Brighton
Eight schools sit inside 8.37 square kilometres of Bayside frontage and every one scores ICSEA above 1132 (national median 1000), with Brighton Grammar at 1,480 enrolment and Firbank Grammar at 1,046. That elite-school density of one campus per 2,907 residents, paired with iconic bay-frontage and the bathing boxes that anchor the Melbourne bayside image, underpins a $3.225M house median and household income at the 94.8th percentile. SEIFA reads top decile on IEO, IRSD and IRSAD with IER at 9, a tighter asset-rich gap than Toorak's three-decile IER discount and signalling more dual-professional wage income than the inner-east old-money equivalent. Christianity at 10,810 residents (46.5% of population) dominates the religious profile against just 830 identifying as Jewish, the inverse cultural anchor of Toorak's East Melbourne Jewish corridor. Stock leans detached at 57.2% separate houses against 19.8% apartments, the highest house-share among Melbourne top-decile suburbs and nearly double Toorak's 30.4%.
Population
23,252
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,710/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Median House
$3.2M
Apr-Jun 2024
Brighton works as the bayside-detached counterpart to Toorak's inner-east apartment-heavy market. The $3.225M house median runs 14% above Kew's $2.82M and 42% below Toorak's $5.56M, but stock skews family-detached at 57.2% separate houses against Toorak's 30.4% and Kew's 50.5%. With 33.4% of dwellings carrying four-plus bedrooms and 34.2% at three-bedroom, the suburb structurally targets family upgraders rather than empty-nesters. Family income at $3,778 weekly (94.8th percentile, ahead of Toorak's 92.7th and Kew's 92.3rd) and mortgage-to-income at 29.5% sits just below the 30% stress threshold, so buyers are well-buffered compared to mortgage-belt suburbs that push past 35%. Price-to-income runs at roughly 23 times annual household earnings of $140,920, close to Kew's 22x and well below Toorak's 42x. The 12-year trajectory shows a $1.8M trough (2013) to $2.825M (2024) lift of 56.7% at 3.8% CAGR.
For Buyers
Brighton works as the bayside-detached counterpart to Toorak's inner-east apartment-heavy market. The $3.225M house median runs 14% above Kew's $2.82M and 42% below Toorak's $5.56M, but stock skews family-detached at 57.2% separate houses against Toorak's 30.4% and Kew's 50.5%. With 33.4% of dwellings carrying four-plus bedrooms and 34.2% at three-bedroom, the suburb structurally targets family upgraders rather than empty-nesters. Family income at $3,778 weekly (94.8th percentile, ahead of Toorak's 92.7th and Kew's 92.3rd) and mortgage-to-income at 29.5% sits just below the 30% stress threshold, so buyers are well-buffered compared to mortgage-belt suburbs that push past 35%. Price-to-income runs at roughly 23 times annual household earnings of $140,920, close to Kew's 22x and well below Toorak's 42x. The 12-year trajectory shows a $1.8M trough (2013) to $2.825M (2024) lift of 56.7% at 3.8% CAGR.
For Investors
Brighton sits between Kew and Toorak on the yield-gap spectrum and reads as a capital-growth play only. Median rent of $600 weekly against the $3.225M median produces a gross yield of 0.97%, ahead of Kew at 0.88% and roughly double Toorak's 0.45%, but still less than a third of Melbourne's 3% benchmark. The 12.1% vacancy rate runs 7x above Melbourne's 1.7% benchmark, broadly matching Kew's 11.9% and well below Toorak's 19.8% apartment-glut reading. Only 24.5% of households rent versus the 31% national share and Toorak's 32.3%, reflecting the owner-occupier family weighting where 46.5% own outright (well above the 31% national rate). Development pipeline runs at 24 planning permits in 12 months across 23,252 residents, one per 969 residents, well below Toorak's 1-per-233 density, signalling tight heritage-overlay constraints. Forecast migration adds +454 overseas annually offset by -75 internal outflow.
