Survey results released this week by the Regional Australia Institute show 20 per cent of city residents have considered a move to the regions, with more than half of those people wanting to move within the year.

Committee 4 Wagga president Justeen Kirk said the findings were unsurprising after the year big cities had experienced.

"I would assume that having been in a lockdown and everyone working from home, they've realised the drain of living in a big city and everything that comes with it ... all of those things aren't necessary," she said.

Ms Kirk said people were realising they could have "the best of both worlds," fulfilling jobs in places like Wagga without the endless commute and smaller, expensive housing.

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Attracting city dwellers to the Riverina has been a major project for Regional Development Australia (RDA) Riverina, with the organisation developing the Country Change initiative to showcase the various Riverina communities people can move to and the personal stories of those who have already made the change.

RDA Riverina chief executive officer Rachel Whiting said many people in big cities had little idea of the possibilities of regional living.

"What we're trying to do is give people a really good picture of what it's like to live in Riverina cities, towns and villages," she said.

Ms Whiting said people moving from the city had the option of joining a small-town community, buying a secluded semi-rural property or having the same city or suburbian living experience of a capital city without the price or the commute.

She said there had already been an appeal before the coronavirus pandemic, but it had in many cases accelerated a decision people often made over many years.

"What coronavirus has done is it's made people stick their heads above their work cubicle and actually consider what else there is out there," she said.

While demand is increasing, Ms Whiting said Wagga was having the same challenges as much of regional Australia in trying to keep up with the demand for housing.

She said in terms of city infrastructure, it was important for the city to build for future needs rather than react to demand as it comes.

Ms Kirk said growing the population was a "balancing act," and Wagga would need to have jobs, housing and services like schools and internet available as more people moved to convince them to stay in the city long term.

She said Wagga council and groups like the RDA had a strong focus on developing that infrastructure.

"It is a whole of community approach, we need everyone on board to make it work," she said.

Beyond infrastructure, Ms Whiting said a key to building the community was for members of the public to be good neighbours.

"If you know there's a new person in your street or at your job ... ask them if they need any help, if they want to be connected to sporting groups, services," she said.

"Sometimes it's just great to have that conversation."

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