Trend of city slickers moving to the country continues as latest data shows strong flows into Harvey
The report — which uses Commonwealth Bank data — found net migration to regional Australia was sitting 40 per cent higher than the prevailing level pre-COVID, with people moving beyond the traditional commuter belt.
Those people are willing to travel further from the main cities for a lifestyle they prefer, with CBA's acting executive general manager of regional and agribusiness banking Josh Foster saying more investment into Harvey was driving growth.
There is also a trend of farming properties being subdivided into smaller lots, which are snapped up as lifestyle blocks and contributes to increased property prices, with Harvey benefiting from close proximity to Bunbury and Mandurah.
'(The key drivers are) attractive location, competitive housing prices, job opportunities, the ability to still commute if you wanted to, along with the fantastic location,' Mr Foster said.
'Harvey's definitely benefiting from the close proximity to Bunbury and Mandurah.'
It comes as new data from the Domain Sustainability in Property Report 2025 shows energy-efficient homes are not only fetching premium prices, but are massively growing in popularity across the State.
Across Australia, energy-efficient houses are selling for $118,000 more than their counterparts with WA having some of the highest premiums for efficient houses in the country.
Collie leads the way in WA for people looking to get a home offering lower energy bills with an energy-efficiency premium of 23.3 per cent added onto sustainable houses sold in the regional town.
Domain's chief of research and economics, Dr Nicola Powell said the data shows energy-efficient homes are no longer just an ethical choice.
'They're a smart financial choice, particularly given rising energy prices and mounting cost-of-living pressures,' she said.
'Features like solar panels and energy smart designs can add tens, even hundreds of thousands to a home's value, and while new developments have made energy-efficient homes more accessible, there's still more work to be done, especially when it comes to upgrading existing homes and reimagining sustainable living in our major cities.'
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