Brighton
Detached houses and mortgages define Brighton on Hobart's northern fringe, with 4,983 residents spread at 173.4 people per sq km. Separate houses make up 81.7% of dwellings and 51.1% of homes carry a mortgage. Compared with nearby Bridgewater and Old Beach, the useful lens is northern-fringe housing rather than inner-Hobart density. The median age is 34, 6 years below national, while overseas-born residents are 4.7%, well below national. That mix points to family formation and trade-worker households.
Population
4,983
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,528/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers mostly weigh house and block utility rather than apartment amenity. Separate houses account for 81.7% of dwellings, 3-bedroom homes are 53.1% and 4-plus bedrooms add 23.2%, while apartments sit lower at 17.3%. The typical mortgage payment is $1,450 a month and absorbs 21.9% of income, slightly below the 22.9% rent burden. With household income at the 48th percentile, contract due diligence matters because sale medians need a current market check.
For Buyers
Homebuyers mostly weigh house and block utility rather than apartment amenity. Separate houses account for 81.7% of dwellings, 3-bedroom homes are 53.1% and 4-plus bedrooms add 23.2%, while apartments sit lower at 17.3%. The typical mortgage payment is $1,450 a month and absorbs 21.9% of income, slightly below the 22.9% rent burden. With household income at the 48th percentile, contract due diligence matters because sale medians need a current market check.
For Investors
Investor appeal is more yield-stability than high churn: renters are 22.5%, well below the 51.1% mortgage cohort, and vacancy is 2.8%. Weekly rent is $350, so returns depend on entry price and tenant depth rather than premium rents. Development activity is quiet, with 0 projects over the past 12 months, lowering near-term new-supply pressure. Because the renter pool is moderate, investors should compare demand against family-house alternatives, not just unit yields.
Demographics
Brighton's population profile is younger and more locally rooted than the national pattern. The median age is 34, 6.0 years below national, while average household size is 2.6, which is 0.1 above national. University attainment is 11.4%, sitting 18.7 percentage points below national, and overseas-born residents are 4.7%, or 16.9 points lower. English ancestry is the largest count at 2,341, followed by Irish at 427 and Scottish at 320. No religion accounts for 2,591 residents versus Christianity at 2,096.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.7%
Houses
1.0%
Townhouse
17.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Brighton is dominated by family-scale detached stock: 81.7% separate houses compared with 17.3% apartments and 1.0% semi-detached dwellings. Tenure is mortgage-led, with 51.1% buying, 26.0% owned outright and 22.5% renting. The bedroom mix reinforces that pattern, as 53.1% are 3-bedroom homes and 23.2% have 4 or more. Mortgage payments absorb 21.9% of income, slightly lower than the 22.9% rent burden, so ownership pressure looks manageable relative to renting.
Mortgage / mo
$1,450
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$825
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.8%
Unoccupied
54
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.8%
Couples with children
35.1%
Couples, no children
21.1%
Single parent
1,462
Total families
Economy & Employment
Brighton's economy is grounded in services and blue-collar work. Healthcare is 23.1% of local employment with 329 workers, followed by construction at 15.3% and 218 workers, public administration at 7.9%, and manufacturing and retail each at 7.3%. Occupations show the same pattern, led by trades with 474 workers and clerical/admin with 401. Full-time work is 61.3%, participation is 69.0% and unemployment is 3.5%. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 1 sits low, but IER decile 6 is higher because economic resources are stronger than education/occupation scores. IRSD is decile 4 and IRSAD decile 3.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
2,684
Unemployed
94
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.3%
Part-time
32.6%
Participation
69.0%
Employed
2,590
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
11.4%
Postgraduate
1.6%
Born Overseas
4.7%
Dwellings
1,873
Transport to Work
Daily livability is car-oriented, because 86.9% of workers drive and only 1.2% use public transport, with 1.4% walking or cycling and 4.7% working from home. That pattern sits below an inner-suburban transit profile and suits households comfortable with commuting by road. IRSAD decile 3 and IRSD decile 4 are below average, so local amenity should be assessed practically. A suburb-level crime rate is not published, so safety checks need current local sources.
Drive
86.9%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
4.7%
Population Forecast
+2.38%/yr
(+167 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth in Brighton is not flat: the forecast trend is 2.38% a year, above zero, and the 10-year population change is 34.4%. The migration driver is labelled Balanced, so momentum is not dependent on one channel alone. The shift trajectory is Aging, with seniors up 3.2 points and younger residents down 2.6 points, because earlier family cohorts are maturing in place. Gentrification sits at 37, stage Early signs, suggesting change without an inner-city style price reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+10
Net Internal / yr
+54
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +45% since 2011, Net internal migration +54/yr, Accelerating: 13% → 28%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Brighton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brighton a good suburb to live in?
Brighton suits households wanting detached housing and a car-based routine. Separate houses make up 81.7% of dwellings, the median age is 34 and 86.9% of workers drive, so it is better aligned with family space than transit-led inner-city living.
What is the median house price in Brighton?
A reliable current median house price for Brighton needs a live sales check rather than a stale figure. The local cost markers are a $1,450 monthly mortgage, $350 weekly rent and 21.9% mortgage-to-income burden.
What schools are in Brighton?
There are 0 schools within Brighton's suburb boundary, so families should check campuses in neighbouring suburbs and confirm catchments before signing a lease or contract. Car travel matters because 86.9% of workers drive.
Is Brighton safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not published for Brighton, so safety cannot be ranked numerically from local crime counts. For context, 77.2% of residents stayed at the same address while 22.8% moved, indicating moderate residential stability.
Is Brighton good for property investment?
Brighton can suit investors seeking family-house rentals rather than high-density turnover. Renters are 22.5% of households, weekly rent is $350, vacancy is 2.8% and development activity shows 0 projects over the past 12 months.
How is Brighton's population changing?
Brighton has 4,983 residents today and the forecast trend runs at 2.38% annual growth. The 10-year population change is 34.4%, with a Balanced migration driver and an Aging trajectory rather than a purely young-inflow pattern.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Brighton on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map