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An analysis of 41,000 Australian migrating families found that 25 per cent downsized into homes worth as much as 50 per cent less than the previous property.
The majority of movers (56.1 per cent) are moving between owned homes. However, 16.8 per cent are shifting from owning a home to renting, while just 6.3 per cent are changing from renting to owning.
Many of these movers are getting out of the cities, opting for regional living.
The data, sourced from Muval’s Family Relocation Report, revealed that in Greater Sydney, for every three families that left the city, just one moved back in, with an inbound-to-outbound ratio of 0.31.
Melbourne experienced similar trends, with an inbound-to-outbound ratio of 0.62. Adelaide was fairly even, with a ratio of 1.08.
Other cities like Brisbane, Perth, and Hobart reported increases in city migration, with ratios of 1.38, 1.88, and 1.28, respectively.
Regional areas of the country are experiencing a surge in relocators. The non-city areas of Queensland, for example, have an inbound-to-outbound ratio of 2.48.
Regional Western Australia recorded similar highs of 2.15. NSW, Victoria, and South Australia recorded regional ratios of 1.34, 1.57, and 1.36, respectively.
The specific regions with the highest net migration were predominantly located in Queensland and Western Australia. The top 10 inbound-to-outbound ratio regions were:
- Sunshine Coast, Queensland (3.28)
- Bunbury, Western Australia (2.89)
- Mandurah, Western Australia (2.71)
- Wide Bay, Queensland (2.71)
- Wheatbelt, Western Australia (2.54)
- Cairns, Queensland (2.19)
- South East, Tasmania (2.15)
- Central Queensland (2.04)
- Gold Coast, Queensland (1.99)
- West and North West, Tasmania (1.96)
On the other hand, the areas with the lowest inbound-to-outbound ratios are mostly located in Sydney. The top 10 were:
- Sydney – City and Inner South (0.18)
- Melbourne – Inner (0.23)
- Sydney – Eastern Suburbs (0.32)
- Sydney – Parramatta (0.42)
- Sydney – Inner West (0.45)
- ACT (0.46)
- Sydney – North Sydney and Hornsby (0.47)
- Sydney – Inner South West (0.52)
- Sydney – Ryde (0.52)
- Sydney – Northern Beaches (0.59)
Just a few years ago, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of this regional migration would not have been possible.
Muval CEO James Morrell said the rise of remote working has allowed families to be more flexible with living arrangements.
“Remote work flexibility has been a major driver of this trend, allowing more families to move away from city centres while still maintaining work‑life balance without the burden of long commutes,” he said.
“While affordability is clearly a key factor in family moves, our research also suggests that lifestyle and space are important. Families are seeking homes that better align with their needs – whether that’s more bedrooms, a backyard, or proximity to nature – which is influencing where they choose to relocate.”
Key factors for the move are cost reductions, lifestyle changes, and space.
“We’re seeing more and more families downsize, move out of expensive inner‑city areas, or relocate to more affordable parts of the country. In fact, over one in ten family moves are into smaller homes with fewer bedrooms, and one in four are selling properties worth significantly more than the homes they’re moving into. These aren’t always lifestyle moves; for many, it’s about making finances work in a challenging economic climate,” Morrell said.
[Related: 10-year boom: 1 in 3 homes across Australia now worth over $1m]
