HtAG Research · Monthly Index

Where Australia is researching property, month by month.

HtAG Suburb Popularity Insights is HtAG Research’s monthly index of where Australia’s property investors and buyers’ agents are actually researching — measured by report-download activity across the national market. A permanent, free-to-cite demand signal, not a ranking of price performance.

8Editions published
825Suburbs tracked · August
MonthlyPermanent & cited
National research shareAugust 2026
Victoria46.6%
Queensland23.8%
New South Wales14.8%

Most-researched suburb: Craigieburn, VIC — #1 for a second straight month.

46.6%
Victoria rotates from the corridors back to its regionals
17 of the Top 20
Craigieburn
Holds #1 for a second month — the only suburb above 1%
#1 · 1.04%
23.8%
Queensland’s best month since January, on 206-suburb breadth
+3.5pp MoM
825
Suburbs tracked across Australia
down from July’s 885
How to read this index

A demand signal, not a price ranking

Each month, HtAG aggregates report-download activity across thousands of Australian suburbs and expresses it two ways: each state’s share of national research, and the individual suburbs being researched most. It captures where the professional market is looking right now — a leading indicator of attention, and a lagging indicator of price.

What it measures

  • Real research activity from 3,500+ investors and buyers’ agents
  • Each state’s share of national report downloads, month by month
  • The most-researched individual suburbs and how ranks shift

What it is not

  • Not a ranking of price growth or a “best suburbs to buy” list
  • Not a forecast — popularity is an attention signal, not a prediction
  • Best used alongside HtAG’s price, yield and risk metrics, never alone

This month’s state shares — August 2026

StateShare of national researchChange vs June
Victoria46.6%−1.5pp
Queensland23.8%+3.5pp
New South Wales14.8%+1.1pp
Tasmania2.9%−3.2pp
Rest of Australia (WA, SA, ACT, NT)11.9%

Source: HtAG Research, HtAG Suburb Popularity Insights, August 2026. Shares are of national report-download activity across 825 researched suburbs; point-in-time for the month stated.

Latest edition

August 2026 — Queensland climbs, Victoria rotates regional

Edition · August 2026
Top states
by research
Victoria46.6%
Queensland23.8%
New South Wales14.8%

The regionals take the table back

Queensland climbed to 23.8% of national research — its best month since January — on breadth across 206 suburbs, while Tasmania slipped to 2.9%, its lowest since October. Victoria eased to 46.6% yet kept 17 of the Top 20, swapping July’s Melbourne growth corridors for its regional cashflow bench. Craigieburn held #1 at 1.04%, the only suburb above 1% of national downloads.

The archive

All editions

A permanent, free-to-cite series. Each edition captures the state shares, the most-researched suburbs and what moved that month.

LatestAugust 2026

Queensland climbs to 23.8%; Tasmania slips to 2.9%; Victoria rotates back to the regions

Craigieburn holds #1 as the regional cashflow bench replaces the corridor cohort.

View edition
July 2026

Craigieburn retakes #1; Victoria takes 18 of the Top 20; Tasmania’s record handed back

June’s cashflow tilt partly reverts as the Melbourne growth corridors reassert.

View edition
June 2026

Victoria breaks 50%; Emerald & Mildura tie for #1; NSW at a tracking low

The first full month after the May Budget — research concentrates hard in Victoria.

View edition
May 2026

Victoria back in front; Queensland overtakes NSW; Craigieburn #1

The map snaps back to the south-east after April’s three-state spread.

View edition
April 2026

NSW joins the rotation (record 20.6%); Dubbo #1; Tasmania record 8.4%

A rare three-state spread as NSW research hits an all-time high.

View edition
March 2026

Record 830 suburbs; WA & SA break out (both record 6.3%); Alfredton #1

Research breadth peaks as the smaller states post record shares.

View edition
February 2026

Victoria reasserts (48%, 18 of Top 20); Tasmania record 6.6%; Alfredton #1

Victoria dominates the Top 20 as Tasmania quietly sets a record.

View edition
January 2026

The quiet month; Victoria eases to 41.2%; a four-way tie at #1; SA the biggest gainer

A flatter start to the year with the broadest #1 field on record.

View edition
Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the HtAG Suburb Popularity Index?
HtAG Suburb Popularity Insights is HtAG Research’s monthly index of the suburbs Australian property investors and buyers’ agents are researching most, measured by report-download activity across the national market. It is a demand/attention signal — it shows where the professional market is looking, not a ranking of price performance.
How is suburb popularity measured?
Each month HtAG aggregates report-download activity across thousands of suburbs, then expresses it as each state’s share of national research and the most-researched individual suburbs. All figures are point-in-time for the month stated.
Does a popular suburb mean it’s a good investment?
Not necessarily. Popularity is a lagging, attention-based signal — it reflects where the market is looking, not where prices will grow. It is best used alongside HtAG’s price, yield and risk metrics rather than on its own.
How often is it updated, and are past editions kept?
A new edition is published in the first week of each month, covering the month just ended. Every edition is permanent and never overwritten, so the series reads as a continuous historical record.
Can I share or cite the data?
Yes. Editions are open-access and free to share and cite with attribution. Suggested citation: HtAG Research, HtAG Suburb Popularity Insights — [Month Year].
How do I get live data for my own shortlist?
Through the HtAG Developer Portal (MCP), which surfaces suburb metrics directly inside Claude, Perplexity and Manus, or with a full HtAG membership.
Put the data to work

Go beyond the monthly snapshot

Query live, monthly-refreshed suburb metrics on your own shortlist — through the HtAG Developer Portal (MCP) inside Claude, Perplexity and Manus, or with a full HtAG membership.

Open access & free to cite. HtAG Suburb Popularity Insights is part of HtAG Research. Editions are permanent and free to share and cite with attribution. Suggested citation: HtAG Research, HtAG Suburb Popularity Insights — [Month Year].