Brighton East

Brighton East has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As per ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, the population of Brighton East is estimated to be around 16,871 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 114 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 16,757. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 16,580 in June 2024, based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS, and an additional 163 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,975 persons per square kilometer, placing Brighton East in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods for the suburb.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, Brighton East is expected to experience above median population growth nationally, with an increase of 1,688 persons projected by 2041, reflecting an 8.3% gain over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Brighton East when compared nationally

Brighton East has seen approximately 109 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 549 homes received approval, with a further 27 approved in FY-26. On average, 0.6 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built over these five years.

This suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, offering more buyer choices and potential population growth above projections. The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $638,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $6.2 million, reflecting Brighton East's primarily residential nature. New building activity comprises 19.0% detached dwellings and 81.0% medium to high-density housing, providing more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

This shift contrasts with the area's existing housing composition of 68.0% houses. Brighton East has a low density market, with approximately 204 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, Brighton East is projected to grow by 1,397 residents, and current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds forecasts.

Brighton East has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Ormond Station Development (Ormond Place), Bayside Gallery Building Works, Milli Brighton East, and Bluff Road Hampton East Housing Development. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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The employment environment in Brighton East shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Brighton East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.8%. Employment stability was maintained over the past year.

As of December 2025, 9,053 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 1.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate. Workforce participation is somewhat lower at 67.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. A high proportion, 49.1%, work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical services (1.5 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 2.4% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by resident population vs working population count. Over the year to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.4%, alongside a 0.4% employment decline, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 3.1%. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with an unemployment rate rise of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brighton East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch data from FY2023 shows Brighton East had a median taxpayer income of $63,051 and an average of $109,274. Nationally, these figures are in the top percentile. Comparing to Greater Melbourne's $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. By September 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 8.25%, median income is estimated at $68,253 and average at $118,289. Brighton East's incomes rank between the 81st and 91st percentiles nationally according to 2021 Census figures. Income brackets show 33.8% of residents earn over $4,000 weekly, differing from broader area trends. Affluence is evident with 44.9% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium services. High housing costs consume 15.7% of income but strong earnings place disposable income at the 90th percentile. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Brighton East displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Brighton East's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is similar to Melbourne metro's structure, which also had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brighton East was higher at 43.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.3% and rented ones at 20.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,300, above Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Brighton East was recorded at $600, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Brighton East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Brighton East has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 74.0% of all households, including 39.8% couples with children, 23.8% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.0%, with lone person households at 24.1% and group households comprising 1.9% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Brighton East demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Brighton East has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 49.2% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% for Australia and the state average of 33.4% for Victoria, indicating a significant educational advantage in the area. The most common university qualification is the Bachelor degree, held by 32.6% of residents, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.1%, and graduate diplomas at 4.5%. Vocational pathways are also prevalent, with 20.7% of qualifications being advanced diplomas (11.1%) or certificates (9.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in secondary education, 10.3% in primary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Brighton East has 61 operational public transport stops, offering a mix of lightrail and buses. These stops are served by 10 distinct routes, facilitating 4,247 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents, on average, residing 201 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most inhabitants commute outward; cars remain the primary mode of transport at 86%, while train usage stands at 6%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 49.1%, work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency across all routes averages 606 trips per day, translating to roughly 69 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brighton East's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Brighton East. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were assessed by AreaSearch. Prevalence of common health conditions was low among the general population, but higher than the national average among older, at risk cohorts.

Private health cover rate was exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (11,775 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions were arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 7.6 and 6.4% of residents respectively. 71.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 22.4% of residents aged 65 and over (3,779 people), higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne but ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Brighton East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Brighton East, surveyed in 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas with 30.7% of its population born overseas and 21.6% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 45.2%. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented at 9.7%, compared to Melbourne's average of 1.0%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (23.4%), Australian (20.1%), and Other (10.9%). Notably, Polish (2.5% vs regional 0.8%), Russian (1.6% vs 0.4%), and Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.3%) groups showed higher representation than the Greater Melbourne averages.

Brighton East hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Brighton East is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brighton East has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (15.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (6.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 12.3% to 15.4%, while the 75-84 age group grew from 7.3% to 8.3%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group declined from 14.5% to 12.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Brighton East's age structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 65%, reaching 1,141 people from 691. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 54% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 5-14 and 15-24 age groups are projected to decrease in number.