Biggest Growing Cities in Australia

Which are Australia’s biggest growing cities? Whether you’re looking for a new home or are just intrigued by this information, you’ll find everything you need to know below.

Capital Cities

Before anything else, let’s talk about the capitals. Of all the population growth between 2018 and 2019, just short of 80% occurred in the capital cities. Therefore, it would be remiss not to include these cities on the list.

In total, just over 17 million people live across the eight capital cities of Australia. Between 2018 and 2019, this increased by around 2% (around 300,000 people). Of all these cities, Melbourne enjoyed the highest rate of population growth. During this period, Melbourne gained nearly 114,000 people, which means a 2.3% growth in 12 months. Just after Melbourne, Brisbane enjoyed a similar growth percentage and added an extra 52,000 people to the population.

Between 1% and 2% growth, you’ll find the following cities:

• Sydney – 1.7%
• Hobart – 1.5%
• Canberra – 1.5%
• Perth – 1.3%
• Adelaide – 1.0%

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that Darwin is missing from this list. Why? Well, because they didn’t experience growth of between 1% and 2%. In fact, they didn’t experience growth at all. Instead, the population actually declined between 2018 and 2019. From one year to the next, the population fell by nearly 1,200 people or 0.8%. Not only is Darwin the smallest of the capital cities in terms of people, but it’s also getting smaller.

What caused these population changes? For Canberra and Perth, it was natural. In Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, natural growth was affected to some degree by overseas migration.

Individual Areas

For those who seek a new home, you may be interested to learn the individual areas with the biggest growth in Australia. This information can be researched independently, through a Local Agent Finder, or you can continue reading to get our take on it. At the top, you’ll find Cranbourne East in the south-east of Melbourne and Cobbitty-Leppington in the south-west of Sydney. While the population grew by nearly 8,000 in Cranbourne East, Cobbitty-Leppington gained 5,300 people – a similar number to Riverstone-Marsden Park.

 

In terms of growth rates (as opposed to population numbers), one of the fastest-growing areas in the country is Mickleham-Yuroke in Melbourne. Based in the outer north of the city, Mickleham-Yuroke saw growth of over 50%. After this, Moncrieff in Canberra grew by 38% and Rockbank-Mount Cottrell by 37%.

Thriving Areas in Australia

Numbers don’t mean everything, and some areas of Australia are thriving. If you’re looking for a new home, you might choose the following:

• Melbourne – Full of culture and sport, Melbourne is a great place to be – especially for younger readers. You’ll find all sorts of unique bars, restaurants, museums, festivals, theatres, art galleries, and more. Melbourne is growing, and residents are excited about what might happen next.
• Adelaide – Known for delicious food and wine, Adelaide is one of the most popular options right now for families. With affordable real estate, the city provides an exciting atmosphere without the crowded streets (and traffic!).
• Canberra – For those who want to live in a big city that still retains the small community feeling, this is something that Canberra provides in abundance. With a family-friendly feeling, Canberra is another affordable city, and it has the small-town feeling that many Australians (and international readers) often seek.

There we have it; all the major cities in Australia are growing except Darwin. At the very top, Melbourne and Brisbane are growing at a faster rate than the others. Which city is your dream home? Would you consider a move?