Brighton East

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of May 2026, Brighton East's estimated population is around 17,760. This reflects a 6% increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,757. The latest resident population estimate by AreaSearch is 17,707, following examination of the June 2025 ABS ERP data release and validation of 159 new addresses since the Census date. Brighton East's population density is 3,132 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Brighton East's growth rate since census, at 6%, is within 2 percentage points of its SA4 region's 8% growth, indicating competitive fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during recent periods.

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, AreaSearch employs Victoria's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projecting forward, Brighton East is expected to grow by 2,774 persons to 2041, recording a 15.3% increase over the 16-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Brighton East recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Brighton East has seen approximately 109 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY21 and FY25, around 549 homes were approved, with an additional 29 approved in FY26 so far. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to population changes.

The average construction cost for new dwellings is $638,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. Commercial development approvals totaled $6.2 million in FY26, reflecting Brighton East's primarily residential nature. New building activity comprises 19.0% detached dwellings and 81.0% medium to high-density housing, creating 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 194 people per dwelling approval. Future growth is projected at 2,721 residents by 2041, aligning with current development levels to maintain stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 41 projects likely impacting the region. Notable projects include Ormond Station Development at Ormond Place, Bayside Gallery Building Works, Milli Brighton East, and Hampton Community Hub. The following details projects expected to be most 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%. As of December 2025, 9,208 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.8% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%.

Workforce participation lags at 63.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 49.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (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%.

Over the year to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.5% alongside a 0.5% employment decline, keeping unemployment relatively stable. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with an increase in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion 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 extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localised population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Brighton East had a median income among taxpayers of $63,051. The average income stood at $109,274. This places Brighton East in the top percentile nationally, compared to Melbourne's median and average incomes of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Brighton East would be approximately $69,117 (median) and $119,786 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Brighton East rank highly nationally, between the 81st and 91st percentiles. Income brackets show that 33.8% of Brighton East's population (6,002 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, differing from the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 32.8%. This suburb exhibits considerable affluence with 44.9% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 15.7% of income in Brighton East, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 90th percentile nationally. The area'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 dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), similar to Melbourne metro's distribution. Home ownership in Brighton East stood at 43.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.3% and rented ones at 20.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,300, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000 and the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Brighton East was $600, compared to Melbourne metro's $390 and 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 make up 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 higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than Australia and Victoria. 49.2% of its residents aged 15 and above have such qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. This educational advantage is reflected in the types of qualifications held: bachelor degrees are most common at 32.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways also contribute significantly, with advanced diplomas accounting for 11.1% and certificates for 9.6%.

Educational participation is high in the area, 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 active public transport stops, offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These are covered by 10 routes, serving 4,247 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 201 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of travel at 86%, while train use stands at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 49.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 606 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 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 for older, at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover rate was exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (12,396 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 showed low chronic condition prevalence. Brighton East has 22.1% of residents aged 65 and over (3,924 people), higher than the 15.0% 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's population, born overseas, stands at 30.7%, higher than most local markets. 21.6% of residents speak a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brighton East, with 45.2%.

However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 9.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 1.0%. The top three ancestry groups are English (23.4%), Australian (20.1%), and Other (10.9%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Polish at 2.5% vs regional 0.8%, Russian at 1.6% vs 0.4%, and Hungarian at 0.5% vs 0.3%.

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 years at 15.2%, but fewer residents aged 25-34 years at 7.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 years grew from 12.3% to 15.2%, while the population aged 5-14 years declined from 14.5% to 12.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Brighton East's age structure. Notably, the population aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 75%, increasing from 781 people in 2021 to 1,371 people. Meanwhile, the population aged 5-14 years is projected to grow by a modest 2%, increasing by 37 people.