Albany ranked third fastest growing regional town in Australia, says December 2024 Regional Movers Index

Albany has emerged as one of Australia’s fastest-growing regional towns as new data reveals a 68 per cent swell in newcomers in comparison to the last quarter.

The December 2024 quarterly Regional Movers Index listed Albany as receiving the third-highest number of new residents of any local government area in the country.

Run by Commonwealth Bank Australia and the Regional Australia Institute, the report offers insight into the migration trends of Australians and pin-points current regional hotspots.

The only WA town to appear, Albany followed the New South Wales towns of Wingecarribee and Richmond Valley.

Ranked at fourth and fifth were Bega Valley in NSW and Wodonga in Victoria.

Albany recorded a threefold increase in annual migration inflows and had the highest quarterly growth rate of the top-five regions, at 68.8 per cent.

The report noted Albany’s population had grown annually as well, with net internal migration recording a 200 per cent increase from December 2023 to December 2024.

CBA’s acting executive general manager of regional and agribusiness banking Josh Foster said Albany, Bunbury, Harvey, Capel and York were popular choices for Australians coming from other areas of the State and country.

“The RMI has also shown that in this past quarter, people are willing to go further afield with the south coast LGA of Albany recording the third highest growth in net internal migration,” he said.

“Located almost five hours drive from Perth, Albany offers an idyllic lifestyle, reliable healthcare and education services, as well as strong employment opportunities across several sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, renewable energy and tourism.”

“This latest RMI proves that the great regional migration is being felt deep within our regions, with the economic and lifestyle gains no longer contained to areas within commuting distance.

“With the right commercial and industry investments, this offers a win-win for consumers as well as businesses.”

The RMI is run by Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute.