South Australia’s South East is the most popular region in the country for people to relocate to, new data reveals.
Research by Muval, a removalist platform helping customers book all the services needed to move house, shows it has an inbound to outbound ratio of 1.59.
That means that for every 100 people moving out of the area, almost 160 are moving in.
It came ahead of Bunbury in WA, the Mid North Coast in NSW, WA’s Wheat Belt and Latrobe-Gippsland in Victoria.
The Muval Index 2025, which combines insights from more than 400,000 moving inquiries along with a nationally representative survey of 2000 Australians, said there were several factors that were making the South East so appealing.
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Mount Gambier has become increasingly popular since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic.
The Mount Gambier property at 18 Rustic Court is listed with a $749,000 to $799,000 price guide.
These included affordability, natural beauty and a slower pace of life, especially as the cost of living rose in capital cities.
Ray White Mount Gambier principal Tahlia Gabrielli said affordability was the driving factor.
“I think there’s probably been an influx of late because of affordability,” she said.
“In certain price points there’s very high demand.”
Ms Gabrielli said properties in the $550,000 and below range were in highest demand.
“They’re moving extremely quickly and having multiple offers,” she said.
“Also, we are finding there is a lot of people talking of getting out of Victoria because of land tax, that probably is helping us as well.”
“And the interest rates are probably only giving people more confidence.”
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Robe is also increasing in popularity.
The Robe property at 24 Elizabeth St is for sale without a price guide.
Ms Gabrielli said the region was attracting a range of demographics but it was particularly appealing to families.
“It’s a good lifestyle for a family to live here because of affordability and ease of travel,” she said.
Meanwhile, SA’s outback was the fifth-most common area Australians were leaving, with 100 residents vacating and only 81 moving in.
Job scarcity, the vast distance from the city and limited access to services were considered the main reasons.
Since 2019, the index revealed migration to Greater Adelaide has dipped but it was showing signs of recovery.
It was a mixed bag for regional SA, with the South East recording 42 per cent growth in inbound moves from 2023 to 2024, while the Barossa-Yorke-Mid North region had a 34 per cent decline.
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The Kingston SE property at 21357 Princes Highway is on the market without a price guide.
The property is 19.42ha and was formerly the Reedy Creek Nursery.
Adelaide’s south was the only metropolitan area to record a positive migration ratio at 1.10.
Muval chief executive James Morrell said the index offered a real-time look into how Australians were responding to a changing world.
“We’re seeing clear signs that affordability, flexibility and quality of life are reshaping how people choose where to live, and that trend isn’t slowing down,” he said.
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