Brunswick East

Brunswick East 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 November 2025, the estimated population of Brunswick East is around 15,215. This reflects a growth of 1,936 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,279. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 15,172 in June 2024, based on ABS ERP data, and an additional 601 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 6,732 persons per square kilometer, placing Brunswick East in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 14.6% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and state averages, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Brunswick East is expected to experience exceptional growth over the period until 2041. The suburb is projected to increase by 10,011 persons by this year, reflecting a gain of 64.8% in total population over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Brunswick East among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Brunswick East has seen around 170 new homes approved each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 851 homes between FY-21 and FY-25. By June 26th, 2026, 13 approvals have been recorded in this financial year. On average, 2.2 people moved to the area per new home constructed over these five years, indicating solid demand that supports property values.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $665,000, slightly above the regional average, suggesting a focus on quality developments. In FY-26, $5.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating limited commercial development focus compared to residential growth. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brunswick East has seen 14.0% more development per person over the past five years, maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, construction activity has eased recently. This activity is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity shows 5.0% standalone homes and 95.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards compact living to offer affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 272 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Brunswick East is forecasted to gain 9,851 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 16 projects that may affect the area. Notable projects include Brunswick Level Crossing Removal - Upfield Line (8 Crossings), Saxon Street by Milieu, East Brunswick Village (EBV), and Brunswick Early Years Hub. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Brunswick East maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Brunswick East has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 5.1% as of June 2025.

Over the past year, employment grew by an estimated 6.8%. The area had 10,966 residents employed in June 2025, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%, which is 0.5% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was 77.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for employment among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Brunswick East had a particular specialization in professional & technical employment, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level. In contrast, construction employed only 4.4% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 6.8%, while labour force grew by 7.0%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.5%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment increase by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brunswick East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% 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

Brunswick East had a median taxpayer income of $68,017 and an average income of $82,255 in financial year 2022. This is notably higher than the national averages for median ($54,892) and average incomes ($73,761). By September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $76,288 and average income $92,257, based on a 12.16% increase in wages since financial year 2022. In Brunswick East, individual earnings reached the 93rd percentile nationally ($1,252 weekly). The income bracket of $1,500 - $2,999 captured 37.4% of the community (5,690 individuals), slightly higher than the broader area's 32.8%. Approximately 30.3% of households had high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. Despite high housing costs consuming 17.0% of income, disposable income remained at the 69th percentile due to strong earnings. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

Brunswick East features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Brunswick East, as per the latest Census, 22.7% of dwellings were houses while 77.3% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brunswick East stood at 18.3%, lower than Melbourne metro's level. Mortgaged dwellings comprised 27.3% and rented ones made up 54.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, below the Melbourne metro average of $2,149. Median weekly rent in Brunswick East was $421 compared to Melbourne metro's $418. Nationally, Brunswick East's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 against Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 48.6% of all households, including 14.1% couples with children, 27.1% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 51.4%, with lone person households at 38.9% and group households comprising 12.6%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.3.

Educational achievement in Brunswick East places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Brunswick East is notably high, with 62.4% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 37.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.4%) and graduate diplomas (5.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.3% and certificates at 8.9%. Current educational participation is high at 26.9%, including 13.3% in tertiary education, 4.4% in primary education, and 3.7% pursuing secondary education.

The three schools in Brunswick East have a combined enrollment of 923 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1148. All three schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. School places per 100 residents are lower than the regional average at 6.1 compared to 10.4, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Brunswick East has 55 active public transport stops, offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These stops are served by 14 different routes, carrying out 8,928 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 123 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,275 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 162 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brunswick East's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Brunswick East.

Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% of the total population, which comprises 9017 people. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 14.1 and 9.2% of residents respectively. A total of 69.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.5% across Greater Melbourne. The area has 8.8% of residents aged 65 and over, comprising 1338 people, which is lower than the 12.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Brunswick East was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Brunswick East had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 31.3% of its residents born overseas and 23.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Brunswick East as of 26.6%, but Judaism was overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.3%. The top three ancestral groups were English (22.1%), Australian (16.7%), and Other (11.0%).

Notably, Italian ancestry was higher in Brunswick East at 8.2% than regionally at 10.2%, Spanish at 0.8% vs 0.6%, and French at 0.8% vs 0.7%.

Brunswick East's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Brunswick East has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brunswick East has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (32.9%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.5%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 has increased from 10.6% to 11.2%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 33.5% to 32.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic shifts in Brunswick East. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 47%, adding 2,361 residents to reach a total of 7,367.