Most liveable, but affordable, Australian towns to retire in
Ready to leave the city for good? From the coast to the countryside, these Aussie towns offer lifestyle for less.
Living in the city can be hard. Which is ironic, really, given most people move to cities for the convenience — you’re in closer proximity to employment opportunities, essential services like universities and airports, and you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to cultural activities and social things to do. But for many, the events of the last 12 months have magnified the downsides of city living: things such as commute times, traffic, a lack of open spaces and the expense of it all. Things that are much easier to justify when you can partake in the fun things a city has to offer, but much harder when you cannot.
But it’s not all doom and gloom!
The flip side of this is that recently, regional Australia has been experiencing a relocation boom.
According to a 2020 report by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) titled ‘The Big Movers: Understanding Population Mobility in Regional Australia’, in the years between the past two censuses (2011-2016), more Australians moved to regional areas from cities than the other way around.
Interestingly, Millennials are one of the main demographics driving this trend of exodus: data collected by RAI shows Sydney lost more Millennials to regional areas (36,973) than it gained (32,535) in those years.
According to the report, Australians are waking up to the fact regional areas offer quality of life for less. And now that we’re living in the work from home era, for some, tree/sea changes are beginning to feel like no-brainers.
Maybe you’re one of these people. Maybe you’re still a few years off, but you’re planning where you’ll put down roots.
Whatever your reason for clicking on this story is, we’ve selected 13 Australian towns that you can relocate to and live well in (maybe forever — RAI found 80 per cent of people who move to or reside in regional areas plan to stay there) without the crippling city dues.
-
VICTORIA
Castlemaine
In a 2014 piece for the Griffith Review , writer Lucy Mayes chronicles her move to the Victorian town of Castlemaine. “Recent years have seen increasing numbers of city folk rushing to this small rural community and buying up picturesque Victorian weatherboards and renovating them with the sizeable change afforded them if they had owned Melbourne property,” writes Mayes.
Given that story came out seven years ago, it’s a wonder Castlemaine has any weatherboards left. But it does. And aided by the region’s immigrant population of Melburnians, today, Castlemaine is what you might call a ‘hip’ or ‘trendy’ spot. But for the creative types that live there, the real appeal is the area’s bewitching landscape, history (it was a big gold mining town during the gold rush) and temperate yet arid climate. Only 1.5 hours’ drive from Melbourne, it’s also the perfect spot to shift to if feeling too severed from the city is a concern.
Population (as of most recent census): 6,757
Median house price: $551,000
Distance to nearest city: 129km to Melbourne (1.5 hours’ drive) and only 37.5km (35 minutes) to the rural city of Bendigo.
Bright
Nestled among the undulating hills of Victoria’s lower high country, Bright is a considerably picturesque town with better eateries, breweries and distilleries than your average city suburb. The village straddles the Ovens River, a crystal clear stream that pours down from nearby Mount Hotham (if you’re a skier, or anything outdoorsy, really, Bright should be top of your ‘where to move’ list).
If you’d like to move even further into the ether, there are plenty of (even smaller) villages in the area, where you can isolate without even trying to: Wandiligong, Porepunkah and Myrtleford are just a few.
Population (as of most recent census): 2,406
Median house price: $675,000
Distance to nearest city: 324km to Melbourne (three hours’ 40 minutes’ drive) and only 105km (1.5 hours) to the border city of Albury.
-
NEW SOUTH WALES
Blackheath
The Blue Mountains are often associated with tourist buses and, well, tourists. But what a lot of people don’t know is those buses usually only go as far as Katoomba, meaning the towns further along the Great Western Highway are much more suited to those wishing to settle down.
With its charming cafes, weekend farmers market and community-oriented vibe, Blackheath (and the communities beyond it) can feel like a best-kept secret.
Needless to say, it’s proximity to the mountains makes it an excellent base for hiking trips, and if “house with a garden” is one of your non-negotiables, chances are, your plants are going to like the seasonal climate here.
Population (as of most recent census): 4,396
Median house price: $601,000
Distance to nearest city: 112km (one hour and 38 minutes drive) to Sydney.
Pottsville
Always imagined you’d end up somewhere coastal?
Pottsville, a small town in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, is worth looking into.
It’s small enough to qualify as a “sleepy beach town” but close enough to nearby hubs such as Byron Bay, so you’ll find yourself feeling just the right amount of “out of the loop”.
The fact chef Ben Devlin (formerly of Cabarita hotspot Paper Daisy) recently opened his new venture, Pipit, in the area, means you’ll always have somewhere to take (and impress) visitors, too.
Pottsville is a little pricier than the other places on this list, but we’ve included it because it’s truly special — and dotted around it are smaller towns where you can find a true steal, if you’re looking to buy.
Population (as of most recent census): 6,704
Median house price: $840,000
Distance to nearest city: 59.3km (50 minutes’ drive) to the Gold Coast.
