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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Brunswick East's population is around 14,728 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,990 people (15.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,738 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,438 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 547 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 6,787 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought-after resource. Brunswick East's 15.6% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%) and the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 82.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of national areas, is predicted over the period, with the area expected to grow by 9,620 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 63.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

Brunswick East has averaged around 151 new dwelling approvals annually, with 756 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 18 so far in FY-26. With an average of 2.4 new residents per year for each dwelling over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), suggesting solid demand that supports property values, new homes are being built at an average construction cost of $370,000. There have also been $3.8 million in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting the area's residential character.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brunswick East has similar development levels (per person), preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas, though construction activity has eased recently. This activity is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises 6.0% detached dwellings and 94.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 24.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 685 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Future projections show Brunswick East adding 9,330 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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 29thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 15 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include East Brunswick Village (EBV), Brunswick and Parkville Level Crossing Removals, Saxon Street by Milieu, and 25 Gale Street Apartments, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market in Brunswick East demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Brunswick East features a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector a particular standout in terms of representation, an unemployment rate of 5.1%, and 4.6% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 10,415 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.4% above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (83.7% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 53.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area shows particularly strong specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level. On the other hand, construction is under-represented, with only 4.5% of Brunswick East's workforce compared to 9.7% in Greater Melbourne. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.6% and labour force increased by 4.6%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Brunswick East. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Brunswick East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Brunswick East SA2's income level is among the highest in Australia according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Brunswick East SA2's median income among taxpayers is $70,540 and the average income stands at $83,940, which compares to figures for Greater Melbourne's of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $76,360 (median) and $90,865 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows individual earnings stand out at the 93rd percentile nationally ($1,244 weekly). Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 37.2% of the community (5,478 individuals), consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. The substantial proportion of high earners (30.3% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the locality. High housing costs consume 16.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 69th percentile and 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

Dwelling structure within Brunswick East, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 23.7% houses and 76.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Brunswick East was lagging that of Melbourne metro, at 18.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (26.9%) or rented (54.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was in line with the Melbourne metro average at $2,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $421, compared to Melbourne metro's $2,000 and $390. Nationally, Brunswick East's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 48.8% of all households, comprising 14.4% couples with children, 26.9% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 51.2%, with lone person households at 38.6% and group households comprising 12.6% of the total. The median household size of 2.0 people 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

Educational attainment in Brunswick East significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 62.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in VIC. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 36.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.2% of qualifications among those aged 15+; advanced diplomas (8.2%) and certificates (9.0%).

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

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

Public transport analysis reveals 45 active transport stops operating within Brunswick East, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 12 individual routes, collectively providing 9,773 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 126 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 53%, with 13% cycling and 7% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 0.5 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A high 53.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,396 trips per day across all routes, equating 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, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (9,072 people). This compares to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 14.0% and 9.2% of residents, respectively, while 69.3% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 9.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,319 people), which is lower than the 15.1% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are 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 is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 31.4% of its population born overseas and 24.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Brunswick East is Christianity, which makes up 26.9% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.5% of the population, compared to 1.0% across Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Brunswick East are English, comprising 22.0% of the population, Australian, comprising 16.6% of the population, and Other, comprising 11.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Italian is notably overrepresented at 8.3% of Brunswick East (vs 5.2% regionally), Spanish at 0.8% (vs 0.4%) and French at 0.8% (vs 0.5%).

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

With a median age of 33, Brunswick East is materially younger than the Greater Melbourne figure of 37 and is substantially under Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Melbourne, Brunswick East has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (32.2%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (5.6%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 19.7% to 20.5% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 33.2% to 32.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Brunswick East. The 25 to 34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 50%, adding 2,353 residents to reach 7,100.