Melbourne has consolidated its position as Australia's fastest-growing city, gaining an extra 95,600 residents in a year in which Sydney gained only 84,200.

Although still outclassed by Sydney as a destination for overseas arrivals, Melbourne is doing far better than Sydney at keeping and attracting locals.

Melbourne is clearly Australia's fastest-growing city and will overtake Sydney as the nation's largest by 2056. Credit:Leigh Henningham

The latest Bureau of Statistics count for the year to September 2015 shows NSW welcomed more interstate and overseas arrivals than any other state, but suffered bigger losses than any other state, mainly to Victoria and Queensland.

NSW gained 87,800 internal migrants, the equivalent of around 800 car loads a day. But it lost 95,300 emigrants to other states, the equivalent of 900 car loads a day.