Bright - Mount Beauty
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Bright - Mount Beauty's population was around 9,086 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure reflects an increase of 183 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,903. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,962 in June 2024 and an additional 84 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2.1 persons per square kilometer. Bright - Mount Beauty's growth rate of 2.1% since the census positions it within 2.1 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.2%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 89.3% 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. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 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. Future demographic trends anticipate a population increase just below the median of locations outside capital cities, with the area expected to increase by 552 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, resulting in a total increase of 4.7% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bright - Mount Beauty when compared nationally

Mount Beauty has approved approximately 47 residential properties annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25238 homes were approved, with an additional 12 approvals in FY26 so far. On average, around 1.5 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years. However, this figure has decreased to 0.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years.

The average construction value of development projects is $491,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties. This year alone, $4.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to other Victorian areas, Mount Beauty has about three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 69th percentile nationally.

Recent construction consists mostly of standalone homes (88.0%) with a smaller proportion of medium and high-density housing (12.0%), maintaining the area's traditional low density character. With around 196 people per approval, Mount Beauty reflects a low density area. Future projections suggest an increase of 425 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially allowing growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Bright - Mount Beauty has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Bright Valley, Alpine Shire Land Development Strategy 2024, The Great Valley Trail, and Porepunkah Roadworks and Rail Trail Reconstruction. Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Bright - Mount Beauty significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Bright Mount Beauty has a skilled workforce with prominence in tourism and hospitality sectors. The unemployment rate was 1.9% as of June 2025, lower than the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%.

Employment grew by an estimated 0.9% over the past year. There were 4,815 residents employed while workforce participation was similar to Rest of Vic.'s at 57.4%. Dominant employment sectors include accommodation & food (2.7 times the regional average), health care & social assistance (10.0%), and education & training. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9%, labour force by 1.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic.'s employment contracted by 0.9% with a smaller increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth rates varying between sectors. Applying these projections to Bright Mount Beauty's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

Bright - Mount Beauty has a median taxpayer income of $44,915 and an average income of $57,971 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than the national average, with Rest of Vic.'s median income being $48,741 and average income being $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Bright - Mount Beauty would be approximately $50,377 (median) and $65,020 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Bright - Mount Beauty all rank modestly, between the 29th and 42nd percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that the largest segment comprises 30.2% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (2,743 residents), which aligns with regional levels where this cohort also represents 30.3%. Housing costs are manageable with 87.7% retained, but disposable income is below average at the 34th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Bright - Mount Beauty is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Bright - Mount Beauty, as evaluated in the latest Census, 92.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 7.9% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is comparable to Non-Metro Vic., where 91.6% of dwellings are houses and 8.5% are other types. Home ownership in Bright - Mount Beauty stood at 47.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.3% and rented ones at 20.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,473. The median weekly rent in Bright - Mount Beauty was $298, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $280. Nationally, Bright - Mount Beauty's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,500 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were also lower at $298 compared to the national figure of $375.

Bright - Mount Beauty has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 67.8% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 35.3% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.2%, with lone person households at 29.3% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate of 28.8% among residents aged 15+ exceeds the SA4 region average of 19.8% and the SA3 area average of 21.1%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 19.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 39.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 12.8% and certificates for 27.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.8% in primary, 8.8% in secondary, and 3.5% in tertiary education. There are 13 schools serving 1,068 students in the area, which has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1044) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 7 primary, 2 secondary, and 4 K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents (11.8) are below the regional average (17.6), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Bright-Mount Beauty has 15 active public transport stops. These are served by buses along five different routes, offering a total of 96 weekly passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 1472 meters.

Services run approximately 13 times daily across all routes, translating to about six weekly trips per individual stop.

Bright - Mount Beauty's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Bright-Mount Beauty residents show generally good health outcomes, with common conditions evenly distributed across age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 49%, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Arthritis and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 9.1% and 7.4% respectively. Around 68.5% report no medical ailments, higher than Rest of Vic's 64.1%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.5%, compared to Rest of Vic's 20.7%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, exceeding those of the general population.

Bright - Mount Beauty ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bright-Mount Beauty, surveyed in June 2016, showed cultural diversity below average: 86.9% were Australian citizens, 84.4% born there, and 94.2% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion (36.8%). Judaism's representation stood at 0.1%, similar to Rest of Vic's 0.1%.

Top ancestral groups were English (31.3%), Australian (28.1%), and Irish (9.6%). Notable differences included Dutch (2.0% vs region's 1.6%), Scottish (8.9% vs 8.3%), and German (4.6% vs 4.8%) groups in Bright-Mount Beauty.

Bright - Mount Beauty hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Bright-Mount Beauty has a median age of 46, which is higher than Victoria's figure of 43 and significantly higher than Australia's norm of 38. The age group of 45-54 shows strong representation at 13.6%, compared to the Rest of Vic., while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 10.0%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 11.7% to 13.6% of the population, and the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 10.0% to 11.6%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 15.6% to 13.7%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 11.3% to 10.0%. By 2041, Bright-Mount Beauty is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. The 25 to 34 group will grow by 32%, reaching 1,383 people from 1,050. Meanwhile, the 75 to 84 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.