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

Brunswick East's population was around 14,693 as of May 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 1,955 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 12,738. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2025 and the Census date. Brunswick East's population density was 6,771 persons per square kilometer as of May 2026, placing it in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Between the 2021 Census and May 2026, Brunswick East's growth rate exceeded both state (9.3%) and national averages, driven primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 83.3% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch projections for Brunswick East are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data 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 weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, Brunswick East is projected to experience exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of Australian statistical areas. By 2041, its population is expected to reach 23,815, reflecting a 62.1% increase over the 16 years.

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

Brunswick East averaged approximately 151 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 756 homes. As of FY26 so far, 25 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling built in the area between FY21 and FY25 resulted in an increase of 2.4 new residents per year, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $370,000.

This financial year has seen $3.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating the area's residential character. Brunswick East's development levels per person are similar to those of Greater Melbourne, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area, although construction activity has recently eased. This level of activity is notably higher than the national average, suggesting strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity shows 6.0% detached dwellings and 94.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 24.0% houses), potentially due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Brunswick East has approximately 685 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add 9,122 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 emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 15 projects that could impact the area. Key projects include East Brunswick Village (EBV), Brunswick and Parkville Level Crossing Removals, Saxon Street by Milieu, and 25 Gale Street Apartments. 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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The labour market in Brunswick East demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Brunswick East has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 5.1% as of an unspecified past year. Over this period, estimated employment growth was 4.6%.

By December 2025, 10,415 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.2%, 0.4% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation in Brunswick East was 82.5%, significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 53.2% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment include professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Brunswick East has a particularly high concentration in professional & technical jobs, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. Conversely, construction employs only 4.5% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the disparity between Census working population and resident population counts. Between May-24 and May-25, employment increased by 4.6%, matching labour force growth and keeping unemployment relatively stable at 5.1%. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a slight rise in unemployment to 5.1%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that over five years, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6%, and by 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brunswick East's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Brunswick East SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $70,540. The average income stood at $83,940. These figures are high nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median and average incomes of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $77,326 (median) and $92,015 (average). Census data shows individual earnings at the 93rd percentile nationally are $1,244 weekly. The predominant earning cohort spans 37.2% of locals (5,465 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category. High earners constitute 30.3% with incomes above $3,000/week. Housing costs consume 16.9% of income. Despite this, disposable income is at the 69th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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

Brunswick East's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 23.7% houses and 76.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Melbourne metro's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brunswick East stood at 18.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.9% and rented dwellings at 54.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $421, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Brunswick East's median monthly mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and its median weekly rents were substantially higher than 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 account for 48.8% of all households, including 14.4% couples with children, 26.9% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 51.2%, with lone person households making up 38.6% and group households comprising 12.6%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Brunswick East shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Brunswick East has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 62.3% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian state average of 33.4%, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. The most common type of qualification is Bachelor degrees, held by 36.9% of residents in this age group, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 19.5% and graduate diplomas at 5.9%. Vocational pathways are also pursued, with advanced diplomas accounting for 8.2% and certificates for 9.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above.

Educational participation is particularly high in Brunswick East, with 27.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.2% pursuing tertiary education, 4.5% engaged in primary education, and 3.9% undertaking secondary education.

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

Brunswick East has 45 active public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These stops are served by 12 different routes that collectively facilitate 9,773 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 126 meters to the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 53%, while cycling and walking account for 13% and 7% respectively. On average, there are 0.5 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 53.2% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 1,396 trips per day, translating to approximately 217 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brunswick East's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Brunswick East. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (9050 people), compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne, and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues impacting 14.0% of residents, and asthma impacting 9.2%. A total of 69.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population demonstrated better than average health outcomes. The area has 8.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1259 people), which is lower than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Brunswick East's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 31.4% born overseas and 24.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Brunswick East, comprising 26.9% of its population, though Judaism was notably overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne. The top three ancestral groups were English (22.0%), Australian (16.6%), and Other (11.1%).

Italian ancestry was significantly higher in Brunswick East at 8.3%, compared to the regional average of 5.2%. Spanish ancestry was also overrepresented at 0.8% versus 0.4%, as was French ancestry at 0.8% versus 0.5%.

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 (32.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.6%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 19.7% to 20.6% of the population. Conversely, the 15 to 24 age cohort has decreased from 10.9% to 10.2%. By 2041, population forecasts suggest significant demographic changes in Brunswick East. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 49%, adding 2,340 residents and reaching a total of 7,139.