- Melbourne was the most popular city to move to for the 15th consecutive month
- Perth had May's strongest positive net migration (86%) in Australia
- Sydney experienced a negative 55% migration, while other parts of NSW saw migration increases
The cost-of-living crisis has put the pressure on households, with many Australians moving around the county in order to find affordable accommodation and more work opportunities.
Online removalist booking platform, Muval, has released new data that shows where Australians moved to and from in May 2023.
A quarter of all moving Australians are packing for Victoria
Melbourne was the most popular city to move to during May, taking 25% of the total inbound major metro moving enquires for the month.
This marked 15 consecutive months at the top position, with most of Melbourne’s inbound traffic coming from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
The number of people leaving Melbourne also started to wane, accounting for 26% of all outbound metro moving enquiries; the last time it was this low was pre-pandemic (February 2020).
Based on moving enquiries, Melbourne is currently experiencing a -15% net migration and has not experienced a positive net migration since January 2020, when it had positive 3% migration. However, Melbourne is recovering from its low migration of negative 61% back in August 2020.
Percentage of inbound enquiry across Australia
Queensland holds onto positive net migration
Brisbane comes in second place with 22% of total inbound metro move enquires.; the city also makes up 19% of the total outbound traffic, as many people have chosen to move, particularly to Melbourne or Perth.
Nevertheless, Brisbane held onto a slight positive migration of 5%.
Many Brisbane residents have also chosen to relocate to other regions of Queensland such as the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, and Rockhampton.
“Brisbane may be the second most popular metro destination for people to move to at the moment but we’re also seeing a lot of movement out of the city as inflation starts to squeeze people out.”
James Morrell, Muval CEO
The Gold Coast is currently experiencing a 50% migration but appears to be slowing.
Inbound enquiries from January to May were down 16% when compared to the same time last year and far from the 2021 results, which saw a net migration of 540%.
The Gold Coast has also seen a rise in outbound enquires, with the period of January to May increasing by 44% compared to the same time last year.
Many people from the Gold Coast have chosen to move to Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide; other locations of choice included Newcastle and Port Macquarie, driven by the desire for more affordable waterfront accommodation.
The Sunshine Coast is also experiencing more than 100% migration, with many making the move from Brisbane or Sydney. Cairns saw a positive migration of 89% in May.
Perth has the highest positive migration nationwide
Perth has the strongest positive net migration in Australia, with May recording a positive 86% net migration. Perth had 18% of total inbound major metro moves, marking the fourth consecutive month that Perth has had more inbound traffic than Sydney. This, combined with Perth only making up 8% of total outbound major metro moves, has placed increased strain on Perth’s housing market.
“For East Coast residents, who might no longer be able to afford the high prices of the East but don’t want to give up on their laidback, coastal lifestyle, Perth is now an enticing alternative.”
James Morrell, Muval CEO
Perth’s positive net migration however is starting to wane, as it comes off a 2021 high of 181% migration and 2022’s peak of 149% migration.
Net migration across Australia
New South Wales experiencing mixed results
For the last consecutive 18 months, Sydney has made up around one in three of all outbound metro moving enquiries, while only having 17% of the total inbound enquiries.
This has left Sydney with a negative 55% migration, as many have chosen to relocate to Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to better manage the current cost of living pressures and for improved work opportunities.
Percentage of outbound enquiry across Australia
Byron Bay and Newcastle both saw positive migration increases, with 46% and 90% migration increases respectively from January to May, when compared to the same period last year.
Byron Bay was initially impacted by increasing interest rates but has since appeared to recover and is seeing migration growth. This has been brought on by people relocating from Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney who want a more affordable coastal lifestyle.
“The area will always represent an attractive sea change for people who have had enough of the rat race but don’t want to give up on the luxuries they are accustomed to.”
James Morrell, Muval CEO
Some areas between Newcastle and Sydney are also growing in popularity. Areas such as Gosford and Woy Woy are offering better affordable accommodation, which is starting to draw people in. While areas such as Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour are starting to moderate, if not see a slowdown in interest.
Adelaide suffering from consecutive migration decreases
Adelaide has dropped from its March migration of -9% to its current migration of -18%, marking its 10th consecutive negative net migration. This is a result of Adelaide only making up 8% of total major metro inbound moving enquiries and 9% of total major metro outbound moving enquiries.
