Brunswick - North

Population growth drivers in Brunswick - North are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Brunswick - North's population was around 14,636 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,746 people (13.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,890 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,595 as of June 2024 and an additional 781 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 6,073 persons per square kilometer, placing Brunswick - North in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area highly sought after. Brunswick - North's growth of 13.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.7%) and the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 83.8% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises 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 are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth is predicted over the period, with the area expected to expand by 8,118 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 55.2% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Brunswick - North when compared nationally

Brunswick - North has averaged approximately 148 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 742 homes. As of FY-26 so far, 10 approvals have been recorded. The average number of new residents per year per dwelling constructed in this period was 0.8. This suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction value of these properties is $317,000. In FY-26, there have been $2.3 million in commercial approvals, indicating minimal commercial development activity compared to residential. Brunswick - North maintains similar construction rates per person with Greater Melbourne, supporting market stability. The dwelling mix shows 5.0% detached dwellings and 95.0% townhouses or apartments, a significant shift from the current housing mix of 41.0% houses, reflecting reduced development site availability and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With approximately 1490 people per dwelling approval, Brunswick - North has an established market.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by 8,077 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 - North has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Saxon Street by Milieu, Assemble Brunswick, Brunswick and Parkville Level Crossing Removals, Albert Street Stockland Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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 employment landscape in Brunswick - North shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Brunswick - North has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 6.6% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 4.5%. As of September 2025, 9,689 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 6.7%, above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%.

Workforce participation was high at 78.8%. Home working was prevalent, with 49.4% of residents working from home. Key industries included professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Professional & technical employment was particularly strong, at 1.5 times the regional level, while construction had limited presence at 4.5%.

Employment opportunities locally might be limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the year ending September 2025, employment increased by 4.5% and labour force by 5.1%, raising unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 3.0%, labour force growth of 3.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brunswick - North's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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 ATO data released for financial year 2023, Brunswick - North SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $65,180 and an average income of $81,088. Nationally, these figures are high compared to the Greater Melbourne averages of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $70,557 and $87,778 respectively. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Brunswick - North rank between the 69th and 81st percentiles nationally. The income distribution reveals that 33.5% of individuals (4,903 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to the surrounding region at 32.8%. Economic strength is evident with 31.0% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. Housing costs consume 16.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 68th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Brunswick - North displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Brunswick - North's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 41.3% houses and 58.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brunswick - North was at 26.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.9% and rented ones at 47.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,000. The median weekly rent was $431, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Brunswick - North's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Brunswick - North features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 53.2% of all households, including 17.9% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 6.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 46.8%, with lone person households at 33.0% and group households making up 13.8%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Brunswick North has a higher educational attainment than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 56.9% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.5%). Vocational pathways account for 17.1% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 7.9% and certificates at 9.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.0% in tertiary education, 5.4% in primary education, and 3.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Brunswick - North has 60 active public transport stops serving a mix of light rail and bus routes. These stops are serviced by 8 individual routes that collectively provide 7,692 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 140 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its primarily residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 50%, followed by train at 12% and cycling at 12%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.7 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 49.4% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,098 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 128 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Brunswick - North is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Brunswick North demonstrates above-average health outcomes according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is quite low across both younger and older age cohorts.

Approximately 60% of the total population (8,766 people) has private health cover, compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 13.5 and 8.9% of residents respectively. 67.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 11.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,671 people), which is lower than the 14.9% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Brunswick - North 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

Brunswick-North has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 31.5% of its population born overseas and 26.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Brunswick-North, comprising 29.0% of its population. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.5% of Brunswick-North's population versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.9%), Australian (17.5%), and Other (11.2%). Notably, Greek (5.8%), French (0.9%), and Italian (7.8%) populations are higher in Brunswick-North compared to regional averages of 2.7%, 0.5%, and 5.2% respectively.

Brunswick - North hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Brunswick - North 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 - North has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (30.5%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has increased from 27.7% to 30.5%, while the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 6.9% to 5.6%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Brunswick - North, with the strongest projected growth in the 25 to 34 age group, which is expected to grow by 44%, adding 1,945 residents to reach a total of 6,405.