Brighton East
Statistical Area - sa2

Brighton East has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Brighton East's population was approximately 17,385 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 845 people, equivalent to a 5.1% rise since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 16,540. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,261 in June 2024 and an additional 135 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,098 persons per square kilometer, placing Brighton East in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 5.1% since the census is within 0.1 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.2%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth 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, AreaSearch employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to reach SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Brighton East is expected to experience above median population growth nationally, with an anticipated increase of 2,663 persons by 2041, representing a total gain of 14.6% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Brighton East among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Brighton East has received approximately 153 dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis. Between FY-21 and FY-25767 homes were approved. As of FY-26, 43 dwellings have been approved so far.

On average, over the past five financial years, 0.3 new residents arrived per new home built. This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, offering buyers more options and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections. The average value of new homes being constructed is $637,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. In FY-26, $6.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brighton East maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium with surrounding areas.

Currently, 20% of new building activity consists of standalone homes, while 80% are townhouses or apartments. This shift towards higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers, marking a significant change from the current housing pattern of 71% houses. With around 156 people per dwelling approval, Brighton East exhibits characteristics of a low density area. By 2041, Brighton East is projected to grow by approximately 2,539 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 43 such projects likely to impact the area. Notable among these are 111 Carpenter Brighton Townhomes, 24 Burrows Street Brighton, Bayside Gallery Building Works, and Brighton Lane Townhouses. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

Employment performance in Brighton East exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Brighton East has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.8%.

Employment stability has been relatively consistent over the past year. As of June 2025, 9,393 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate at 1.9% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

Notably, professional & technical jobs are concentrated at 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.6% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.4%, labour force grew by 1.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment grow by 3.5% and the labour force increase by 4.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.5%, and employment growth is at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brighton East's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.2% 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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Brighton East's median income among taxpayers is $64,635. The average income in the same period is $112,655. Nationally, this places Brighton East in the top percentile. In Greater Melbourne, the median income is $54,892 with an average of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Brighton East would be approximately $71,170 (median) and $124,044 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Brighton East rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 94th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 35.0% of residents earn $4,000 or more per week (6,084 people), which is higher than regional trends where 32.8% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. A substantial 46.6% of residents exceed $3,000 weekly earnings, indicating strong purchasing power in the community. Housing expenses account for 15.0% of income. With strong earnings, residents rank in the 94th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Brighton East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure in Brighton East, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 71.0% houses and 29.1% other dwellings. In Melbourne metro, this was 62.6% houses and 37.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brighton East was 42.5%, similar to Melbourne metro's figure. Mortgaged dwellings made up 36.6% and rented ones were at 20.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,335, higher than the Melbourne metro average of $3,000. Median weekly rent in Brighton East was $602, compared to Melbourne metro's $520. Nationally, Brighton East's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Brighton East features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 76.9% of all households, including 41.7% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.1%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.5.

Brighton East demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Brighton East's residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 49.6% compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. University qualifications are led by bachelor degrees at 32.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.3% and graduate diplomas at 4.4%. Vocational pathways account for 20.6% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 9.5%. Educational participation is high, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including primary (10.5%), secondary (10.5%), and tertiary (6.6%) levels.

Brighton East's five schools have a combined enrollment of 3,477 students. The area has an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage score of 1152, indicating highly advantaged schools nationally. The educational mix includes two primary, one secondary, and two K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 20.0 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.5, suggesting Brighton East serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

Brighton East has 58 active public transport stops, served by a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are connected by 10 routes that facilitate 3,493 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 201 meters.

All routes combined run an average of 499 trips per day, which equals about 60 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in Brighton East is notably higher than the national average with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Brighton East exhibits superior health outcomes compared to both young and elderly populations, with a notably high private health cover rate of approximately 76%, covering 13,247 individuals, which is slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 78.5% but significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.0% and 6.4% of residents respectively. A total of 72.5% of residents claim to be free from any medical ailments, closely matching Greater Melbourne's 72.0%.

The proportion of seniors aged 65 and over stands at 20.4%, comprising 3,537 individuals, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's 22.9%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Brighton East remain above average, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

Brighton 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

Brighton East has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 30.6% of its residents born overseas and 21.6% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brighton East, comprising 45.1% of the population. Judaism is significantly overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne's average, making up 9.4% of Brighton East's population versus 3.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.3%), Australian (20.3%), and Other (10.8%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Polish residents make up 2.4% in Brighton East compared to the regional average of 1.4%, Russian residents are at 1.6% versus 0.9%, and Hungarian residents are at 0.5% compared to 0.4%.

Brighton East hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Brighton East has a median age of 44, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and the national norm of 38. The age group of 45-54 makes up 16.1% of Brighton East's population compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 25-34 cohort represents only 6.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.6% to 15.4%, whereas the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 14.7% to 13.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling indicates that Brighton East's age profile will significantly change. The 45-54 group is projected to grow by 18%, adding 512 people and reaching a total of 3,310 from the current 2,797. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 group is expected to show modest growth with an increase of only 8 residents.