Regional Australians contribute roughly $250 billion in consumer spending to the national economy every year and consistently outspend their metro counterparts in groceries, hardware, fuel, auto, and travel. That is the headline finding of the inaugural Boomtown Spend Snapshot, built on de-identified CommBank iQ transaction data from more than 17 million Australians.
For marketers still treating regional Australia as a secondary audience, the numbers tell a different story. Regional consumers represent about a third of the national economy, and in several major categories, they are the most valuable third.
Key takeaways
- Regional Australia accounts for approximately $250 billion in annual consumer spend.
- The audience covers close to 10 million people, equivalent to around 37% of the national economy.
- Regional shoppers outspend metro counterparts in groceries, hardware and garden, auto, fuel and travel.
- The data is drawn from more than 17 million de-identified bank customers, 40-plus spending categories and over 200,000 brands, based on real behaviour rather than stated intent.
- Many regional categories are growing faster than their metro equivalents, making this a structural growth pool, not a static segment.
Who produced the data and why it matters
The Boomtown Spend Snapshot is the first formal collaboration between Boomtown, the media collective representing regional Australian audiences, and CommBank iQ, the analytics joint venture between Commonwealth Bank and Quantium.
CommBank iQ analyses de-identified payment data from approximately seven million CBA customers, weighted to reflect the broader Australian population.
Because the report is built on observed transactions rather than survey-based intent, it gives advertisers, retailers and category planners a more accurate read on where regional dollars are actually moving.
How much do regional Australians spend?
Regional Australia contributes around $250 billion in annual consumer spend, equivalent to roughly 37% of the national economy. With close to 10 million residents, the region sits structurally inside every major state economy and behaves as a primary growth driver, not a top-up audience.
Where regional consumers outspend metro
The Snapshot identifies several categories where regional residents consistently account for a disproportionate share of national spend.
Groceries: the engine of the household budget
Regional Australia delivers about 38% of national grocery spend, or roughly $56.2 billion. Per shop, regional consumers spend around 13% more at the check-out than metro consumers, with bigger baskets and fewer trips, reflecting a planned, household-led pattern of shopping. Pet-related spend also over-indexes strongly in regional areas.
Hardware and garden: a house-proud category
Regional residents contribute close to 46% of national hardware and garden spend and are growing the category around 15% faster than metro areas. Larger homes, bigger gardens and ongoing maintenance needs drive the gap.
Auto and fuel: more kilometres, more spend
Regional shoppers represent more than 40% of national spend across both auto and petrol. On a per capita basis, regional Australians spend about $3,500 a year on car-related purchases and fuel, compared with around $2,700 in metro areas.
Travel: more trips, bigger trips
Regional consumers travel more often and spend more per trip. Per capita travel spend runs about 19% higher than in metro areas, and the regional audience accounts for around 39% of national travel spend overall. The audience also punches above its weight in cruising, contributing roughly 41% of national cruise spend.
Lifestyle and recreation
Regional residents spend about 18% more on recreational goods and around 38% more on outdoor and active lifestyle products and services than people living in capital cities.
Where regional and metro spend looks similar
The data also identifies categories where regional and metro consumers spend at broadly comparable levels per capita. These include:
- Department and discount stores
- Computers and electronics
- Energy and telecommunications
- Insurance
- Pharmacy
For brands in these sectors, regional Australia is not necessarily a higher-yield market on a per capita basis, but it still represents a sizeable absolute opportunity given the population base.
What this means for marketers
The implication for media planning is straightforward. If regional Australia represents about a third of the national economy and outperforms in core everyday categories, then a media or channel mix weighted disproportionately toward metro audiences is likely under-serving a structural growth pool.
Practical considerations include:
Reweight category plans. For groceries, hardware, auto, fuel, travel and outdoor lifestyle, build regional-specific share-of-voice targets rather than treating regional reach as residual.
Align creative to behaviour. Larger basket sizes, fewer shopping trips and home-improvement intensity suggest different messaging windows, pack sizes and offer structures.
Use behavioural data, not stereotypes. Transaction-based insights remove a layer of guesswork that survey panels alone cannot resolve.
Plan against growth, not just size. Faster category growth in regional areas, particularly in hardware and travel, makes the case for prioritising regional in growth-led briefs.
Frequently asked questions
How much do regional Australians spend each year?
Regional Australians contribute roughly $250 billion in consumer spend annually, equivalent to around 37% of the national economy.
How many people live in regional Australia?
Close to 10 million people, according to the Boomtown collective.
Who is behind the Boomtown Spend Snapshot?
The report is a partnership between Boomtown, the regional media collective, and CommBank iQ, the analytics joint venture between Commonwealth Bank and Quantium.
What data does the Snapshot use?
De-identified transaction data from more than 17 million Australians, covering 40-plus spending categories and more than 200,000 brands, weighted to reflect the Australian population.
In which categories do regional Australians outspend metro consumers?
Groceries, hardware and garden, auto, petrol, travel, recreational goods and outdoor or active lifestyle products and services.
Where do regional and metro consumers spend at similar levels?
Department and discount stores, computers and electronics, energy and telecommunications, insurance, and pharmacy.
Why should marketers care?
Because regional Australia is a structural third of the national economy and is growing faster than metro in several key categories, under-investing in regional audiences risks leaving measurable growth on the table.
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