Australia has one of the highest urban populations in the world with approximately 86% of the population living in urban areas. But not every city is created the same — some have become sprawling metropolises, others are compact and relatively quiet.
To get a better sense of where Australians live today, and how those cities became so, let’s look closely at the country’s largest urban areas.
Reddit user: CGIskies
Australia’s Biggest Cities by Population
Here’s a quick rundown of the largest urban areas in Australia by the latest available data:
Sydney – 5,029,768
Melbourne – 4,725,316
Brisbane – 2,360,241
Perth – 2,022,044
Adelaide – 1,324,279
Gold Coast–Tweed Heads – 646,983
Newcastle–Maitland – 436,171
Canberra–Queanbeyan – 435,019
Sunshine Coast – 317,404
Wollongong – 295,669
Hobart – 224,462
Geelong – 192,393
Townsville – 178,864
Cairns – 150,041
Darwin – 145,916
Toowoomba – 114,024
Ballarat – 101,588
Why These Cities Grew Where They Did
Australia’s biggest cities cluster along the coastline, particularly the east and southeast. And that’s no coincidence. The British began settling the coast, most famously with the establishment of Sydney in 1788. Natural harbors, fertile hinterlands and easier maritime access gave cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane a head start.
Melbourne grew rapidly during the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s, and quickly established itself as a major financial and cultural hub. Administrative and commercial centers in their own areas, Brisbane and Perth ranked second and third.
Canberra, the capital, was designed in the early 20th century, to settle a rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. It grew in a much more stable and less swift manner due to its government-centered economy.
How Australia’s Cities Are Growing Now
Population migration, housing availability, infrastructure development and climate are shaping urban growth in Australia today.
Driven by domestic and international migration, Melbourne has recently overtaken Sydney as Australia’s fastest-growing city (ABC News).
Southeast Queensland—home to Brisbane as well as the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast—is thriving, buoyed by lifestyle appeal and relatively lower property prices.
Regional cities such as Geelong, Ballarat and Toowoomba are booming due to a greater proportion of residents working from home and looking for cheaper housing.
Meanwhile, Perth is experiencing a revival with a mining-fueled WS economy, and interstate migration (WA Government).
The Most and Least Expensive Cities to Live In
Cities do not all have the same cost of living—certain ones are a whole lot pricier than others:
Most expensive: Sydney. Rent, housing prices, groceries and services all drive Sydney to the top of the affordability scale. Syndey’s average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is over AUD $3,000/month – as per Numbeo.
Second-most expensive: Melbourne, but not quite as pricey as Sydney.
Housing is comparably more affordable in less popular areas like Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, and Toowoomba, along with lower average living costs overall (Canstar).
This disparity is part of the emerging interest in regional areas, particularly amongst younger Australians priced out of capital city housing markets.
Final thoughts
The cities of Australia reveal a lot about how geography, history and the realities of modern economics determine where people want to live. From the sprawling bays of Sydney to the sun-soaked suburbs of the Gold Coast, all of these cities have grown for different reasons — but all face the common challenge of meeting a demand for housing and infrastructure.
