Brighton East

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

The estimated population of the suburb of Brighton East is 16,871 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 114 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,757. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 16,580 in June 2024 and the validation of 163 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 national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 adjusted using weighted aggregation for areas not covered by the ABS data. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas from 2032 to 2041. Population projections indicate above median growth for statistical areas nationally, with Brighton East expected to expand by 2,996 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 21.7% over the 17 years.

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

Brighton East has seen approximately 108 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 541 homes were approved, with an additional 23 approved in FY-26 so far. The average population growth per dwelling built over these years is about 0.6 people.

This suggests that supply meets or exceeds demand, offering more buyer choices and potential for population growth beyond projections. The average construction cost of new dwellings is around $638,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. In FY-26, $6.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting Brighton East's primarily residential nature. Recent building activity shows 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 current 68.0% houses in the area, suggesting decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring diverse housing options. Brighton East has about 211 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. By 2041, Brighton East is projected to grow by approximately 3,664 residents according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Construction pace is maintaining with projected growth, but buyers may face increasing competition as population grows.

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

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects likely impacting the area. 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 relevant.

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.

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

Brighton East has a highly educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 3.0% as of September 2025, which is below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Employment stability in the area remained relatively consistent over the past year based on AreaSearch data aggregation.

As of September 2025, 9,085 residents were employed with an unemployment rate 1.7% lower than Greater Melbourne's. Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 68.0%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 49.1% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical employment, with levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Meanwhile, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence with 2.4% employment compared to 5.2% regionally. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.5% while employment declined by 0.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points in Brighton East. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within Brighton East. These projections estimate that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific 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 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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Brighton East had a median income among taxpayers of $63,051 and an average income of $109,274. These figures place Brighton East in the top percentile nationally, compared to Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year ended June 2023, current estimates for Brighton East would be approximately $68,253 (median) and $118,289 (average) as of September 2025. According to the Census conducted in August 2021, 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 (5,702 individuals) fall within the $40,000+ income range, unlike 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, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 90th percentile nationally, and 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 dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is similar to Melbourne metropolitan area's dwelling composition. 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. Median weekly rent in Brighton East was $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 comprise the remaining 26.0%, with lone person households at 24.1% and group households making up 1.9%. 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's educational attainment exceeds national averages significantly. Among residents aged 15+, 49.2% possess university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 32.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 20.7% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 9.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.1% currently enrolled in formal education: secondary education (10.5%), primary education (10.3%), and tertiary education (6.5%).

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, comprising lightrail and bus services. These are serviced by 10 routes, providing a total of 4,247 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 201 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 86%, while train usage stands at 6%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 49.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 606 trips per day across all routes, equating 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, though 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 has 22.6% of residents aged 65 and over (3,812 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne but ranks 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 shows higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 30.7% born overseas and 21.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brighton East, comprising 45.2%. Judaism is notably overrepresented at 9.7%, significantly higher than 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 notable differences: Polish (2.5% vs regional 0.8%), Russian (1.6% vs 0.4%), and Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.3%) are overrepresented in Brighton East.

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 average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brighton East has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (15.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (6.1%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 12.3% to 15.3%, while the population aged 5-14 decreased from 14.5% to 12.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the age group of 45-54 will grow by 26%, reaching a total of 3,283 people from the current figure of 2,598.