A regional city in Western Australia emerged as Australia’s fastest-growing city, with a 91% population increase over the past 20 years, according to a Propertyology study ranking 120 cities and municipalities.
Mandurah, WA, with a staggering growth rate of 91%, leads the list of Australia’s 30 fastest-growing cities. It has transformed from a relatively obscure locale to the country’s 24th-largest city.
This growth trend is mirrored in other regions, particularly in Victoria and Western Australia, where eight of the top 10 cities are located.
Notably, Sydney, a traditional powerhouse, ranked only 43rd.
While the national population surged from 19.7 million to 26.6 million, a 35% increase, the growth was uneven across capital cities.
Perth and Brisbane outpaced other capitals with growth rates of 53% and 52%, respectively. In contrast, Adelaide grew by a modest 23%.
See infographic below for Australia’s 30 fastest growing cities.
Simon Pressley (pictured above) from Propertyology, said there are five main drivers of population growth – lifestyle seekers, employment opportunities, housing affordability, immigration policies, and urban planning.
These factors have significantly influenced demographic shifts, steering populations towards more affordable and livable areas.
“Mandurah’s 91% population growth over the last 20 years is more than four times higher than Newcastle, Rockhampton, Wollongong, and Launceston,” Pressley said.
“The patterns of the last 20 years ... is another major parcel of indisputable evidence that there is no direct correlation between population growth rates and real estate capital growth rates.”
Furthermore, the internal migration patterns highlight significant shifts, with cities like Sydney experiencing a net loss, while regional areas such as Mandurah enjoyed substantial gains.
The growth in population has also brought economic and real estate fluctuations.
For instance, Perth experienced booms and downturns linked closely to its economic dependency on exports.
Meanwhile, areas like Fraser Coast and Whitsunday have seen their local economies and property markets revitalised due to changing work dynamics and the appeal of a work-from-home lifestyle, Propertyology reported.
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