Brighton East

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 is approximately 17,542 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 1,002 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 16,540. The growth was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 17,486 in June 2025 and validated new addresses of 153 since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,126 persons per square kilometer, placing Brighton East in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 6.1% since the 2021 census surpassed the SA3 area's growth rate of 6.0%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.9% of Brighton East's population gains 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 SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, Brighton East is expected to grow by an above median rate, expanding by 2,511 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 14.0% over the 16-year period.

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

Brighton East has seen approximately 153 dwellings approved annually for development. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25767 homes received approval, with a further 85 approved in FY26 as of current records. The average number of people moving into the area per dwelling built over these years is around 0.3.

This suggests that supply has been meeting or exceeding demand, offering more buyer choices and potentially supporting population growth above projections. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is approximately $581,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, commercial development approvals have totaled $6.1 million, reflecting Brighton East's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brighton East has similar levels of development per person, maintaining market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. The new development composition is 20% standalone homes and 80% medium to high-density housing.

This shift from the area's existing housing stock (currently 71% houses) suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for more diverse, affordable housing options. Brighton East has a population density of around 156 people per dwelling approval, characteristic of a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 2,455 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Brighton East has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Bayside Gallery Building Works, 111 Carpenter Brighton Townhomes, 24 Burrows Street Brighton, and Ormond Station Development (Ormond Place). 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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Employment conditions in Brighton East demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Brighton East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.6%, lower than Greater Melbourne's 4.8%. In December 2025, 9,279 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.1% and participation rate at 65.4%.

Home workership stands at 49.1%. Key employment sectors include professional & technical (strongly specialized), health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation. The area offers limited local employment opportunities.

Between December 2024 and December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3% and employment declined by 0.4%, while unemployment remained unchanged. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 2.4%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.2% over ten years for Brighton East, based on its industry-specific projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The Brighton East SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $66,255 and an average of $113,323 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Nationally, this is exceptionally high, contrasting with Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. By March 2026, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% would be approximately $72,629 (median) and $124,225 (average). The 2021 Census ranked household, family, and personal incomes in Brighton East between the 84th and 94th percentiles nationally. Distribution data showed that 35.0% of residents (6,139 people) fell into the $4000+ bracket, differing from metropolitan patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 32.8%. Economic strength was evident with 46.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounted for 15.0% of income, while strong earnings placed residents within the 94th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

Brighton East is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Brighton East's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.0% houses and 29.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Melbourne metro had 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brighton East was at 42.5%, with the rest being mortgaged (36.6%) or rented (20.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,335, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Brighton East was $602, compared to Melbourne metro's $390 and the national figure of $375.

Brighton East has a typical household mix, 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 make up the remaining 23.1%, consisting of 21.1% lone person households and 2.0% group households. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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 has a higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than Australia as a whole or Victoria state. Specifically, 49.6% of Brighton East residents aged 15 and above hold such qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in VIC. The area's highest educational attainment is in Bachelor degrees (32.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational pathways account for 20.6% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 9.5%.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in primary education, 10.5% in secondary education, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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 offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These are served by 10 routes facilitating 4,247 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy good accessibility with an average distance of 202 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this predominantly residential area. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 86%, while train usage stands at 6%. The average vehicle ownership is 1.5 per dwelling, exceeding the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 49.1% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 606 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 73 weekly trips per individual 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, as assessed by AreaSearch via mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a standard level of common health conditions across both young and old age groups. Notably, 78% of Brighton East's total population (13,682 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (7.0%) and asthma (6.4%). 72.5% of residents report being free from medical ailments, comparable to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Working-age residents display low chronic condition prevalence. As of 2021, 20.4% of Brighton East's population is aged 65 and over (3,575 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, generally aligning with national rankings.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Brighton East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Brighton East was found to have higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 30.6% of its population born overseas and 21.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brighton East, making up 45.1% of people. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented, comprising 9.4%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.3%), Australian (20.3%), and Other (10.8%). Notably, Polish (2.4% vs regional 0.8%), Russian (1.6% vs 0.4%), and Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.3%) groups are also overrepresented in Brighton East.

Brighton East hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

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 45-54 age group makes up 15.6% of Brighton East's population, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 25-34 cohort constitutes 7.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.6% to 15.6%, and the 5-14 age group has decreased from 14.7% to 13.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Brighton East's age profile will change significantly. The 45-54 group is projected to grow by 20%, adding 538 people and reaching 3,272 from 2,733. The 5-14 group is expected to grow by 1%, with an increase of 28 residents.