The Australian suburbs where no one wants to sell up
Research reveals the suburbs people never want to leave
2 min
New data has uncovered the most tightly held suburbs across Australia, where happy homeowners very rarely sell up.
According to research firm PropTrack, the average time Aussies own their home has jumped by a quarter over the past decade to a whopping 11 years.
“The most tightly held suburbs tend to be those that appeal to a wide range of different people, from young families to retirees, and are often located in the middle and outer suburban rings,” PropTrack economist Anne Flaherty said.
These hot areas usually have sought-after amenities like good schools and shopping options, as well as appealing lifestyle characteristics such as parks or proximity to the water, Ms Flaherty added.
Clarinda in Melbourne’s southeast is the most tightly held suburb in the country, where houses are owned for an average of 24 years.
The top suburb for units is popular Cremorne Point on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, where apartment owners don’t budge for an average of 17 years.
Arncliffe in the city’s south is the tightest held for houses nationally at 21 years.
That suburb has seen soaring demand in recent times, particularly among young families and first-home buyers, with the median house price jumping from $1 million at the end of 2019 to $1.54 million currently.
Reflecting the strength of property markets in Australia’s two largest capital cities in the past decade, no Queensland suburbs made the top 10 list for houses.
However, Rochedale South in Brisbane’s south appeared in the units list with an average hold time of 15 years.
Two other areas outside of Sydney and Melbourne also appeared. Perth pockets Shelley and Kalamuna each have average hold times of 15 years.
Ms Flaherty said tightly held suburbs tend to have a high proportion of owner-occupiers and a higher median resident age.
The dominant dwelling type is also usually a detached house and areas are well-connected to CBDs via quality transport infrastructure, she added.
On the flipside of things, PropTrack also crunched the numbers on the suburbs with the shortest hold times, with semi-rural Pimpama on the northern fringe of the Gold Coast ranking first at four years.
When it comes to units, Hope Island, also on the Gold Coast, has the quickest tenure with four-and-a-half years.
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Australia’s wealthy class is expanding fast, and Knight Frank says that a surge in billionaires is reshaping the nation’s luxury property market.
3 min
Australia’s luxury property market is being quietly reshaped by one of the most significant wealth expansions in the world.
According to Knight Frank’s latest Wealth Report, the country’s billionaire population is set to grow by 77 per cent over the next five years, rising from 48 to 85 individuals.
That surge sits within a broader wave of wealth creation. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals, those with more than US$30 million, are forecast to increase by nearly 60 per cent to over 26,000 Australians by 2031.
Globally, the pace is accelerating. The report reveals that 89 new ultra-wealthy individuals are created every day, a figure that underscores a structural shift in capital formation rather than a cyclical upswing.
For luxury property markets, this is not just a headline number. It is a demand driver.
Australia’s wealth story is increasingly underpinned by diversification across resources, finance, technology and services, creating a depth of private capital that is both mobile and strategic.
And mobility is key. The ultra-wealthy are no longer tied to a single market. Instead, they are operating across multiple global hubs, maintaining footholds in cities like London, New York and Singapore, while using Australia as a stable base.
In this environment, real estate becomes less about shelter and more about positioning. Trophy assets remain desirable, but capital is increasingly being deployed across the full risk spectrum, from long-term holds to value-add opportunities. For Australia, the implications are clear. As wealth expands, so too does the expectation of product, and the locations that can attract it.
The billionaire effect
While property remains central to wealth preservation, the latest data shows that capital is increasingly spreading across luxury asset classes, albeit with a more disciplined approach.
Knight Frank’s Luxury Investment Index recorded a modest 0.4 per cent decline in 2025, signalling a stabilisation phase after several years of correction.
But beneath that headline number is a more telling shift. Collectors are moving away from speculative buying and toward assets defined by rarity, provenance and cultural significance.
Impressionist art led the market, rising 13.6 per cent, buoyed by landmark sales including a US$236 million Klimt painting. Watches also performed strongly, up 5.1 per cent, driven by continued demand for brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex.
At the same time, more volatile categories have corrected. Whisky values fell 10.9 per cent, while parts of the fine wine market have softened following pandemic-era highs.
Perhaps the most notable trend is behavioural. Younger investors are entering the market through fractional ownership platforms, gaining exposure to high-value assets that were once out of reach.
For property, the parallels are clear. The same focus on scarcity, narrative and long-term value is increasingly shaping buying decisions at the top end of the residential market.
Global wealth
The growth in billionaires is not just increasing demand, it is changing where that demand is directed.
In Australia, Brisbane has emerged as one of a handful of global cities experiencing rapid change in its luxury positioning. The city’s transformation is being driven by infrastructure investment and the 2032 Olympics, with top-end apartment prices rising from around US$6 million to more than US$10 million in just 12 months.
Luxury price growth has remained steady, with Brisbane rising 2.1 per cent in 2025, while the Gold Coast recorded 2.8 per cent.
At the same time, buying power is tightening. US$1 million now buys 5 per cent less in Brisbane than it did five years ago, reflecting the upward pressure on prime markets.
The trend is not confined to capital cities. Regional lifestyle markets are also capturing attention. Geelong’s waterfront has been identified as one of the world’s hottest luxury residential markets, driven by a combination of coastal amenity, infrastructure and relative value.
In these markets, pricing is no longer the sole driver. Lifestyle, accessibility and long-term growth are increasingly shaping buyer decisions, particularly among globally mobile wealth.
Alternative luxury assets
Beyond residential property, high-net-worth individuals are continuing to diversify into alternative assets that combine lifestyle and investment potential.
One of the most compelling examples is vineyard investment. Knight Frank’s Global Vineyard Index highlights the Barossa Valley as one of the best-value wine regions globally, where US$1 million can secure more than 18 hectares of land.
Despite a 10 per cent decline in land values over the past year, the broader outlook remains positive, particularly as the global wine industry shifts toward premiumisation.
This “trading up” trend is seeing consumers favour higher-quality, provenance-driven wines over mass-market products, reinforcing the long-term appeal of established regions like the Barossa and Eden Valleys.
For investors, the appeal lies in the intersection of lifestyle and capital preservation. Vineyard assets offer not only production potential, but also a narrative — something increasingly valued in a market where experience and authenticity carry weight.
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