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ME Bank and Ethos Urban have released a new study listing the best regional towns in Australia for first-home buyers.
Topping the list is South Australia's Naime, which is 40 kilometres away from Adelaide. Chris McNeill, consulting demographer at ME Bank, said Naime's selling points are its proximity to hospitals and schools, its growing community, and its heritage streets that give the town a "lost to time" quality.
"A boom in new property developments in the town also means affordable modern housing is attainable for first home buyers," he said.
Four other South Australian regional towns joined Naime in the list – namely, Mount Barker, Kiama, Tanunda, and Nuriootpa.
"South Australia has deservedly outperformed. It’s about time it was recognised. And with relatively affordable house prices, what’s not to love," McNeill said.
However, Victoria has the most entries in the list, with eight towns joining the top 20. Woodend is its best bet, placing 6th on the overall list.
"It’s no surprise Victoria fares so well. So many Victorian towns are within striking distance of Melbourne, or a major regional city, which gives first home buyers in these areas great job flexibility and access to amenities," McNeill said.
McNeill said this list of top regional towns would help first-home buyers narrow their property search and find their ideal home.
"All the towns in our top 20 list are ideal for first home buyers, in different ways. Some are cheaper for the bargain hunters, while others have the ideal beach lifestyle for those with bigger budgets," he said. “We did a thorough search right around the nation, looking for towns with just the right mix of lifestyle, amenities, housing market and natural beauty.”
Below are the top 20 regional towns in Australia for first-home buyers:
