Brunswick - South

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

Brunswick-South's population was around 16,424 as of May 2026. This reflected an increase of 3,441 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,983. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 15,366 in June 2025 and an additional 1,058 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 6,016 persons per square kilometer, placing Brunswick-South in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 26.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the state average of 9.3%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.9% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilized VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting them using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections predict exceptional growth for Brunswick-South over the period, with an expected increase of 8,657 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 46.3% over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Brunswick - South among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Brunswick - South recorded approximately 303 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 1,518 homes were approved. As of FY26244 homes have been approved so far.

On average, over these five years, only 0.6 people moved to the area per dwelling built annually, indicating that supply has met or exceeded demand, offering greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth. The average construction value of new properties was $441,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY26 alone, $8.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Brunswick - South has seen 99.0% more construction activity per person since FY21. This high level of building activity should provide ample choice for buyers, although it has slowed in recent years. Nationally, this is well above average and reflects strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity consists of 2.0% detached dwellings and 98.0% attached dwellings, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

This represents a significant change from the current housing mix, which is currently 28.0% houses. The location has approximately 64 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Brunswick - South is forecasted to gain 7,599 residents by 2041. Existing development levels appear aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Brunswick - South has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 23 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Brunswick and Parkville Level Crossing Removals, Albert Street Stockland Development, Brunswick Established - 23 Hodgson Street, and Australian Liquorice Factory Redevelopment. 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.

Brunswick - South has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Brunswick - South has a highly educated workforce with 51.9% working from home as of the Census. Its unemployment rate was 5.7% in December 2025, 0.9% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation was 81.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%.

The dominant employment sectors are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Professional & technical employment is particularly notable at 1.7 times the regional average. However, construction is under-represented with only 4.3% of Brunswick - South's workforce compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.6 in the Census period, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities.

Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 4.4%, labour force by 4.8%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4% and unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Brunswick - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The median taxpayer income in Brunswick - South SA2 is $65,232, with an average of $81,087 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is notably higher than Greater Melbourne's median income of $57,688 and average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% from financial year 2023 to March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $71,507 (median) and $88,888 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Brunswick - South rank highly nationally, between the 74th and 88th percentiles. Income analysis shows that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.2% of the community (5,452 individuals), consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 32.8% in the same category. A substantial proportion, 32.5%, earns above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 73rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Brunswick - South features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Brunswick - South's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 27.8% houses and 72.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Brunswick - South was 21.5%, with dwellings either mortgaged (27.0%) or rented (51.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,018, exceeding Melbourne metro's average of $2,000, while the median weekly rent was $450, higher than Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Brunswick - South's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,018 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 50.0% of all households, including 15.2% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 5.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 50.0%, with lone person households at 35.8% and group households making up 14.2%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Brunswick - South exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Brunswick South has higher educational attainment than Australian averages. Among residents aged 15+, 61.5% hold university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. The area's most common degrees are Bachelor's (35.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.0%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Vocational pathways account for 16.8%, with advanced diplomas at 8.4% and certificates also at 8.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.6% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.6% in tertiary education, 4.3% in primary education, and 3.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

Brunswick - South has 68 active public transport stops serving a mix of lightrail and bus routes. These routes total 10, providing 9,647 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 141 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Cars are the dominant mode at 47%, with cycling at 14% and train use at 10%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 51.9% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,378 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 141 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Brunswick - South is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Brunswick South faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population, which comprises 9837 people. This compares to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 14.4 and 9.2% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 67.4% 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 10.4% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling 1716 people, which is lower than the 15.0% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Brunswick-South, surveyed between July 2016 and June 2021, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 31.4% of its population born overseas and 22.5% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Brunswick-South, comprising 24.1% of its population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.4% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (22.9%), Australian (18.0%), and Irish (11.3%). Italian (6.9%) and French (0.8%) populations were notably higher than regional averages of 5.2% and 0.5%, respectively, while Greek was slightly overrepresented at 3.1%.

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

Brunswick-South 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-South has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (32.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.5%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has increased from 31.2% to 32.9%, while the proportion of those aged 5-14 has decreased from 5.5% to 4.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Brunswick-South, with the strongest growth projected for the 25-34 age group, which is expected to grow by 36%, adding 1,940 residents and reaching a total of 7,339.