Development Activity
Total DAs
45
Last 12 Months
28
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+180.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Brighton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joan of Arc School
Prep-6 · 402 students
Brighton Primary School
Prep-6 · 550 students
Firbank Grammar School
Prep-12 · 1046 students
Elsternwick Primary School
Prep-6 · 463 students
Brighton Beach Primary School
Prep-6 · 264 students
Demographics
Brighton runs Anglo-Christian wealth with a thinner non-Anglo overlay than peer inner-east ultra-luxury suburbs. English ancestry leads at 8,707, followed by Irish (3,211), Scottish (2,550) and Chinese (1,475), placing Chinese ancestry materially behind Kew's 3,974. 28.4% were born overseas, 6.8 percentage points above the national 21.6% but below Toorak's 33.0% and Kew's 31.7%. 60.2% of adults hold university qualifications, 30.1pp above the national rate but below Toorak's 63.3%. The standout cultural signal is religion: 10,810 residents (46.5%) identify as Christian, the dominant single-denomination share that anchors the Anglican and Catholic school cluster. Top languages after English are Mandarin (393), Greek (205), Russian (131), Italian (113) and Cantonese (56), a European tail rather than a coherent diaspora cluster.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
57.2%
Houses
22.4%
Townhouse
19.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Brighton's stock splits 57.2% separate houses, 19.8% apartments and 22.4% semi-detached, so only 42.8% of dwellings are non-house, the highest house share of any Melbourne top-decile suburb and nearly double Toorak's 30.4%. Tenure runs 46.5% owned outright (well above the 31% national average and 5.8pp above Kew's 40.7%), 29.0% mortgaged and 24.5% renting, the lowest renting share among the ultra-luxury benchmark suburbs. Bedroom mix concentrates in three-bedroom (34.2%) and four-plus (33.4%) stock, with the 33.4% large-family share running well ahead of Toorak's 22.4% and matching Glen Iris exactly. Prices have moved from $1.8M (2013) to $2.825M (2024), a 56.7% lift at 3.8% CAGR that trails both Glen Iris (4.5%) and Toorak (4.8%). The 2021 peak of $3.515M has corrected 19.6%, close to Toorak's 21.7% and far deeper than Kew's 8.3%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,467
Rent / wk
$600
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,259
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.1%
Unoccupied
1,238
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.6%
Couples, no children
18,305
Total families
Economy & Employment
Brighton is a professional-and-finance dormitory with the SEIFA fingerprint of dual-professional wealth rather than asset-rich retirees. Industry concentrates in Professional/Tech (20.0%, 1,705 workers), Healthcare (15.0%, 1,278), Education (9.3%, 792), Finance (9.1%, 776) and Retail (6.9%, 590), with Finance at 9.1% running roughly 13% above the national benchmark near 8%. Occupationally, 4,127 Professionals and 2,922 Managers represent 66.7% of the workforce, well above the 38% national share for those two categories and just below Kew's 64.8%. Unemployment is 3.9% and participation 56.0%, partly because 7,159 residents (a third of the adult population) are not in the labour force. The SEIFA fingerprint shows IRSAD 10, IRSD 10, IEO 10 and IER decile 9 at score 1074, a single-decile gap that runs materially tighter than Toorak's three-decile IER discount and signals more wage-active dual professionals than inner-east old-money.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
13,012
Unemployed
383
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.9%
Part-time
34.2%
Participation
56.0%
Employed
10,567
Occupations
Top Industries
University
60.2%
Postgraduate
17.3%
Born Overseas
28.4%
Dwellings
8,978
Transport to Work
Eight schools sit inside Brighton and every one carries an ICSEA above 1132, putting the local system in the top decile nationally where the median is 1000. Brighton Grammar leads on enrolment at 1,480 (Independent combined, ICSEA 1143), with Firbank Grammar close behind at 1,046 (Independent, 1152) and Star of the Sea College at 1,204 (Catholic Secondary, 1132). St Joan of Arc tops the ICSEA ranking at 1170 (Catholic Primary, 402), and Brighton Primary anchors the public option at 1153 with 550 students, above most middle-ring Melbourne state-school medians. Combined enrolment across the 8 schools reaches 5,555. Crime runs at 56.3 per 1,000 residents (1,308 incidents over 12 months), close to Kew's 56.4 and Toorak's 57.9, with 71.6% property and deception offences (936). Public transport mode share is 7.3%, ahead of Kew's 2.8% and similar to Toorak's 5.2%, supported by Brighton Beach and Middle Brighton railway stations.
