Families are set to move hours away to regional areas for lifestyle change after COVID-19

Inner-city living could soon become a thing of the past as Australians look to move to regional areas for a lifestyle change in the wake of COVID-19.

As Australians continue to work from home, many are expected to move up to three hours away from metropolitan areas, research from property investment company Ripehouse Advisory found.

Regional areas in New South Wales are expected to see the biggest boom in population followed closely by Queensland and South Australia.

One town, Muswellbrook, 243km north of Sydney, will face an unprecedented 21.6 per cent rise in its population, experts suggested.

Mackay in Queensland (pictured, a family home in the area) is set to see a rise in population following the outbreak of coronavirus as people seek quieter lives away from cities

Ripehouse Advisory CEO Jacob Field has labelled the move ‘the Great Australian Population Shift’.

‘We are seeing a golden circle emerge around our key metro cities,’ he told The Daily Telegraph. 

Some of the areas set to see the biggest influx include Kapunda in South Australia’s Barossa Valley and Mackay near the Great Barrier Reef.

On the other end, metro areas that rely on immigrants are likely to shrink in population within the next 18 months, the research found.

These include Sydney’s Parramatta, and areas within the CBDs of Melbourne and Adelaide. 

International travel is still banned under strict coronavirus rules, meaning immigrants and tourists are not allowed to enter the country. 

Mackay in Queensland (pictured) is predicted to see a 7.9 per cent population increase as Australians abandon the cities

Regional areas within NSW, South Australia and Queensland are set to benefit from coronavirus as families look for a change in lifestyle (pictured, a house in Dalyellup, WA)

‘Strict and lengthy public health restrictions during the height of the pandemic sent the majority of Australians into virtual lockdown, and many have since realised they don’t need to be living within proximity of major cities and workplaces,’ Mr Field said. 

The findings are good news for homebuyers looking to settle down, the expert explained.

‘It is fitting with the iconic Australian concept of “have a go mate”, that through adversity, we see first home buyers and young aspirational investors set to benefit most for the positive elements of this population shift,’ Mr Field added.

Regional areas have already started to see a boom in population.

Orange in regional NSW was one of the top most searched areas for first home buyers.

Leanne Pilkington, President of Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) said Sydney was going to be the ‘biggest loser’. 

‘I think that a lot of people that are going to decide that their current property is no longer fit for purposes after being locked up for the last few months. So there will definitely be a move potentially to larger properties,’ she said in the report.

Muswellbrook (pictured) is estimated to see a rise in population by 21 per cent thanks to the coronavirus lockdown

‘But I think we will see more people working from home resulting from an understanding that they don’t need to be in the city.

‘We’re already hearing stories from the Central Coast where previously 50 per cent of their enquiry was from Sydney and now that’s closer to 90 per cent. So there are a lot of people who are at least exploring their options out of the city.

‘I think Sydney will be the big loser out of all of this. I think Queensland and regional NSW could do very well. But people are moving out of Sydney not in.’ 

Half of the 129 property experts in the report also estimated house prices would rise within the next 12 months.

Kapunda in South Australia (pictured) is also expected to see more residents with a 18 per cent rise in population