Brighton (Qld)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Brighton reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Brighton's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 10,144 people. This figure represents an increase of 480 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 9,664 people. The estimated resident population from the ABS in June 2024 was 10,113, with an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this growth. This results in a population density ratio of 1,563 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Brighton's 5.0% population growth since the census is within 2.0 percentage points of the SA3 area's 7.0%, indicating strong growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 53.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with overseas migration and interstate migration also being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023, based on 2021 data, are adopted. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population trends indicate lower quartile growth of national statistical areas, with Brighton expected to increase by 468 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 4.3% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Brighton according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Brighton has experienced approximately 30 dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years, totalling around 150 homes. As of FY26, five approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents per year per dwelling were constructed between FY21 and FY25. However, recent data shows this figure has increased to 5.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating Brighton's growing popularity and potential supply constraints. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $459,000, reflecting a developer focus on the premium segment.

In FY26, $968,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to residential. Brighton's development levels per person are similar to Greater Brisbane's, maintaining market balance with the broader area and being below average nationally, which could indicate planning constraints. Recent building activity consists solely of detached houses, preserving Brighton's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 394 people per dwelling approval, Brighton shows a developed market.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Brighton is projected to add 437 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Brighton has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Ten infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. These include the Bruce Highway Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road Upgrade Stage 1 project, the Emerald Park Townhouses development, Highfields Estate, and Formosa by Ausbuild - Murrumba Downs. The following list details those expected to have the most relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Brighton significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Brighton has a skilled workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%, lower than the national average of 5.1%.

Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 11.4%. As of September 2025, 5,866 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.0%, which is 1.0% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation in Brighton is broadly similar to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance (27.8%), education & training (22.9%), and construction (13.5%).

Notably, employment in education & training is at 1.2 times the regional average, while retail trade has a limited presence with 7.0% employment compared to 9.4% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 11.4%, and the labour force grew by 10.8%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane, where employment rose by 3.8%, the labour force grew by 3.3%, and unemployment fell by 0.5 percentage points. To provide broader context, state-level data from 25-Nov shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Brighton's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Brighton SA2's median income among taxpayers was $61,904 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $74,079 during the same period. This compares to figures for Greater Brisbane of $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $70,564 (median) and $84,443 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Brighton cluster around the 66th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate the largest segment comprises 31.6% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly, with 3,205 residents falling into this category. This is consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 33.3% in the same income bracket. After housing expenses, 85.1% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Brighton is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Brighton's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census data, comprised 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In contrast, Brisbane metro had 75.4% houses and 24.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brighton stood at 33.2%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (46.0%) or rented (20.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Brighton was $1,993, surpassing Brisbane metro's average of $1,800. The median weekly rent figure in Brighton was recorded at $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $375. Nationally, Brighton's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Brighton has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.0% of all households, including 34.7% couples with children, 24.8% couples without children, and 12.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.0%, with lone person households at 24.8% and group households comprising 2.1%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Brighton exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Brighton trail regional benchmarks, with 28.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 33.8% in SA4 region. Bachelor degrees lead at 19.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 37.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (12.2%) and certificates (25.3%). Educational participation is notably high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.4% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 4.4% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Brighton has 68 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 659 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 182 meters.

On average, there are 94 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately nine weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Brighton are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Brighton's health indicators show below-average outcomes, with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average among both younger and older age groups. As of 2021, approximately 56% (~5,731 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Brisbane's 52.6%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (9.1%) and asthma (8.3%), while 67.6% claim to be completely clear of medical ailments. This is similar to the general population's health profile, with 18.1% aged 65 and over (1,834 people).

Brighton ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Brighton's population shows lower cultural diversity, with 81.2% born in Australia, 90.9% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 50.0%, compared to 50.1% across Greater Brisbane. The top three ancestry groups are English (31.1%), Australian (25.7%), and Irish (10.6%).

Notably, Scottish ancestry is overrepresented at 9.5% in Brighton, compared to 7.6% regionally. Welsh ancestry is also higher at 0.8%, versus 0.5%. New Zealand ancestry remains the same at 1.1%.

Brighton's median age exceeds the national pattern

Brighton's median age is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Brighton has a notably over-represented cohort of 55-64 year-olds at 14.2%, while the 25-34 year-old group is under-represented at 7.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 5.0% to 6.1% of Brighton's population, while the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 9.1% to 7.6%. Demographic modeling indicates that Brighton's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 54%, adding 334 residents to reach a total of 949. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 70% of the population growth, while the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups are projected to decline in population.