Half of all homes sold in Albany right now are going to people moving from somewhere else. Most of them are coming from Perth.
Something shifted in Albany around 2021 and it has not stopped. Perth buyers who had been watching the city get more expensive and more crowded started asking a different question: what would our money actually buy us down south?
The answer, for a lot of families and professionals, turned out to be quite a lot. A four-bedroom home with a view. A 10-minute commute. A community where people know your name. And a price tag well below what the same lifestyle would cost anywhere near the Perth metro.
This article is written by the team at Wellington & Reeves, Albany’s oldest and largest real estate agency. We have watched people move to Albany from Perth for 78 years. What is happening now is different in scale, but the reasons have always been the same.
Albany is the fastest-growing regional area in WA
The numbers are worth knowing before anything else. In the December 2024 quarter, the Regional Movers Index named Albany as the fastest-growing local government area in Western Australia by net internal migration, recording a 200% increase year on year. REIWA members report the majority of that growth is coming from city dwellers.
Local real estate agents say roughly half of all homes sold in Albany are now going to buyers from outside the region, mostly from Perth. That figure has been consistent across multiple quarterly reports. It is not a spike. It is a trend.
The median Albany house price was $722,500 at the end of the December 2025 quarter, up 25.7% for the full calendar year and making Albany the top-performing regional centre in WA for price growth. For context, Greater Perth recorded 2% growth over the same quarter. Perth buyers selling at Perth prices and buying at Albany prices are unlocking real capital in the process.
What your money buys in Albany vs Perth
This is usually where the conversation starts. Someone runs a search on realestate.com.au, types in their Perth budget, and sees what comes up in Albany. The reaction is almost always the same.
In Perth, a family budget of $850,000 to $950,000 in a reasonable suburb gets you a four-bedroom brick home, likely on a block of 400 to 500 square metres, with a 30 to 45 minute commute to the city. In Albany, that same budget gets you substantially more house, more land, and in many cases an ocean view or a rural outlook that would simply not exist at that price point in a capital city.
Beyond the headline price, the day-to-day cost of living is lower. Groceries, fuel, school activities, recreational costs. Albany is not cheap in the way a remote mining town is cheap. It has cafes, restaurants, a strong health system anchored by the Great Southern Hospital, and a growing arts and events scene. It is a full-service regional city. It just does not charge Perth prices for the privilege.
REIWA spokesperson Peta McKenzie put it plainly: people moving from Perth are selling for strong prices in the city and getting genuine value for money in Albany. They arrive with equity in their pocket and a lower mortgage ahead of them.
Albany residential homes for sale
The lifestyle shift people actually talk about
Ask anyone who has made the move and the lifestyle conversation comes up within the first minute. Not in a vague, brochure-speak way. In specific, personal terms.
The commute disappears. Albany’s CBD is compact, most residential areas sit within 10 to 15 minutes of schools, shops and the waterfront. People who spent years in Perth traffic report this as one of the most immediate quality-of-life improvements, almost jarring in how quickly they adjust.
The natural environment is genuinely extraordinary. Middleton Beach sits at the edge of the town centre. The Gap and Natural Bridge at Torndirrup National Park are 20 minutes from the main street. The Stirling Range and Porongurup National Park offer serious hiking within an hour. Denmark and the Valley of the Giants are a comfortable drive west. For families with children, and for people approaching retirement, the ability to access all of this on a weekday afternoon changes how they spend their time.
The community feel is harder to quantify but consistently mentioned. Albany is a city of roughly 42,000 people. That is large enough to have proper infrastructure and a diverse workforce. It is small enough that people develop real relationships with their neighbours, local businesses, sporting clubs and schools. The transactional anonymity of suburban Perth simply does not exist here in the same way.
Work, schools and services: the practical picture
The lifestyle question is usually followed quickly by the practical one: can we actually live there?
Employment in Albany is anchored by the health, education, government and agriculture sectors. The Great Southern Hospital is one of the largest employers in the region. Local government, state government departments, the Port of Albany and a growing professional services sector all provide stable employment. There is also a significant hospitality and tourism industry. Albany’s unemployment rate has sat around 2%, roughly half the national average, according to industry observers in recent years.
Remote and hybrid work has changed the picture for many Perth professionals. A meaningful number of the buyers coming to Albany from Perth are keeping their Perth-based roles and working remotely, using the city-to-Albany commute of roughly four hours as an occasional rather than daily requirement. For some buyers, this is the deciding factor that makes the move viable without a career change.
