Revealed: Australia’s suburbs where homeowners never leave

Australia’s property market is a dynamic landscape, shaped by evolving trends and generational shifts.

Yet, amid this constant change, certain suburbs remain steadfastly out of reach for many aspiring homeowners.

These are the enclaves where Baby Boomers have firmly established themselves, holding onto their properties for decades and fostering tightly knit communities.

Anchored by family ties, lifestyle appeal, and deep emotional connections, these long-term homeowners are reluctant to move, creating significant barriers for younger buyers eager to enter these sought-after areas.

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New insights from PropTrack have revealed the suburbs with the longest homeownership periods, with residents in ten localities holding onto their properties for over 20 years.

Among these are Kirribilli, Bundeena, Raglan, North Epping, Woodpark, Bexley North, Bonnyrigg Heights, and Denistone in New South Wales, as well as Attwood and Moorooduc in Victoria.

Notably, all ten suburbs boast median property values exceeding $1m, underscoring their exclusivity.

Top 10 suburbs for longest hold periods – houses. Source: PropTrack

Beyond these top ten, the data highlights an additional 493 suburbs nationwide where the average hold period ranges between 15 and 20 years.

This includes areas such as Fraser and Stirling in the ACT, Yeerongpilly and Sunnybank Hills in Queensland, and Torrens Park and North Haven in South Australia.

This trend of extended hold periods is reshaping property markets across the country.

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Top 10 suburbs for longest hold periods – units. Source: PropTrack

Let’s delve deeper into how these long-term ownership patterns are influencing the housing landscape in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Exclusive PropTrack data shows the SA suburbs with the longest hold period – the average length of time between when a person moves in and later moves out – is North Haven.

North Haven units, which have a median price of $650,000, have a hold period of 18.23 years – almost two decades.

It narrowly edged out Torrens Park houses, which are held, on average, for 18.17 years.

Collinswood houses weren’t far behind, with owners staying put for 17.87 years, while Trinity Gardens and Maslin Beach house owners holding their properties for 17.85 and 17.46 years respectively.

Read the full story here.

VICTORIA

Melbourne families are staying in their homes longer than ever as new PropTrack figures reveal some suburbs now record the average hold periods of more than two decades.

The city’s “forever suburbs” stretch from the leafy eastern suburbs to the Mornington Peninsula lifestyle towns and hidden gems in the north and west.

But a real surprise topping the list is Attwood, a suburb near Melbourne Airport, where owners hold onto their homes for almost 23 years before selling, longer than blue-chip Mont Albert, coastal Queenscliff or semirural Moorooduc.

PropTrack figures shows Attwood’s average hold period is 22.7 years and Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula at 19.9 years.

Other suburbs held for more than 19 years include Clarinda, Wattle Glen, Lower Plenty, Mont Albert and Hughesdale.

Read the full story here.

Kim and John Kelloway purchased their home 31 years ago in Raby, NSW. Picture: Jonathan Ng

QUEENSLAND

In a city where property is always on the move, Brisbane’s Kenmore Hills is bucking the trend, with an average hold time of 21 years for a house — making it the hardest market in the state to break into.

About 20km further south in Durack, homeowners are also not willing to part with their houses, with the average hold time sitting at 18 years, according to the latest PropTrack figures.

In fact, homeowners in more than 500 suburbs across the state have held on to their properties for more than a decade, and 33 have stayed put for 13.2 years or more — the average period before divorce in Australia.

When it comes to units, the highest average hold period is 15 years in the suburbs of Ferny Grove in Brisbane, Frenchville in Rockhampton, and Moffat Beach in Caloundra.

Read more here.

Margie and John Goddard are selling their home in North Epping of 55 years. Picture Rohan Kelly

NEW SOUTH WALES

They’ve got a lifestyle so good homeowners rarely leave – but some Sydney suburbs are becoming victims of their own success as residents’ penchant for digging in for the long haul is choking the housing market.

New figures have revealed multiple Sydney pockets where local homeowners are holding onto their properties over two decades,on average, with local homes rarely coming up for sale.

Such hold periods were more than twice as long as the typical ownership tenure for houses citywide: currently 13 years, according to the PropTrack data.

Many of these tightly held suburbs were inner city and Harbourside enclaves where baby boomers moved during the 1980s and 1990s – and never left. They’re now locked up tight, with even cashed up buyers shut-out because people rarely leave.

Topping PropTrack’s suburb list was Kirribilli, with an average hold period of 23.89 years.

Following was Bundeena with an average hold period of 22.80 years, then North Epping with an average of 21.47 years.

The PropTrack analysis unveiled 24 other suburbs with average hold periods of 18 years or above.

Read the full story here.

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