Brown Hill (Vic.)

Brown Hill lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

By May 2026, the population of the suburb of Brown Hill (Vic.) is estimated at around 4,639, reflecting an increase of 150 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,489. This increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,630 based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 145 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 626 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, from 2016 to 2026, Brown Hill has demonstrated a compound annual growth rate of 2.8%, outpacing its SA3 area. This growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing about 83.0% of overall population gains during 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 for areas not covered by this data, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods.

Looking ahead, significant population growth is forecast for the top quartile of national non-metropolitan areas like Brown Hill. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to increase its population by 1,412 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of 30.2% over the 16-year period from 2025 to 2041.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Brown Hill when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers for Brown Hill shows around 36 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years, totalling approximately 180 homes. As of FY26, 45 approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 1.9 new residents was associated with each dwelling constructed. However, this figure has decreased to 1.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction value for new properties is $540,000, indicating a focus on premium developments.

In FY26, there have been $2.1 million in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of Vic., Brown Hill has approximately 68% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 62nd percentile nationally. New development consists predominantly of detached houses (86.0%) with a smaller proportion of attached dwellings (14.0%), maintaining the area's low density nature.

With around 238 people per dwelling approval, Brown Hill exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Brown Hill is projected to grow by 1,403 residents through to 2041. Construction pace has been reasonable, but buyers may face increasing competition as population grows.

Brown Hill 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 ten projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Equinox Ballarat Lifestyle Village Expansion, Vista Estate, Brown Hill, Apple Tree Hill Estate, and The Meadows on Eureka Estate. Relevant projects are listed below.

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.

Employment conditions in Brown Hill demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Brown Hill has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate is 2.4%, lower than the Regional Vic. average of 3.7%.

Employment stability has been maintained over the past year, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of December 2025, 2,465 residents are employed, with a workforce participation rate of 68.7%, higher than Regional Vic.'s 61.0%. A moderate 17.2% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdown impacts. The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

Notably, the area has a strong specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence, with only 1.0% of employment compared to Regional Vic.'s 7.5%. The predominantly residential area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.5% and employment declined by 0.4%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In contrast, Regional Vic. experienced a 0.6% employment decline and a 0.7% labour force decline during the same period. 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 Brown Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of Brown Hill had a median taxpayer income of $61,351 and an average income of $78,776 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. These figures are higher than national averages, with Regional Vic.'s median income being $50,954 and average income being $62,728. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since the financial year 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 would be approximately $67,253 (median) and $86,354 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Brown Hill were around the 56th percentile nationally. Income analysis showed that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominated with 36.0% of residents (1,670 people), similar to regional levels where this cohort represented 30.3%. After housing costs, 86.3% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

Brown Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Brown Hill, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.9% houses and 12.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Regional Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brown Hill was at 30.0%, with the rest being mortgaged (45.0%) or rented (25.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,619, higher than Regional Vic.'s average of $1,430. The median weekly rent figure was $290, compared to Regional Vic.'s $285. Nationally, Brown Hill's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,619 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Brown Hill has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 71.2 percent of all households, including 32.8 percent couples with children, 27.7 percent couples without children, and 9.3 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.8 percent, with lone person households at 25.6 percent and group households comprising 3.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Regional Vic. average of 2.4.

Educational attainment in Brown Hill aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Brown Hill trail's residents aged 15+ have 26.6% university degrees, compared to VIC's 33.4%. This difference suggests potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent with 37.9% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.5%) and certificates (26.4%).

Educational participation is high at 26.6%, with 10.2% in primary education, 5.9% in secondary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Brown Hill has 16 operational public transport stops. Two routes serve these stops, offering a total of 608 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is moderate, with residents typically residing 440 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily, primarily using cars (96%). On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 17.2% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Each route provides an average of 86 trips daily, resulting in approximately 38 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brown Hill's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Brown Hill's health metrics are close to national benchmarks, based on AreaSearch's assessment. Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~2,686 people), compared to 50.5% across Regional Vic.. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.7 and 9.3% of residents respectively, while 66.3% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Regional Vic.. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 15.7% of residents aged 65 and over (728 people), which is lower than the 23.9% in Regional Vic.. National rankings are broadly in line with the general population.

Brown Hill is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Brown Hill's population showed low cultural diversity, with 91.5% born in Australia, 93.4% being citizens, and 95.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 49.4% of the population. The 'Other' category was overrepresented at 1.1%, compared to Regional Vic's 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (30.2%), Australian (29.7%), and Irish (12.5%). Notably, Dutch (1.8%) and Scottish (9.0%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.7% and 8.8%, respectively. Sri Lankan ancestry was also slightly higher at 0.3%.

Brown Hill's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Brown Hill is 36 years, which is significantly lower than Regional Vic.'s average of 43 years and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 16.5% of the population in Brown Hill, compared to Regional Vic., while the 75-84 cohort comprises 5.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 4.2% to 5.1%, and the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 11.3% to 10.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Brown Hill. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 58% (444 people), reaching 1,210 from the current figure of 765. In contrast, the 55-64 cohort shows minimal growth of just 2% (8 people).