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 14,450 as of November 2025. This showed an increase of 1,712 people (13.4%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 12,738. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,438 in June 2024 and an additional 546 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 6,659 persons per square kilometer, placing Brunswick East in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. The growth rate exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and the state's average, positioning Brunswick East as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted through 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 projections indicate exceptional growth, with Brunswick East expected to grow by 9,620 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 66.5% over the 17-year period.

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

Brunswick East has averaged approximately 151 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25756 homes were approved, with an additional 9 approved so far in FY26. On average, each dwelling has added around 2.4 new residents per year over these five years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $370,000. This financial year has seen $3.8 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brunswick East maintains similar development levels per capita, preserving market balance with surrounding areas. However, recent construction activity has eased slightly. Despite this, developer interest remains robust, as shown by activity significantly above the national average. Recent construction consists of 6.0% detached dwellings and 94.0% medium to high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This shift from the current housing mix (currently 24.0% houses) reflects reduced development site availability and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The area has approximately 685 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Brunswick East is projected to add 9,608 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Brunswick East has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include East Brunswick Village (EBV), Brunswick Level Crossing Removal - Upfield Line (8 Crossings), Saxon Street by Milieu, and 25 Gale Street Apartments. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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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 significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 5.1% as of September 2025.

This rate is 0.4% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation in Brunswick East is 77.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Brunswick East shows strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level.

However, construction is under-represented, with only 4.5% of its workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Employment levels increased by 5.3% and labour force increased by 5.1% in Brunswick East during the year to September 2025, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with an increase in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from VIC up to 25-Nov shows employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brunswick East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

Brunswick East SA2 had one of Australia's highest income levels based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year ended June 30, 2022. Its median income among taxpayers was $67,436 and average income stood at $81,377, compared to Greater Melbourne's figures of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $75,636 (median) and $91,272 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings in Brunswick East SA2 were at the 93rd percentile nationally ($1,244 weekly). Distribution data showed that 37.2% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (5,375 individuals), consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. High earners constituted 30.3% of the community, indicating strong economic capacity. Housing costs consumed 16.9% of income, but disposable income remained at the 69th percentile nationally, placing the area's SEIFA income ranking 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 46.2% houses and 53.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brunswick East was at 18.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.9% and rented ones at 54.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Melbourne metro's average of $2,149. Median weekly rent in Brunswick East was $421, slightly higher than Melbourne metro's $418. Nationally, Brunswick East's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher at $421 against 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 at 38.6% and group households comprising 12.6%. The median household size is 2.0 people, smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.3.

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 years and above, with 62.3% holding university qualifications. This exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the Victorian state average of 33.4%. The area's educational advantage is reflected in the types of qualifications held: Bachelor degrees are most common at 36.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 8.2% and certificates 9.0%.

Educational participation is also high in Brunswick East, 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

Brunswick East has 45 active public transport stops. These include lightrail and bus services operating along 14 routes. The total weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes is 8,928.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 126 meters to the nearest stop. All routes combined offer 1,275 daily trips, which translates to approximately 198 weekly trips per individual stop.

Brunswick East's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows Brunswick East performed well on health metrics. Both young and old age groups had low prevalence of common conditions. Private health cover was high at approximately 61% of total population (8785 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 58.3% and national average of 55.3%.

Common medical conditions were mental health issues (14.0%) and asthma (9.2%), with 69.3% reporting no ailments, compared to 68.5% in Greater Melbourne. The area had 8.8% residents aged 65 and over (1268 people), lower than Greater Melbourne's 12.1%. Seniors' health outcomes were strong, aligning with the general population's profile.

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 had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 31.4% of its population born overseas and 24.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Brunswick East, accounting for 26.9% of its population. Notably, Judaism comprised 0.5% of the population, higher than the Greater Melbourne average of 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (22.0%), Australian (16.6%), and Other (11.1%). Certain ethnic groups showed significant differences: Italians made up 8.3%, compared to 10.2% regionally, Spaniards 0.8% versus 0.6%, and French 0.8% against 0.7%.

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 (33.0%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has increased from 19.7% to 20.3%, while the proportion of those aged 15 to 24 has decreased from 10.9% to 10.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic shifts in Brunswick East. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to grow by 49%, adding 2,328 individuals to reach a total of 7,100.