Time, Less Stress: Why Thousands Are Quietly Choosing a Country Change to the Riverina

The Trade You Didn’t Know You Were Making

Somewhere between the 90-minute commute, the relentless noise, and the rising cost of just existing in the city, a quiet question starts to form.
It’s easy to forget that your time is valuable — until you realise how much of it is being lost. Sydney’s average commute time sits at around 90 minutes each way. That’s more than seven hours a week you’re spending getting to your life, not living it.

In towns like Temora or Leeton, that commute might be a five-minute walk. Coffee in hand. No traffic lights. Home by 5:05pm. And that extra time? It’s dinner with your family. It’s the side project you’ve always wanted to launch. It’s coaching the kids’ soccer team. It’s sleep. That’s what people are really moving for — not just the mortgage difference or the house with the backyard (though those are big reasons, too). They’re moving for a better way to live.

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A Different Kind of Lifestyle — and a Community That Feels Like One

On the Country Change website, you’ll find stories that don’t read like ads. They read like life. A couple who left Sydney and now run a thriving creative business out of Narrandera. A young family who swapped a shoebox rental for a home with fruit trees, pets, and a view of the stars. A nurse who wanted more out of her career and found it (and love) in Griffith.
The common thread? Community. And space — physical, mental, emotional. Not just a cheaper cost of living, but a richer way to live.

What are you actually paying for?

Is it $950 a week for a shoebox apartment in Newtown, pressed against strangers in traffic or on the train, squeezing in time with your kids before bed? Is it $1.7 million for the chance to own a home in Sydney — if you’re lucky, and if you're willing to give up most of your life to pay it off?

For a growing number of Australians, the answer is: enough. And that’s why the Riverina is seeing a shift. Not a loud one. Not a flashy one. But a meaningful, steady one. People are rethinking what “a good life” looks like — and they’re finding it in places like Wagga Wagga, Griffith, and smaller communities tucked between paddocks, rivers, and regional main streets.

It’s Not a Trend — It’s a Turning Point

The data backs it up. Median house prices in the Riverina sit at less than half of what you’ll pay in the capitals. Commute times are a fraction of city averages. Regional employment is growing — in health, education, trades, agriculture, tech, and remote roles that can be done from anywhere with decent Wi-Fi which is so much more realistic and affordable these days! But none of that matters unless it feels right. And that’s what these towns are offering: a feeling. Of calm. Of connection. Of purpose. Of possibility.

A Chance to Explore It for Yourself at the 2025 Country Change Expos

This September and October, the Country Change Expos are coming to Wagga and Griffith — two vibrant regional centres in the Riverina. These events are built for people just like you who are:
- Curious about what life could look like outside the city.
- Thinking about a move, but not sure where to start.
- Looking for real conversations, not glossy brochures.

At the expos, you’ll meet local employers, real estate agents, council representatives, and people who’ve already made the move. It’s relaxed, welcoming, and often the spark that helps turn “one day” into a real plan. Because sometimes, you don’t know what you’re missing until someone shows you.

Wagga Wagga – 13 September, 2025
Griffith – 25 October , 2025
Full details and free registration