A record number of Australians moved from capital cities to regional areas in the June quarter, with three North Queensland areas among the country’s fastest-growing destinations, according to a report from the Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute.
The Regional Movers Index found that the flow of people from capital cities to regional Australia in the three months to June 2026 matched the record set in June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was 1.1 percent higher than a year earlier.
People moving from capital cities to regional areas outnumbered those moving in the opposite direction by 30 percent, with almost four people moving to the regions for every three heading to the capitals.
The index (pdf) is based on changes of address among Commonwealth Bank’s more than 14.6 million customers, and only counts people who had lived at one address for at least six months before they moved. The result follows the March quarter, when the index reached its highest level since it began in 2021.
Regional Australia Institute CEO Liz Ritchie said fewer people usually move during the cooler months, which made the June result stand out.
“This tells us the appeal of country living remains incredibly strong all year round, even outside the traditional peak moving periods,” she said.
Managing regional population growth will require more than attracting new residents. In Victoria, a 2025 planning blueprint proposed developing the outskirts of Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, with 200,000 additional homes planned over the next 30 years.
The proposals also highlighted the need to ensure essential infrastructure, including water and sewerage, can support expanding communities.
Small Places, Big Gains
The Sunshine Coast remained the most popular destination, taking 8.7 percent of all net moves into the regions over the year to June, followed by Greater Geelong at 5 percent and Lake Macquarie at 4.1 percent.
But the biggest jumps were in smaller areas. Central Goldfields in Victoria recorded a 312 percent rise in net arrivals over the year, followed by Burdekin in Queensland at 285 percent, and the Snowy Monaro in New South Wales at 233 percent.
The Tablelands and Douglas areas in Far North Queensland came next, at 223 percent and 221 percent.
Commonwealth Bank’s Kylie Allen, who heads its regional and agribusiness banking arm, pointed to farming, manufacturing and renewable energy in Burdekin, and tourism in the Tablelands and Douglas.
“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.
Sydney Still Leads Exodus
Sydney residents made up 52 percent of net departures from capital cities, while Melbourne residents accounted for 36 percent.
Meanwhile, regional New South Wales took the largest share of net arrivals at 33 percent, followed by regional Victoria at 26 percent and regional Queensland at 23 percent.
Ritchie said the institute’s recent research found regional populations had grown by 114,000 more people over the past decade than governments had forecast.
“With more Australians choosing regional communities, we need population planning that anticipates growth and ensures housing, infrastructure and essential services keep pace,” she said.
Latest official figures show regional Australia grew by about 95,000 people, or 1.1 percent, in the 2024-25 financial year, while the capital cities lost around 30,000 people to the regions through moves within Australia.
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