Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Cessnock are among the most popular destinations in Australia for those looking to move out of capital cities and other regional areas, internal migration data shows.
The Sunshine Coast continues to be the nation's most popular destination, with an 8.8 per cent share of total net migration in the March 2026 quarter.
It was followed by Greater Geelong (5.3 per cent), Fraser Coast (3.9 per cent), Moorabool (3.5 per cent) and Lake Macquarie (3.4 per cent).
Australia's shift towards regional living has reached a record peak, with the latest Regional Movers Index (RMI) hitting its highest level in the March 2026 quarter.
The RMI is a partnership between the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) that tracks population movements between Australia's capital cities and regions.
The index was up 20.1 per cent on the December 2025 quarter and 4.7 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Capital city residents moving to Australia's regions outnumbered those moving in the opposite direction by 29.7 per cent.
RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie said the record result confirmed the enduring and growing appeal of regional living and cemented the need for a co-ordinated national approach to population planning.
"This is the highest level of capital-to-regional movement the RMI has ever recorded. Australians are continuing to choose regional life in greater numbers, even as economic conditions shift," Ms Ritchie said.
"Across COVID-19, inflation, housing pressures and tight labour markets, the trend has been remarkably consistent - people are leaving capital cities for regions, and they're doing so at increasing rates."
The index also showed the Fraser Coast recorded the largest net inflow (7 per cent) from other regional areas in Australia followed by Maitland (5.2 per cent) and Cessnock (4.8 per cent).
The movement is consistent with other data that predicts a population explosion in Maitland and Cessnock in coming decades, with both local government areas expected to add another 50,000 people each by 2041, making the combined population more than 250,000.
Ms Ritchie said the index showed population growth emerging across a wider mix of regional communities.
"We're not just tracking movement but providing early indications of where regional growth is emerging, so government, investors, industry and communities can respond before pressure builds," she said.
"It helps identify the places that are emerging as hotspots that may need new thinking around housing and infrastructure."
CBA's regional and agribusiness banking executive general manager, Kylie Allen, said the record result reinforced the long-term strength of regional Australia.
"The data shows Australians are making long-term, considered decisions to build their lives in regional communities," she said.
"What stands out this quarter is the scale of movement we're seeing, both from capital cities and between regional communities. It reinforces the role that regional centres play as important hubs, supporting surrounding towns through jobs, services and local business activity."
