Property investment is a long-term game, and the latest data shows where it is paying off.

CoreLogic analysis of the performance of Australia’s property markets since March 2020 shows values in the combined regional markets rose by 56.3%, and the combined capital cities rose by 33.6%. With regional markets performing so well, it is not surprising that the top performer in the past five years is a regional town – Murray Bridge, in South Australia. Its values have doubled in the past five years. The second best location for growth was Kingaroy in Queensland, where property values have almost doubled, rising 96%.

The report shows that seven of the top 10 locations for five-year growth in dwelling values are in Regional Queensland, including Gympie, Bundaberg, Warwick, Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Gladstone. West Australia has two entries in the top ten, Geraldton and Busselton. Hotspotting has long considered regional South Australian and Queensland locations to be strong investment options. All cities in the top ten have recorded value increases of 84% or more, up to 101% in Murray Bridge.