Proof young Australians are fed up with our major cities
Young people are leaving our major cities in droves, with experts claiming the mass exodus proves a key claim about Australians to be “untrue”.
There is fresh proof that young people are becoming increasingly fed up with our major Australian cities, and they are leaving in droves.
The rise of remote work, increased cost of living, and growing rental and housing crisis have contributed to the spike in the number of young Aussies ditching capital cities – particularly Sydney and Melbourne – for regional areas.
And it looks like the trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
New data included in the Regional Movers Index showed that, for the March 2024 quarter, the number of city-dwellers choosing a life in the regions has hit a 12-month high.
The report by Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) analyses the trends in people moving to and from Australia’s regional areas from data collected from the bank’s 16 million customers.
The data showed that 24.2 per cent more people are moving from cities to regions than are going back the other direction.
People are continuing to set their sites on regional NSW, Queensland and Victoria, with the eastern states accounting for 97 per cent of net capital city outflows into regional areas in the 12 months to March 2024 – up from 94 per cent a year ago.
Out of every generation, Millennials are leading the charge of the mass exodus from metropolitan areas.
They are the most likely group in every capital city to pack up and head to the regions.
The city young people are ditching at the highest rate continues to be Sydney, with 67 per cent of all regional outflows coming from this city in the 12 months to March 2024.
However, this figure is still less than the 89 per cent seen 12 months prior.
The other major city people are leaving at a high rate is Melbourne, with 30 per cent of all regional outflows, down from 51 per cent the previous year.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, CBA Regional and Agribusiness Executive General Manager, Paul Fowler, said this disproves a major stereotype about what kind of people are favouring regional parts of the country.
“The overwhelmingly strongest cohort of people that are making the move are Millennials,” he said.
“So again, the stereotype that perhaps some of those people moving to the regions may be pre-retirees or retirees looking to pursue retirement plans, is absolutely untrue.”
Mr Fowler said young Australians are moving with the prospect of contribution to regional labour force and likely also with plans of growing a family.
He said knowing that Millennials are driving this change, it highlights specific needs in these regional areas that can’t be ignored, particularly in terms of the nature of the housing that needs to be made available in order to cater for this growing population.
“But also the needs from a physical and social infrastructure point of view, to ensure that we’re building and investing behind our towns and cities and communities, to ensure we have regional economies that can absorb that population growth.”
Where is everyone going?
The Sunshine Coast is the most popular spot for Australian movers, and it has held its prime position for six consecutive quarters.
It accounts for 16 per cent of all net internal migration flows, with three-quarters attributed to capital city movers.
The Gold Coast is the second most popular spot, with a 9.1 per cent share, up from 8.1 per cent the previous quarter.
This is where Sydneysiders were most likely to relocate, with Wollongong being the second most popular choice, followed by Newcastle.
While people may be being drawn to more northern areas like the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, regional New South Wales has also increased in popularity. The areas now accounts for 39 per cent of net regional inflows, up from 23 per cent in the 12 months to March 2023.
Greater Geelong was the most popular destination for those leaving Melbourne, followed by the Gold Coast and then Ballarat.
The Gold Coast was also the top choice for those ditching Brisbane, followed by the popular Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.
Over in Perth, people chose to head further afield, with Busselton being the most popular relocation spot, followed by Karratha and the Gold Coast sneaking in at number three.
For those wanting to leave Adelaide, Alexandrina was the biggest regional destination, followed by the Gold Coast and South Australia’s Barossa.
In Hobart, leavers were most likely to head to he Gold Coast, followed by Greater Geelong and Launceston.
Like Hobart, those in Darwin making the move tended to head further afield, with the Gold Coast once again taking the top spot, followed by Cairns and Katherine.
‘Really hard city to live in’
Llani Belle is one of the many young Aussies who have recently ditched Sydney for the Gold Coast, after living in the harbourside city for four years.
Speaking to news.com.au earlier this year, the 28-year-old said one of the major factors in her decision to move was the worsening rental crisis and soaring cost of living, which she described as “just so ridiculous”.
Llani sells courses in the real estate space and, while she still travels back to the city often for work, she said commuting when she needs to makes more sense for her than continuing to live there.
She said that shortly after moving to Sydney it became apparent that the lifestyle she wanted to live wouldn’t be affordable in the long term.
The young worker described it as a city you “pay to live in”, rather than going there to be able to get ahead in life.
“In Sydney I never thought, no matter how much money I had, I was ever able to get in front because everything was so expensive and everything kept on going up,” she said.
“There are other places in Australia that’s so big and so beautiful that you can have similar experiences but not have to be spending that much money.”
Over the last year and a half was when she really started to notice the pinch of the increased cost of living.
“It is a really hard city to live in,” she said.
“I think when I started to work remotely is when I was like, ‘Well, what am I still doing here if I don’t physically have to be here all the time’.”
So she packed up and moved to the Gold Coast and is now living in an apartment that she says would be triple the price in an equivalent Sydney suburb.
Regional Australia Institute (RAI) CEO, Liz Ritchie, said the new movement data showed people were “voting with their feet” and making a very conscious decision to live in regional Australia.
“Whilst the pandemic supercharged this movement, the regional lifestyle is continuing to prove highly desirable for thousands of people, especially those from cities,” Ms Ritchie said.
“This movement in population can no longer be seen as a quirky flow-on effect from the lockdown years. A societal shift is underway.
“This sustained trend provides tangible evidence regarding the importance of investing in and supporting the regions to ensure communities have the services, skills, and infrastructure they need for their growing populations.”
‘Happened so quick’: Warning as 24yo dies
The family of a 24-year-old from Sydney have shared a heartfelt message for other Aussies after suffering a “catastrophic” loss.
Moment uncle attacks niece’s alleged killer
The victim’s uncle leapt over a barrier and attacked the murder suspect resulting in a wild brawl he said was “worth every moment”.
Bride’s ‘suicide’ re-examined 14 years later
For years, parents of the 27 year-old have been advocating to have her death changed to a homicide. Now, the forensic pathologist has reversed his suicide ruling.