Brighton-Le-Sands

Brighton-Le-Sands is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

The population of Brighton-Le-Sands is estimated at 8,129 as of May 2026. This reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census figure of 8,336 people, indicating a drop of 207 individuals (2.5%). The current population estimate of 8,086 comes from AreaSearch's analysis of latest ERP data released by ABS in June 2025 and validation of new addresses since the Census date. This results in a high population density ratio of 5,177 persons per square kilometer, placing Brighton-Le-Sands in the top 10% nationally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.0% to recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate an anticipated increase of 195 persons to 2041, reflecting a total growth rate of 1.9% over the 16-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Brighton-Le-Sands is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Brighton-Le-Sands has recorded approximately 17 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 86 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY-26. Despite population decline, new supply appears to be meeting demand, offering buyers a good range of choices.

The average construction value for new properties is $604,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY-26, $8.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Brighton-Le-Sands has markedly lower building activity, with 63.0% fewer approvals per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. Nationally, building activity is also lower, suggesting market maturity and potential development constraints. New development consists of 43.0% standalone homes and 57.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a trend towards denser development that appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

The location has approximately 775 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. By 2041, Brighton-Le-Sands is projected to grow by 152 residents. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Brighton-Le-Sands has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Nine projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact the area, with key ones including Moate Avenue Mixed Use Development, Bay Street Mixed-Use Development (271-275 Bay Street), Seychelles Brighton-Le-Sands, and Safety improvements on Bay Street, Brighton-Le-Sands. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Brighton-Le-Sands remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Brighton-Le-Sands has an educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.0% as of the past year, with estimated employment growth at 4.6%. As of December 2025, there are 4,830 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.1%, slightly below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney at 71.8%. Census data shows that 37.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and professional & technical services. The area has a high specialization in transport, postal & warehousing (1.6 times the regional level), but underrepresentation in professional & technical services (9.4% vs Greater Sydney's 11.5%).

Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.6%, labour force grew by 4.9%, leading to a marginal rise in unemployment (0.3 percentage points). In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.2% and unemployment rise marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brighton-Le-Sands' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Brighton-Le-Sands is lower than average nationally. The median income is $51,002 and the average is $64,571. In comparison, Greater Sydney has a median income of $60,817 and an average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Brighton-Le-Sands would be approximately $56,265 (median) and $71,235 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Brighton-Le-Sands rank modestly, between the 40th and 52nd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.7% of residents (2,495 people), similar to surrounding regions at 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 36th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Brighton-Le-Sands features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Brighton-Le-Sands' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 29.7% houses and 70.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brighton-Le-Sands stood at 31.8%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (23.4%) or rented (44.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, below Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Brighton-Le-Sands was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Brighton-Le-Sands' mortgage repayments were higher at $2,300 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Brighton-Le-Sands features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 60.0% of all households, including 24.1% couples with children, 22.4% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 40.0%, with lone person households at 36.1% and group households comprising 4.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Brighton-Le-Sands' residents aged 15+ with university degrees (30.9%) fall short of the SA3 area's rate (38.7%). Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.1% and graduate diplomas at 2.1%. Vocational credentials are held by 32.0% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 13.2% and certificates at 18.8%. Educational participation is high, with 27.5% currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 7.7% in primary education, 6.0% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Brighton-Le-Sands has 53 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 7 different routes, offering a total of 1,215 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 122 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 75%, with train at 13% and bus at 5%. On average, there are 0.9 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 37.1% of residents work from home, a figure potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 173 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 22 weekly trips per stop.

Brighton-Le-Sands's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Brighton-Le-Sands. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low across both young and old age cohorts.

Private health cover was approximately 52% of the total population (~4,266 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but lower than Greater Sydney's 59.9%. The most common medical conditions were arthritis (7.5%) and diabetes (5.5%). 73.0% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 22.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,820 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Brighton-Le-Sands is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Brighton-Le-Sands has a significant cultural diversity, with 45.4% of its population born overseas and 51.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brighton-Le-Sands, accounting for 66.2% of people, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Other (21.7%), Greek (14.6%), and Australian (11.7%).

Notably, Serbian (1.7%) Spanish (1.6%), and Macedonian (2.9%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to the regional averages of 0.5%, 0.6%, and 0.4% respectively.

Brighton-Le-Sands hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Brighton-Le-Sands is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and also exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that the 55-64 year-old group is particularly prominent at 13.4%, while the 5-14 year-old group is smaller at 8.7% compared to Greater Sydney. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 year-old age group has increased from 9.1% to 10.3% of the population. Conversely, the 35-44 year-old cohort has declined from 15.6% to 14.2%, and the 45-54 year-old group has dropped from 14.5% to 13.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Brighton-Le-Sands's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to rise substantially, increasing by 189 people (63%) from 300 to 490. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 94% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. However, the 45-54 year-old and 25-34 year-old cohorts are expected to experience population declines.