Regional NSW continues to lure Sydneysiders away from bustling city life, with residents in Australia’s most populous state leading the way among Australia’s regional movers.
The city-to-region moving trend peaked in Australia in 2022, as people sought out a slower pace of life and more affordable housing outside of the capital cities.
NSW saw the biggest shift of capital city residents into regional areas in the December 2024 quarter, according to the Regional Movers index, published by Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute.
Simone Fogarty, director and senior property manager at One Agency – Orange, said regional NSW locations like Orange offered households a family-friendly lifestyle.
“It ticks a lot of boxes for different people, whether it’s young families, couples or singles, it’s really got something for everyone,” Ms Fogarty said.
“Everything is in really close proximity, so you’re usually 10 or 15 minutes away from wherever you need to be, and you don’t have to worry too much about traffic.
“Some locations like Orange are still close enough to Sydney, whether you fly directly via the Orange airport or drive, which takes about three-and-a-half hours.”
Simone Fogarty said regional NSW locations like Orange offered a family-friendly lifestyle. Picture: REA Group
Housing affordability has also been a key factor for movers, with plenty of regional cities and locations offering cheaper home prices compared to Sydney.
Sydney’s median home price has grown by 2.66% to a record $1.094 million during the year to February, while the median home price for regional NSW has increased by 3.27% to $737,000, according to PropTrack.
REA Group executive manager of economics Angus Moore said housing affordability was a key factor for many regional movers.
“What we’ve seen is people, particularly younger families, have been looking to move outside of Sydney because of how expensive it is,” he said.
Regional NSW locations like Orange continue to draw people from Sydney and around the state. Picture: REA Group
“They are looking at locations in regional centres which have become increasingly viable.
“Some people only need to go into the office in Sydney one or two days a week, and so they make the commute from some of these more affordable regional locations.
“One of the other things we saw was the value that people placed on having an extra bedroom, or extra space in general, and that’s easier to find in regional locations compared to Sydney.”
Looking ahead, it’s a trend that’s likely to continue if capital city prices continue to rise and households can hold onto hybrid working arrangements in the future.
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