Australians move between suburbs and states all the time, selling and buying property as they go. Whether you move to a bigger house or downsize to a smaller apartment, financial and lifestyle factors continue to drive demographic changes within Australian cities. The data used in this article is based on the Australia Post mail redirection service from March 2013 to December 2019. Let's take a look at migration data within the country, including the most popular suburbs in each state.

According to data from Australia Post, most people don't move far at all, with neighbouring suburbs popular as people stick to what they know. From jobs and schools to family and friends, most people don't want to leave their current base. People move between neighbouring suburbs for many reasons, however, with some looking to upgrade their abode and others looking for considerable savings without making a lifestyle compromise.

People also move house for a tree change, with the sunny climate of Queensland a major draw card for many. According to Australia Post, Queensland had the most new migrators over the period, with 305,277 people making their way to the Sunshine State. The Sunshine Coast hinterland urban centre of Buderim was the most popular spot for new arrivals from within Australia. A total of 16,828 people forwarded their mail to Buderim, with the majority coming from nearby Mountain Creek. Other popular spots in Queensland included the Gold Coast suburbs of Robina, Upper Coomera, and Southport.

In NSW, Kellyville took out the top spot, with most arrivals coming from nearby Castle Hill. While there is a short 11 minute drive between these localities, the median property price is $1.1 million compared to $1.34 million. People are also moving to Castle Hill, however, with this part of Sydney popular in NSW along with Port Macquarie, Mosman, and Baulkham Hills. Kambah attracted the most new arrivals in the ACT, with most people coming from the neighbouring suburb of Wanniassa. Other popular spots included Ngunnawal, Harrison, Casey, and Kingston.

In Victoria, the Melbourne CBD attracted the most migrators, with most people swapping abodes from neighbouring Southbank. While both locations benefit from Melbourne's great inner-city lifestyle, the median price differs from $580,000 to $475,000. While terraced houses in Melbourne's inner-city continue to fetch record prices, there are still lots of affordable apartment options very close to the action. Point Cook, Berwick, Pakenham, and Brighton were also popular in Victoria.

In other parts of the country, Darwin City was the most popular locality in the NT, followed by Rosebery, Durack, Larrakeyah, and Lyons. Morphett Vale in South Australia was the most moved-to suburb in SA, followed by Adelaide, Mawson Lakes, Mount Barker, and Hallett Cove. In Tasmania, Kingston attracted the most migrators, followed by Sandy Bay, Devonport, Howrah, and Blackmans Bay. Once again, most people came from neighbouring or nearby suburbs. Despite all the talk of sea and tree changes, it seems most Australians in the market for real estate are looking much closer to home.