-
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Hahndorf
But beyond the quirky details, it’s a beautiful and welcoming place to call home. You’ll know everyone within a few months of living here — a combination of the town’s size, and the fact its constituents are so friendly.
Population (as of most recent census): 2,670
Median house price: $627,500
Distance to nearest city: 26.4km (half an hours’ drive) to Adelaide.
Robe
So it’s not exactly shocking that Robe, a small but scenic fishing town about 1.5 hours from the Victoria/South Australia, would be a delightful place to settle down.
Robe is known for its fresh seafood, which is unbelievably affordable and in abundant supply for nine months of the year.
In summer, the town’s population swells from about 1000 to 15,000, so be prepared to brave the crowds or schedule your own summer holiday for then.
Population (as of most recent census): 998
Median house price: $377,000
Distance to nearest city: 335km (three hours and forty minutes’ drive) to Adelaide.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Katherine
Just over three hours southeast of Darwin is Katherine, an outback hamlet surrounded by natural wonders, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nitmiluk National Park. The unique landscape here is also known for its thermal pools, a rather luxurious naturally occurring amenity not a lot of retirement villages can lay claim to.
With a ‘dry tropical savanna’ climate (yes, that’s a thing), Katherine has distinct wet and dry seasons, and temperatures can peak in the early 40°s during September and October. But if you don’t mind a bit of heat, the culture, wildlife and rich history of the area (it’s the traditional home of the Jawoyn peoples) make Katherine a total catch.
Population (as of most recent census): 6303
Median house price: $300,000
Distance to nearest city: 317 kilometres (about three hours‘ drive) from Darwin.
-
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Esperance
If you don’t mind being isolated (like, really isolated), Esperance could be the one for you. It’s located about eight hours’ drive southeast of Perth along the Fitzgerald Coastline, which is defined by its stark white beaches and aquamarine water.
The town itself has everything you need to thrive: a great IGA, a big Bunnings, an arts centre and an amazing fish and chip shop.
You’re also spoiled for choice by beaches, national parks and coastal views. A real permanent vacation vibe.
Population (as of most recent census): 12,145
Median house price: $302,000
Distance to nearest city: 698km (eight hours’ drive) from Perth.
-
QUEENSLAND
Eumundi
This town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland is famous for its twice-weekly farmers markets, so if a diet change is part of your overall relocation plan, you’ll have the freshest, most organic produce at your fingertips here.
It’s also a very community-oriented community, and chances are, you’ll find yourself joining a knitting group or walking club within weeks of moving in.
Eumundi is about 25 minutes’ drive from Noosa, but when you’re there, you feel like you’re miles away from anywhere.
If serenity is what you’re after, you’ll struggle to find many places more serene.
Population (as of most recent census): 1,924
Median house price: $771,000
Distance to nearest city: 120km (1.5 hours’ drive) from Brisbane.
Atherton
It‘s within day trip distance to far north Queensland’s swankiest seaside spots (Port Douglas, Cairns, Palm Cove). But you wouldn’t know it. Because Atherton feels like a farming town that’s miles away from the presence of any city slicker, the only giveaway of your proximity to barefoot luxury being the tropical sea breeze that floats above the nearby mountaintops when an easterly’s blowing.
Atherton contains all the trimmings required to finish life on a high note - fresh air, great coffee, friendly people and an amazing health foods shop. Perched 783m above sea level, it enjoys a cooler climate than its coastal neighbours, which can feel swampy with humidity in the summer.
Population (as of most recent census): 7,331
Median house price: $295,000
Distance to nearest city: 80 kilometres (1.5 hours‘ drive) to Cairns.
-
TASMANIA
Strahan
There are no tacky souvenir shops or overpriced ice creams; instead, there’s a real sense of non-arrogant pride among the locals (all 658 of them!) who know their town is among the most beautiful in the land.
Population (as of most recent census): 658
Median house price: $215,000
Distance to nearest city: 271km (3.5 hours’ drive) from Launceston and 301km (four hours’ and 10 minutes drive) from Hobart.
Stanley
If your idea of retirement is bunkering down somewhere so remote you won‘t find out about something like a global pandemic for weeks, maybe months, may we introduce you to the seaside village of Stanley. Life here revolves around one main street, which is hemmed with shopfronts that look worthy of a movie set (oh wait - they are! Starring Alicia Vikander and Rachael Weisz, The Light Between Oceans was filmed here in 2016).
Due to the size of the town, facilities and amenities are simple. But we’re convinced it contains everything you need to live the simple life (and it’s only 1.5 hours away from Devonport for when you need a brush with civilisation).
Population (as of most recent census): 553
Median house price: $475,000
Distance to nearest city: 225 kilometres (two hours and forty minutes‘ drive) to Launceston, or 125 (1.5 hours) to Devonport.