The current pattern
- Queensland has been the top destination for interstate migrants for four consecutive years, with net interstate migration averaging over 30,000 people annually since 2022 (21,595 net in the 2024–25 financial year).
- Western Australia is the only other state consistently in positive territory, recording 10,288 net interstate arrivals in 2024–25 and its strongest migration numbers in over a decade during 2025.
- New South Wales is the largest net loser of any state — 24,328 people net in 2024–25 — and has recorded negative net interstate migration in every year since 1979.
- Victoria also recorded a net interstate outflow in 2024–25, though the scale of losses has eased somewhat compared with 2023, with some signs of Melbourne's outflow stabilising through 2026.
Where within each state the impact shows up
South East Queensland (Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Logan) absorbs the large majority of Queensland's interstate inflow, reinforced by the Brisbane 2032 Olympics infrastructure pipeline. In WA, migration has been linked to strong resources-sector employment. In NSW, high Sydney property prices are the most commonly cited driver pushing residents toward Queensland, WA, and regional NSW.
Why this matters for property decisions
Sustained net interstate migration into a region adds directly to housing demand — both rental (most new arrivals rent initially) and, with a lag, purchase demand. Academic research on Queensland has found a statistically significant causal link between interstate migrant inflows and local housing price growth. Migration data is also a lagging indicator — the ABS releases it with a 6–9 month delay — so by the time a migration trend is fully confirmed in the official data, prices in the fastest-growing corridors have often already moved. It's one useful input among several rather than a standalone predictor.
Sources
- ABS National, State and Territory Population
- Queensland Government Statistician's Office
Related: 10-Year Growth Report · What Drives Property Growth in Australia