Drive
80.3%
Public Transport
7.3%
Walk / Cycle
8.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.37%/yr
(+90 people/yr)
EstablishedBrighton is a slow-growth established-wealth profile with mild gentrification pressure rather than aging-only stagnation. The 23,252 residents are forecast to grow at 0.37% per year (about 90 persons annually), well below the Greater Melbourne average near 1.6% and slower than both Glen Iris (0.7%) and Toorak (0.58%). The population shift is dominated by overseas migration (+454 net annually) offsetting net internal outflow of -75 per year, so offshore wealth is replacing departing domestic households at a higher inflow rate than Toorak's +336. Senior-share has lifted 5.2 percentage points over a decade while working-age share fell 2.9pp and young-share fell 2.3pp, an aging trajectory that runs deeper than Toorak's 3.7pp senior shift. The gentrification score sits at 20 to 35 (Early signs), above Toorak's 10 (Not gentrifying). Real income growth at 16.5% over the decade ran above wage inflation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+454
Net Internal / yr
-75
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Strong overseas inflow +454/yr, COVID recovered (-6% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,308
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.3
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
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?
For families targeting elite bayside schools, bay-frontage and the iconic bathing boxes, yes. All 8 schools sit at ICSEA 1132 or above (top decile nationally vs national median 1000), 60.2% of adults are university-educated (30.1pp above national), and household income at the 94.8th percentile ranks ahead of Toorak (92.7th) and Kew (92.3rd). The trade-offs are cost ($3.225M median, 23x household income) and a 12.1% rental vacancy rate that runs 7x above Melbourne's 1.7% benchmark.
What is the median house price in Brighton?
The median house price is $3,225,000 as of Apr-Jun 2024, down 19.6% from the 2021 peak of $3,515,000 but 56.7% higher than the 2013 trough of $1,802,500. The 12-year compound annual growth rate is 3.8%, ahead of Kew at 3.5% but trailing Glen Iris (4.5%) and Toorak (4.8%). Price-to-income runs at 23 times annual household earnings of $140,920, comparable to Kew's 22x and well below Toorak's 42x.
What schools are in Brighton?
Eight schools sit inside Brighton, every one in the top ICSEA decile (above 1132 vs national median 1000). Brighton Grammar leads on enrolment at 1,480 (Independent combined, ICSEA 1143), with Firbank Grammar (1152, 1,046) and Star of the Sea College (Catholic, 1132, 1,204) anchoring the cluster. St Joan of Arc tops ICSEA at 1170 (Catholic Primary, 402). Combined enrolment across the 8 schools reaches 5,555.
Is Brighton safe?
Brighton records roughly on par with the Greater Melbourne crime rate. Total recorded offences over 12 months were 1,308, equivalent to 56.3 per 1,000 residents, close to Kew's 56.4 and Toorak's 57.9. The mix skews non-violent: 936 property and deception offences (71.6%) versus 138 crimes against the person (10.5%) and 57 drug offences. The pattern reflects opportunistic property crime targeting affluent bayside areas rather than violent offending.
Is Brighton good for property investment?
Brighton works only as a capital-growth play. Weekly rent of $600 against the $3.225M median produces a 0.97% gross yield, ahead of Kew at 0.88% and roughly double Toorak's 0.45%, but less than a third of Melbourne's 3% average. The 12.1% vacancy rate runs 7x above Melbourne's 1.7% benchmark. Capital growth has cooled, with prices 19.6% below the 2021 peak of $3.515M and the 3.8% 12-year CAGR trailing Toorak (4.8%).
How is Brighton's population changing?
Brighton is growing slowly and aging. The 23,252 population is forecast to grow at 0.37% per year (about 90 residents annually), well below the Greater Melbourne average near 1.6%. Migration runs +454 overseas net offset by -75 internal outflow. Senior-share is up 5.2pp over a decade while working-age fell 2.9pp. Median age 48 runs 8 years above national. Gentrification score sits at 20 to 35 (Early signs).
Why is Brighton more house-dominant than Toorak?
Brighton's stock splits 57.2% separate houses, 19.8% apartments and 22.4% semi-detached, so 42.8% of dwellings are non-house, the highest house share among Melbourne top-decile suburbs. The figure runs nearly double Toorak's 30.4% house share (where 49.8% of stock is apartments) and ahead of Kew's 50.5%. Bayside heritage overlays and larger lot configurations explain the difference, supporting a 46.5% outright-ownership share.
What languages are spoken in Brighton?
28.4% of residents were born overseas, 6.8 percentage points above the national 21.6% but below Toorak's 33.0% and Kew's 31.7%. The suburb stays Anglo-majority by ancestry: English (8,707), Irish (3,211) and Scottish (2,550) lead, with Chinese ancestry at 1,475 well behind Kew's 3,974. After English the top languages are Mandarin (393), Greek (205), Russian (131), Italian (113) and Cantonese (56).
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.
Explore Brighton on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map