-to-regional outflows respectively.
However, it is regional NSW and Victoria that continue to capture the largest shares of net regional inflows, accounting for 33 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.
While Queensland’s Sunshine Coast retained its position as Australia’s most popular regional destination by share of migration, the latest figures reveal that growth is spreading well beyond the established coastal markets.
The northern Queensland local government areas of Burdekin, Tablelands and Douglas emerged among the country’s fastest-growing destinations for net internal migration, reflecting a broader shift towards regional communities with diverse employment opportunities and established local industries.
The trend is particularly significant for regional housing markets, where sustained population growth can create additional demand for homes, rental accommodation and supporting infrastructure.
RAI Chief Executive Officer Liz Ritchie said the strength of the June-quarter figures was particularly noteworthy because migration typically slows during the cooler months.
“The Regional Movers Index recorded its equal highest June quarter on record, matching the height of migration reached during the pandemic in 2021. This tells us the appeal of country living remains incredibly strong all year round, even outside the traditional peak moving periods,” Ms Ritchie said.
“While established destinations such as Queensland’s Sunshine Coast continue to attract the largest share of movers, we’re also seeing strong growth spread into other areas of the state including places like the Tablelands, Douglas and Burdekin. It shows Australians are increasingly considering a broader range of regional communities when deciding where to live, with the benefits of regional living extending beyond popular coastal towns and inland communities.”
The findings suggest the regional migration story is becoming increasingly diverse, with Australians looking beyond traditional lifestyle destinations towards communities supported by agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and emerging industries.
According to CBA, Burdekin’s economy is supported by agriculture, manufacturing and renewable energy, while the Tablelands benefits from agribusiness and tourism, as well as its proximity to Cairns.
Douglas, meanwhile, continues to attract investment through its tourism economy and local infrastructure development.
CBA Regional and Agribusiness Banking Executive General Manager Kylie Allen said local business investment was helping create the economic conditions needed to attract and retain new residents.
“Across Northern Queensland, local investment is helping regions capitalise on their distinct strengths and drive broader economic growth. When local businesses invest and expand, the benefits flow through the wider economy, creating jobs, attracting skilled workers and strengthening the services and supply chains that help regional communities thrive,” she said.
However, Queensland was not the only state recording significant shifts in migration patterns.
Victoria’s Central Goldfields claimed the top position nationally for annual growth in net internal migration, while Greater Geraldton in Western Australia recorded the strongest June-quarter growth in net capital-to-regional migration.
In NSW, the Mid Coast topped the rankings for growth in net regional-to-regional migration, highlighting another important development for housing markets: Australians already living outside capital cities are increasingly relocating between regional communities.
For agents operating in these markets, the distinction matters. Population growth is not being driven solely by buyers leaving Sydney and Melbourne, but also by residents moving between regional centres in search of employment, housing and lifestyle opportunities.
Ms Allen said this movement was creating a ripple effect as established regional centres expanded and surrounding communities attracted greater interest.
“One of the most significant findings in this quarter’s report is seeing the ripple effect of regional population growth. As established regional centres expand, people are increasingly moving deeper into surrounding areas in search of greater housing, employment and lifestyle opportunities. This provides both metro and regionally based businesses with a unique opportunity to scale their operations and tap into a larger workforce and customer base,” Ms Allen said.
The continued movement into regional Australia also raises questions about whether housing construction and infrastructure investment can keep pace with population growth.
RAI research has previously found regional population growth exceeded government projections by 114,000 people over the past decade, suggesting planning assumptions have underestimated the scale of demand in regional communities.
Ms Ritchie said governments needed to respond to the sustained migration trend with more effective long-term planning.
“Our recent Regional Population Planning report found that regional growth has outpaced government projections by 114,000 people over the past decade. With more Australians choosing regional communities, we need population planning that anticipates growth and ensures housing, infrastructure and essential services keep pace.”
For the property industry, the latest figures provide another indication that regional housing demand is no longer concentrated in a handful of well-known coastal destinations.
Instead, migration is spreading across a wider range of communities, creating potential opportunities for residential sales, property management, development and investment, while also placing pressure on local governments to accommodate additional residents.