“I don’t want an apartment, I want a veggie garden”: The younger generation breaking up with city living

New data shows younger generations are escaping to the country in droves and several spots in West Vic made the list for highest inflow of new residents, including Moorabool, Colac-Otway, Hindmarsh and Ballarat. 

Currently, the youth population in Ballarat sits around 19,000, and it’s projected to grow to about 24,000 by 2030. 

MJ, a millennial living in Ballarat, told the West Vic Brolga she bought her country home in 2024. 

🗣️“Buying a house regionally isn't really a choice, it’s the only option,” said MJ, who spoke on the condition of remaining anonymous. “Especially for what you get for your money here - a backyard, a spare room, a quiet street. In the city you’d be looking at crazy numbers.”

❓ What Happened: 

The new data is taken from the latest Regional Movers Index research, released on March 30. It showed: 

• Regional relocation made up 11.6 percent of all migration between local government areas, the highest amount since the end of the pandemic in 2022.

• 38 percent of Australians leaving capital cities were in Victoria. 

• 49 percent of Australians aged between 18 - 29 were considering a regional move.

• The population of Melbourne continued to grow due to migration from overseas, whilst internally almost 10,000 left the city.  

🖼️ The bigger picture: At the crux of this shift are housing affordability and cost of living. According to the latest RMI data, there is a perceived increase in lifestyle and career opportunities outside of capital cities. It’s something MJ’s experiences support. 

• “I don’t want an apartment, I want a veggie garden,” she said. 

Communities are seeing an influx of property investors, which is driving up house prices in areas like Ballarat. 

Marna Eringa is an events coordinator and small business owner from Sydney who made the move to Ballarat a few years ago. 

🗣️“A financially secure future in Sydney did not and does not seem viable for someone like me. Rather than a life of renting, gig work, small spaces, hustle and bustle … I’ve been able to purchase property, something completely out of reach previously,” she told the Brolga.

⏲️ What next: NAB economists Taylor Nugent and Gareth Spence were quoted in the AFR last week saying cost of living pressures would continue to bite in 2026 due to the conflict in the Middle East and the upward pressure on fuel prices. 

“We see this unfolding as a large cost-of-living shock for the household sector,” they predicted.