Brighton
At a median age of 34, Brighton runs a full 6.0 years younger than the national figure, and that youth shapes nearly everything else about the suburb. More than half of households (51.3%) carry a mortgage, well above the renter share of 22.6%, so this is a place where young families are buying in rather than renting. The stock is 81.7% separate houses across a 28.74 km2 footprint at just 173.4 residents per km2, low density that keeps detached living affordable on incomes sitting at the 48.0th percentile. University qualifications reach only 11.4%, which is 18.7 points below national, and overseas-born residents are 4.7%, 16.9 points below national, marking a young, Anglo-leaning, trade-and-service workforce.
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
Brighton suits buyers chasing a detached house on a modest budget, because 81.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 17.3% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate the stock at 53.1%, with four-plus bedroom houses at 23.2%, so family-sized properties are the norm rather than the exception. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,450 translate to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold even though household income sits at only the 48.0th percentile nationally. That gap between affordable repayments and middling income is why mortgage holders make up 51.3% of households, far higher than the 26.1% who own outright. The low 2.8% vacancy rate adds competition, but the absence of an apartment glut means buyers compete mostly for houses.
For Buyers
Brighton suits buyers chasing a detached house on a modest budget, because 81.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 17.3% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate the stock at 53.1%, with four-plus bedroom houses at 23.2%, so family-sized properties are the norm rather than the exception. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,450 translate to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold even though household income sits at only the 48.0th percentile nationally. That gap between affordable repayments and middling income is why mortgage holders make up 51.3% of households, far higher than the 26.1% who own outright. The low 2.8% vacancy rate adds competition, but the absence of an apartment glut means buyers compete mostly for houses.
For Investors
Renters make up 22.6% of Brighton households against a weekly rent of $350, a smaller tenant pool than mortgage holders at 51.3%, so this is an owner-occupier market more than an investor one. The 2.8% vacancy rate is tight, well below the balanced 3% benchmark, which gives landlords pricing power and low downtime between tenancies. Demand sits with young families: the median age of 34 is 6.0 years under national and couples with children number 1,713, the largest family type. Rent-to-income runs at 22.9%, leaving tenants room to absorb increases without tipping into stress. The caution is supply, because development applications over the past 12 months registered zero in this dataset, so there is little new rental stock entering, and the case rests on steady occupancy rather than rapid rent escalation.
Schools in Brighton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Brighton High School
7-11 · 133 students
Brighton Primary School
K-6 · 507 students
Demographics
Brighton skews young and locally rooted. The median age of 34 sits 6.0 years below national, and overseas-born residents are just 4.7%, which is 16.9 points below the national figure, so the population is overwhelmingly Australian-born. Ancestry is Anglo-leaning, led by English (2,341), Irish (427), Scottish (320) and German (181), with no significant non-English language community recorded. Average household size is 2.6 people, 0.1 above national, consistent with the family profile where couples with children (1,713) outnumber couples with no children (1,038). University qualifications reach only 11.4%, 18.7 points below national, reflecting a workforce built on trades and service roles rather than knowledge sectors. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 2,096 residents, far ahead of any other group.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.7%
Houses
1.0%
Townhouse
17.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans heavily toward buyers paying off a loan: 51.3% of households carry a mortgage, 26.1% own outright and only 22.6% rent. That mortgage majority is unusual and signals a suburb of recent purchasers rather than long-settled outright owners. The stock is 81.7% separate houses with apartments at 17.3% and semi-detached at just 1.0%, so detached living is the default. Bedroom mix runs to three-bedroom homes at 53.1% and four-plus at 23.2%, with two-bedroom dwellings at 23.1%. Affordability is the standout: monthly repayments of $1,450 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9% and rent-to-income of 22.9%, both well under the 30% stress line despite household income at only the 48.0th percentile. The 2.8% vacancy rate sits below a balanced market, pointing to firm demand.
Mortgage / mo
$1,450
Rent / wk
$350
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
24.8%
Couples, no children
4,179
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge work. Healthcare leads at 23.1% (329 workers), Construction follows at 15.3% (218), then Public Admin at 7.9% (113), Manufacturing at 7.3% (104) and Retail at 7.3% (104). By occupation, Clerical and Admin (401), Community and Personal Service (387) and Labourers (313) lead, which aligns with the IEO score landing in decile 1, the lowest tier nationally for education and occupation. Yet economic resources tell a different story: the IER score reaches decile 6, above the median, because affordable housing and dual-income families lift household resources despite modest qualifications. Unemployment is low at 3.7% with a 65.3% full-time rate, though 1,066 residents sit outside the labour force, partly reflecting the young family demographic.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.3%
Part-time
31.0%
Participation
65.0%
Employed
2,432
Occupations
Top Industries
University
11.4%
Postgraduate
1.6%
Born Overseas
4.7%
Dwellings
1,873
Transport to Work
Brighton is built around the car, with 91.1% of commuters driving, against just 1.2% using public transport and 1.5% walking or cycling, a far heavier car reliance than national patterns. That fits the low-density, detached-house layout at 173.4 residents per km2. On disadvantage measures the suburb sits mid-pack, scoring IRSD decile 4 and IRSAD decile 3, below the median but lifted by an IER score in decile 6 for economic resources. Community connection is modest: volunteering runs at 10.4% and 6.2% of residents (298 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas, a trade-off offset by the affordable, spacious housing that draws young families here.
Drive
91.1%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
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 young families wanting affordable detached housing, with 81.7% separate houses and a median age of 34, which is 6.0 years below national. Mortgage repayments take only 21.9% of income, well under the 30% stress line. The trade-offs are heavy car reliance at 91.1% and no schools recorded inside the boundary.
What is the median house price in Brighton?
A median house price is not available for Brighton in this dataset. As a guide to affordability, average monthly mortgage repayments are $1,450 and weekly rent is $350, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9% and a rent-to-income ratio of 22.9%, both below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Brighton?
No schools are recorded inside the Brighton suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas. The local population skews young, with a median age of 34, which is 6.0 years below the national figure, indicating strong demand from school-age families.
Is Brighton safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Brighton in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores IRSD decile 4 on relative disadvantage and IRSAD decile 3, both below the national median, while 6.2% of residents (298 people) report needing daily assistance.
Is Brighton good for property investment?
Brighton has a tight 2.8% vacancy rate, below the balanced 3% benchmark, supporting steady occupancy. The renter pool is modest at 22.6% against 51.3% with mortgages, and weekly rent is $350. With zero development applications recorded in 12 months, returns rest on low vacancy rather than rapid rent growth.
How is Brighton's population changing?
Brighton's population of 4,983 has a median age of 34, which is 6.0 years below national, pointing to family-driven growth. Residential turnover is 22.8% while 77.2% of residents stayed put, showing a settled core. Couples with children, at 1,713, are the largest household type and the main growth engine.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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