Australia is one of the most urbanised nations on earth, but how is its population growth reshaping the map?

New data from .id reveals surprising trends across the country's fifty largest cities and towns. Some regional centres are surging ahead while others are slipping behind. The Sunshine Coast has quietly become the fastest growing city in the nation, just ahead of Perth. Geelong, Ballarat and Hervey Bay are rising fast, while places like Whyalla tell a very different story.

Melbourne has overtaken Sydney again, and a small but booming area in Lake Macquarie has broken into the top fifty for the first time.

What do these population shifts reveal about the future of Australia's property market?

And which cities could be the next major investment hotspots?