Brooklyn (Vic.)

Population growth drivers in Brooklyn are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Brooklyn's population is estimated at around 2,594 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 615 people from the 2021 Census figure of 1,979 people, indicating a growth rate of 31.1%. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 2,254 in June 2024, based on ABS ERP data release and validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 473 persons per square kilometer. Brooklyn's growth exceeded the national average of 9.9% since the 2021 census. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% of overall 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, they utilise VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future projections indicate a significant population increase in the suburb of Brooklyn (Vic.), with an expected rise of 709 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 14.2% over the 17-year period.

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

Brooklyn has recorded approximately 45 residential properties granted approval each year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 225 homes were approved, with an additional 20 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 0.4 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these years.

Residential development has been valued at approximately $394,000 on average. In FY-26 alone, there have been $52.3 million in commercial approvals. The current residential mix consists of 21.0% detached houses and 79.0% attached dwellings, indicating a shift from the previous housing mix of 53.0% houses. Brooklyn shows characteristics of a growth area with around 52 people per dwelling approval.

Population forecasts suggest Brooklyn will gain 369 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Brooklyn has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects that may impact this region. Notable ones are The Fabric Altona North, Altona North Strategic Site, RBR Hub Industrial Estate, and Green Streets Program. Below is a list of the most relevant projects.

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 indicates Brooklyn maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Brooklyn has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 4.6% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.2%. As of December 2025, 1,371 residents were employed, with a 0.2% lower unemployment rate than Greater Melbourne's 4.8%.

Workforce participation matched Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. Census responses showed 30.8% worked from home, considering Covid-19 impacts. Employment was concentrated in construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Brooklyn had strong specialization in transport, postal & warehousing (1.6 times the regional level), but lower representation in health care & social assistance (10.5% vs 14.2%).

There were 3.2 workers per resident, indicating it functioned as an employment hub attracting external workers. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.2%, labour force grew by 4.2%, raising the unemployment rate by 1.0 percentage points. Greater Melbourne recorded lower growth rates: 2.4% employment increase, 2.8% labour force growth, and a 0.3% rise in unemployment. 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 Brooklyn's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The suburb of Brooklyn had a median taxpayer income of $81,551 and an average income of $99,640 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This places it among the top percentile nationally. In contrast, Greater Melbourne's median income was $57,688 with an average of $75,164 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for Brooklyn as of September 2025 would be approximately $88,279 (median) and $107,860 (average). According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Brooklyn stood out at the 84th percentile nationally, with an average weekly income of $1,064. The earnings profile showed that 38.6% of locals (1,001 people) fell into the $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket, slightly higher than the metropolitan region's 32.8%. High housing costs consumed 17.4% of income in Brooklyn, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 60th percentile nationally. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Brooklyn displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Brooklyn's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 53.3% houses and 46.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasted with Melbourne metro's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Brooklyn was 21.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.0% and rented ones at 40.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,068, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure in Brooklyn was $391, slightly higher than Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Brooklyn's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 62.6% of all households, including 21.9% couples with children, 28.0% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 37.4%, with lone person households at 32.5% and group households comprising 5.0%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Brooklyn residents aged 15+ with university qualifications (34.0%) slightly exceed the Australian average (30.4%). Bachelor degrees are most common at 24.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are held by 31.3% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 20.1%.

Currently, 24.8% of the population is engaged in formal education: 6.5% in primary, 5.9% in tertiary, and 4.2% in secondary education.

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

Brooklyn has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by nine different routes that together facilitate 1,860 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's home to the nearest transport stop is 183 meters. Most residents commute outside Brooklyn, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 87%. Train use accounts for 5% of trips. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in Brooklyn.

According to the 2021 Census, 30.8% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Each route has an average service frequency of 265 trips per day, resulting in approximately 68 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Brooklyn is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Brooklyn faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts. Approximately 66% of Brooklyn's total population (1713 people) has private health cover, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.7% and 8.5% of residents respectively. 72.7% of residents report having no medical ailments, similar to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Health outcomes for the under-65 population are better than average. Brooklyn has 7.9% (204 people) of its residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. While health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

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

Brooklyn has a high level of cultural diversity, with 38.2% of its population born overseas and 35.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Brooklyn, accounting for 42.2% of people. Islam is overrepresented in Brooklyn compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 7.7% versus 5.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.7%), Australian (15.1%), and Other (14.5%). Some ethnic groups have notable divergences: Polish at 1.4% (versus regional 0.8%), Spanish at 0.9% (versus regional 0.4%), and Maltese at 2.4% (versus regional 1.1%).

Brooklyn hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Brooklyn's median age in 2021 was 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brooklyn had a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (18.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.0%). This concentration of 55-64 year-olds was significantly higher than the national average of 11.2%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Brooklyn's median age increased from 34 to 36 years. During this period, the 55-64 age group grew from 9.9% to 18.0%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 15.3% to 20.2%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort declined from 29.1% to 23.6%, and the 0-4 age group dropped from 6.6% to 5.0%. Population forecasts for Brooklyn in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes. The 55-64 age cohort is projected to increase by 127 people (27%), from 466 to 594, while the 5-14 cohort shows minimal growth of just 1 person.