Schools in Albany include a range of public and independent options, including Albany Senior High School, Bethel Christian School, and the Hain Campus for younger students. The Great Southern Grammar school operates from primary through to Year 12. The University of Western Australia has a regional presence at the Great Southern campus, providing tertiary access without the need to move to Perth.
Medical services have improved significantly in recent years, a point REIWA members specifically note as removing a barrier for older buyers and those with families. The Great Southern Hospital upgrade has made Albany a viable permanent home for people who previously felt they needed to remain close to Perth for health access.
More about moving to regional towns.
What the buying process actually looks like for Perth relocators
Most Perth buyers approach Albany the same way. They visit once or twice, fall for the place, start watching listings online, and then find themselves ready to act faster than they expected. The market at the sub-$850,000 price point moves quickly. Competition is strong. Properties in that range are regularly attracting multiple offers within a week of listing.
The practical sequence that works well for Perth buyers is straightforward. Get a current sales appraisal on your Perth home first, so you know exactly what you are working with. Register with a local Albany agent so you see new listings before they hit the portals. If you are not ready to sell the Perth home yet, consider whether renting in Albany first is the right step while you find the right property. Many buyers spend 12 to 18 months renting in Albany before purchasing, and that time gives them the local knowledge to buy with confidence.
One thing worth knowing: the suburbs within Albany vary more than people expect from the outside. Proximity to the waterfront, outlook, school catchments and commute times all matter. A local agent who knows the difference between what sells quickly and what sits on the market is worth talking to before you make any decisions.
Avoid missing out on your dream home
Frequently asked questions
Is Albany a good place to live?
Albany consistently rates highly for liveability in regional WA. The combination of a strong job market, quality schools, good health infrastructure, accessible natural environment and a close-knit community appeals across a wide range of life stages. It is particularly well suited to families, professionals with flexible work arrangements, and people approaching or in retirement. The city has the services of a regional hub with the feel of a much smaller community.
How far is Albany from Perth?
Albany is approximately 415 kilometres from Perth, around a 4.5-hour drive via the Albany Highway. Regional Express (Rex) operates regular flights between Perth and Albany Airport, with the flight taking just over an hour. Most relocators find the distance manageable for occasional visits to Perth. It does require planning for things that are only available in the city, but for most day-to-day life, Albany is entirely self-contained.
Is Albany expensive to live in compared to Perth?
Day-to-day living costs in Albany are generally lower than Perth. Housing is the most significant difference: a comparable property in Albany costs considerably less than its Perth equivalent, and the mortgage repayments that follow are lower as a result. Restaurants in Perth are approximately 11% more expensive than in Albany, according to cost-of-living comparison data. The main area where costs can run higher is anything requiring freight from Perth, though for most everyday purchases this is a marginal difference.
What suburbs should I consider when buying in Albany?
The right suburb depends on what matters most to you. Buyers who want to be close to the water and the town centre tend to look at Middleton Beach, Emu Point and Frenchman Bay. Families prioritising school proximity and space often focus on Lockyer, Yakamia and Gledhow. McKail, Bayonet Head and Lange are popular with buyers who want newer homes and larger blocks at more accessible price points. A local agent can map the trade-offs across suburbs based on your specific budget and priorities.
Should I sell my Perth home before buying in Albany?
There is no single right answer and it depends on your financial position, the strength of the Perth market at the time you are selling, and your timeline. Some buyers sell first to give themselves a clear, competition-free budget. Others buy Albany first if they find the right property and can carry both for a period. Renting in Albany while your Perth home sells is a common middle path. The most important first step is getting a current sales appraisal on your Perth home so you understand what your actual position looks like.
Making the move
The people who move to Albany from Perth are not running away from anything. They are making a deliberate trade: a bigger city for a better life, on their terms, at a price that leaves them financially stronger than they were.
The market reflects this. Half of all Albany home sales are to buyers from outside the region. The vacancy rate sits near record lows. Property values have grown faster than any other regional centre in WA over the past 12 months. And none of that is accidental. Albany is earning its reputation.
If you are thinking about the move, the best first step is knowing where you stand in Perth and what that unlocks for you in Albany. Wellington & Reeves has been helping buyers navigate this market since 1948. We know which streets hold their value, which suburbs suit which buyers, and how to move quickly when the right property comes up.
