More than 2000 Victorians in their 20s have moved to Richmond in the past five years, the largest migration to a single suburb among this age group. Map of the suburbs where Victorians in their 20s are moving Younger people are also flocking to places such as South Yarra, Prahran, St Kilda and Brunswick, so they can be closer to universities and jobs in the inner city.

Kate Stafford and her husband bought a two-bedroom townhouse in the heart of Richmond in 2011, when she was 27. They chose the area for its lifestyle and vibrancy. “We loved the area,” Mrs Stafford said. “The parks, the cafes, the pubs, footy … Richmond really ticks all the boxes.” But while Richmond is the place where the most people in their 20s are moving to, it is the suburb that the most people in their 30s are moving away from. Downtown Swan Street in Richmond. Credit:Justin McManus Mrs Stafford and her husband wanted to remain in the Richmond area, but with a second child on the way their two bedroom home was not big enough for their growing family. They applied to turn their townhouse into a three-storey home with an extra bedroom and bathroom, but were unsuccessful.

“We had the plans approved by the council, had paid town planners,” Mrs Stafford said. “But a neighbour made an application to VCAT, who knocked it back.” Kate Stafford, pictured with Eve and Mia, moved from Richmond in her 30s to a bigger home in Moonee Ponds. Credit:Jason South So when Mrs Stafford was eight-and-a-half months pregnant last year, the family decided to move 10 kilometres away to Moonee Ponds. She said she likes her new suburb, but it’s “just not Richmond”. “We would have stayed, renovated – it would have been ideal,” she said. Ms Stafford joined a mothers’ group in Richmond after her first child was born, and said many other mothers in the group had since moved to other suburbs as well.

They were not the only ones. A total of 1617 people in their 30s have moved from Richmond since 2011. Other hip inner-city areas where there have been an influx of twentysomethings – places such as St Kilda, Hawthorn, Brunswick and Prahran – are simultaneously undergoing an exodus of thirtysomethings. That makes sense – these are ideal places to rent a small place or live in a share house, but if you want to start a family and buy a larger abode then it’s much easier to find something affordable further afield. It’s no surprise that people in their 30s are most commonly moving to affordable areas on Melbourne’s fringes – suburbs such as Cranbourne East, Truganina, Wollert and Mernda. When you map Melbourne’s age-dependent migration over the past five years it shows these two distinct waves. There is a horde of people in their 20s journeying into the inner city from every corner of the state, but at the same time people in their 30s are emptying out of the inner city and setting down roots in the suburbs.

Map of the suburbs where Victorians in their 30s are moving The data shows that Melburnians tend to move around a lot when they are in their 20s and 30s ... ... but once they reach 40 they are generally content to settle down in the same place and are less likely to shift around.

But there is one chapter left in the life cycle of a Melburnian. Once their kids have all long ago left home – perhaps retracing the same path they themselves once took – and they are reaching an advanced age, those who can afford it like to move to the coast for a seachange. Seaside hamlets including Wonthaggi, Rosebud, Mornington and Portarlington are the areas that have welcomed the largest number of people in their 60s in the past five years. Map of the suburbs where Victorians in their 60s are moving