Why more young Australians are choosing a sea change

If there was one television show that permeated the Australian consciousness towards the end of the 20th century, it was ABC’s SeaChange. Starring Sigrid Thornton as a bigwig city lawyer who moves to a small coastal town, the program led to a life-imitating-art phenomenon that saw more and more urban dwellers up sticks and opt for a quieter life by the sea.

Who could blame them? In my mind, abandoning the big smoke for the seaside holds the promise of tight-knit communities, more affordable housing, a relaxed daily pace, and a parade of quirky yet loveable local characters.

It’s a dream many of us entertain for our retirement years, but those who monitor the demographics of coastal areas say that it’s primarily younger people who are opting for this quieter way of life.

Alan Stokes, executive director of the National Sea Change Taskforce, which formed in 2004 in response to the rapid migration of urban dwellers to the coast, says that the majority of people seeking a sea change tend to be in their 20s and 30s.

“It’s mainly younger people in most areas that are predominantly the people that move in,” he says. “There are quite a few coastal areas that have a very high median age, but the people who were moving back then [in 2004] – and I tend to think it’s the same now – were younger people with families.

Stokes cites three main causes for the high numbers of younger Australians migrating to coastal towns: lifestyle, employment, and property prices.

“It’s a very attractive proposition, to live down at the Surf Coast in Victoria or Central Coast in New South Wales or the Sunshine Coast in Queensland,” he says. “What we’ve found is that often it happens that a family might go to an area like that on holiday, and then at some stage during that time think to themselves, ‘wouldn’t it be great if we lived here permanently?'”

It’s a story that rings true for Hayley Cornish, a 30-year-old teacher. In 2013, she and her husband, Tim, left Melbourne and bought their first house in the Mornington Peninsula town of Mount Martha.

“We’d had a lot of family holidays down here and spent a lot of time in the area and always loved it,” says Cornish. “The best things are the beach and the natural environment. There’s not as much traffic; I drive to work and there’s one traffic light. And while the downside is being away from friends and family, the flipside is that Tim and I can take more time for ourselves.”

Although the couple’s decision primarily came down to lifestyle factors, with both liking the idea of a slower pace and closer community, housing affordability also played a role.

“This is where we see ourselves and what we want for our future family. With the way that the property market is in inner city Melbourne, and the type of jobs we have, we just thought we’d never be able to afford to buy there,” Cornish says, pointing out that their three-bedroom house would have cost double the amount in the city.

Lower property prices in regional areas can be enticing for city folk, agrees Alan Stokes. If selling a home in a city such as Sydney or Melbourne, you can replace it for much less in a small town, and those entering the property market for the first time will usually have a lower mortgage.

Popular areas for young sea changers include New South Wales’ Central Coast, as well as Shoalhaven and Nowra further south, and in Victoria, the Surf and Bass coasts are proving popular with the same cohort.

“It’s the areas which are still a viable commuting distance from the city which are growing most rapidly,” Stokes points out.

Real estate agent Jack Wilson from Raine and Horne Terrigal – Avoca Beach has noticed the influx as well, especially amongst young families.

“There’s more affordability – we can actually put them into a house rather than an apartment or a unit or townhouse,” he says.

Regional employment opportunities can be a barrier to those who would like to make the move, but Wilson says that “a lot of people who are coming to the coast and doing their own thing,” such as working from home or contracting. Others keep their city jobs and commute, believing that sacrificing extra hours on travel is worth it for living the beach lifestyle the rest of the time.

Stokes believes growing connectivity is making the transition from city to country easier than ever before.

“It’s really interesting when you’re talking about people in their 20s and 30s… because there are a growing number of people who can take their job anywhere,” he explains. “Broadband is opening up that option for a lot of people who wouldn’t have previously thought it was viable.”

For converts eager to make the move, however, he has a few words of advice: “before making or committing yourself to any move, you have to do your homework. You really need to check out what are the local healthcare facilities, public transport, which might not be anything like you were used to in the city. You need to think through all those things.”