Population growth in regional towns stays strong

And metro areas kept pace, also growing by 1.2 percent with 205,400 new arrivals, regional population data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows.

Overseas migration and strong birth rates have buoyed city populations while internal migration is drawing residents to the regions, the data shows.

The most recent release of regional population data from the ABS tracks movements during the 2021-2022 financial year, with the data made public on April 20

Melbourne lost 26,212 residents to the regions, and Sydney lost 51,738.

Caloundra West on Queensland's Sunshine Coast is booming. The region saw the highest population jump with 1,800 new residents between 2021-2022.

Charlemont, on Geelong's outskirts, had the highest percentage growth for a region with 15 per cent.

Brisbane had the largest capital city population growth, adding 59,200 new people to traffic on the Story Bridge - a growth rate of 2.3 per cent.

Brisbane and Perth were the only capital cities that saw an increase in internal migration, with more than 28,000 people moving to Brisbane from other parts of the country.

Metropolitan populations are booming on the outskirts, the ABS data shows.

Melbourne's Rockbank, Mount Cottrell, Mickleham and Yuroke grew by around 5,000 residents during the 2021-2022 financial year.

Sydney's Schofields grew by 4,300 residents, while Box Hill and Nelson in the outer north-west exploded with 40 per cent growth.

Tasmanian truffle farmer Ina Ansmann left her inner city office job behind and said there's no way she'd move back.

"We absolutely love our life down here, it was a much needed tree-change," she said.

"Down here your neighbours help you if you need them, we swap eggs for jam over the back fence," Ms Ansmann said.

Ms Ansman and her partner Timothy Noonan were living in a small unit in Brisbane, they were both working office jobs they "weren't loving".

"It was a pretty quick decision in the end, we both had a bad day at work and jumped online to look at properties in rural Tasmania."

She said she hasn't looked back.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Generally speaking, Australia's population has stayed in the country's south-east corner, ABS data shows.

Using regional migration data, the ABS calculate the central point of Australia's population.

In 2021-2022 Australia's population centre point shifted 1.4 kilometres north, reflecting Queensland's growing popularity.

In NSW, the state's population centre moved 110 metres east, near Lower Portland, reflecting sea-changers spreading along the coast, ABS data shows.

Queensland's central population point moved 1.3 kilometres south-east towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast.