Former Sydneysider Ash Thomas, 31, had wanted to move to Newcastle for a long time, but it was the Covid-19 pandemic and a switch to permanently working from home that proved the catalyst for her relocation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And she wasn't alone in making the move, with new figures showing that millennials made up the largest proportion of new Novocastrians arriving from a capital city in the past year.
According to the Regional Movers Index, 66 per cent of people who moved to Newcastle from a capital city in the 12 months to March were aged between 24 and 40, at an average of 30-years-old, a higher proportion of millennials than any other top 'sea change' destination.
The index, published by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Bank, uses bank customer data to track migration patterns. The March update is the first time the age group of new Newcastle residents has been revealed.
READ ALSO: Click here to discover what is happening in real estate with this week's realestateview eEdition.
Newcastle was the third most popular destination for capital city residents making a sea change, with the Gold Coast topping the list.
RAI chief executive officer Liz Ritchie said regional living is attracting more young people and younger families looking for bigger living spaces at a cheaper cost.
Ms Thomas, purchased an apartment south of the city in 2021, but mostly it was a "gut feeling" that Newcastle was the place to be.
"I felt drawn to the beaches, the people are friendly, I love all the little independent shops, the little cafes, the accessibility of being able to get around," she said.