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

As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Brown Hill (Vic.) is around 4,693, reflecting an increase of 204 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a growth rate of 4.5%, with the previous population being 4,489. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of resident population at 4,537 following examination of ABS data up to June 2024 and an additional 127 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 633 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

For future projections until 2041, AreaSearch is utilising ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered areas, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 adjusted to SA2 levels for non-covered areas. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb of Brown Hill (Vic.) is forecasted to grow by 1,421 persons, reflecting a gain of 27.0% in total over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Brown Hill according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis reveals Brown Hill averaged around 36 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an estimated 181 homes were approved, with a further 32 approved in FY-26. Over the same period, approximately 0.4 people moved to the area for each dwelling built.

This suggests new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, offering buyers more options while enabling population growth. The average construction value of these dwellings was $540,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties. In FY-26, $2.1 million in commercial approvals were registered, reflecting a predominantly residential focus.

Compared to Rest of Vic., Brown Hill records around 67% of building activity per person and ranks among the 62nd percentile nationally. Recent construction comprised 86.0% detached houses and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's low-density character favoring family homes. With approximately 238 people per dwelling approval, Brown Hill exhibits low-density characteristics. Future projections estimate Brown Hill will add 1,266 residents by 2041. Construction pace is reasonable and aligned with projected growth, although increasing competition among buyers is expected as population grows.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are Equinox Ballarat Lifestyle Village Expansion, Vista Estate, Brown Hill, Apple Tree Hill Estate, and The Meadows on Eureka Estate. Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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

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The labour market in Brown Hill shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Brown Hill has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.6% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.7%. As of September 2025, 2333 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 1.2% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was higher at 66.9%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 61.4%. According to Census responses, 17.2% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction is notably concentrated with levels at 1.4 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 1.0%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.7% and labour force by 1.4%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. experienced employment decline of 0.7% and labour force decline of 0.6%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project national growth rates over five and 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, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows median income in Brown Hill suburb is $61,351 and average income is $78,776. This compares to Rest of Vic.'s median income of $50,954 and average income of $62,728. Based on Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.25% from July 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income in Brown Hill would be approximately $66,412 and average income would be around $85,275 by September 2025. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data from 2021, incomes in Brown Hill cluster at the 56th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows 36.0% of population (1,689 individuals) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, similar to surrounding regions where 30.3% fall within this range. After housing costs, 86.3% of income remains for other expenses. Brown Hill's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile nationally.

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

Brown Hill's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.9% houses and 12.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s 89.6% houses and 10.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brown Hill stood at 30.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 45.0% and rented ones at 25.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,619, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,578. Median weekly rent in Brown Hill was $290, slightly above Non-Metro Vic.'s figure of $285. Nationally, Brown Hill's median monthly mortgage repayment was lower at $1,619 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, and its median weekly rent was also lower at $290 versus the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 71.2% of all households, including 32.8% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 28.8%, with lone person households at 25.6% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of 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 residents aged 15+ have 26.6% university degree holders, compared to VIC's 33.4%. This indicates 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%, comprising primary education (10.2%), secondary education (5.9%), and tertiary education (3.8%).

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 served by two distinct routes. These routes facilitate a total of 608 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as moderate, with residents living an average distance of 440 meters from their nearest stop. Primarily residential, most Brown Hill residents commute outside the area, predominantly 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.

Service frequency across all routes averages 86 trips per day, translating to approximately 38 weekly trips per 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 (~2,717 people), compared to 50.5% across Rest of 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% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Rest of Vic.. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 14.9% of residents aged 65 and over (699 people), which is lower than the 23.9% in Rest of 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 has a lower than average cultural diversity, with 91.5% of its population born in Australia, 93.4% being citizens, and 95.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brown Hill, comprising 49.4% of the population. The most notable overrepresentation is in the 'Other' category, which makes up 1.1% of the population compared to 0.8% across Rest of Vic.

The top three ancestry groups in Brown Hill are English (30.2%), Australian (29.7%), and Irish (12.5%). There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Dutch is overrepresented at 1.8% compared to 1.7% regionally, Scottish at 9.0% versus 8.8%, and Sri Lankan at 0.3% compared to 0.1%.

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

The median age in Brown Hill, at 36 years, is significantly lower than Rest of Vic.'s average of 43 years and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group constitutes 17.5% of the population in Brown Hill, higher than Rest of Vic., while the 75-84 cohort makes up 4.7%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 25-34 age group has increased from 15.8% to 17.5%, and the 5-14 age group has decreased from 12.9% to 11.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Brown Hill. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 54%, reaching 1,265 people from the current 821. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort is projected to decline by 3 people.