Brunswick East
Brunswick East packs 13,279 residents into just 2.26 sq km, giving it a density of 5,869.4 people per sq km, higher than most middle-ring family suburbs. Compared with nearby Brunswick and Fitzroy North, its identity is especially apartment-led: 50.9% of dwellings are apartments and 54.5% of homes are rented. The median age of 33 sits 7 years below the national benchmark, while 66.1% university attainment is 36.0 percentage points above national, shaping a young, highly educated inner-north market.
Population
13,279
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,088/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
27
Median House
$1.4M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers enter a premium but recently softer market. The median house price was $1,353,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, down 8.6% from the $1,480,000 peak in Oct-Dec 2023, although still 76.4% higher than the 2013 level of $767,000. Apartments make up 50.9% of dwellings, compared with 22.7% separate houses, so buyers wanting land face tighter supply. Mortgage costs sit at 22.1% of income, below common stress thresholds, because household income is in the 79.0 percentile.
For Buyers
Homebuyers enter a premium but recently softer market. The median house price was $1,353,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, down 8.6% from the $1,480,000 peak in Oct-Dec 2023, although still 76.4% higher than the 2013 level of $767,000. Apartments make up 50.9% of dwellings, compared with 22.7% separate houses, so buyers wanting land face tighter supply. Mortgage costs sit at 22.1% of income, below common stress thresholds, because household income is in the 79.0 percentile.
For Investors
Investors see a tenant-heavy suburb where 54.5% of households rent, well above owner-occupier dominated markets. The median rent is $421 per week and vacancy is 12.3%, so income resilience depends on product quality, pricing and proximity to lifestyle corridors because empty stock is comparatively high. Development activity is present but not excessive, with 15 applications in 12 months. Overseas migration is the main forward demand source, averaging +370 people annually, higher than the -22 net internal flow.
Development Activity
Total DAs
35
Last 12 Months
27
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+440.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Brunswick East iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Brunswick South Primary School
Prep-6 · 317 students
Brunswick East Primary School
Prep-6 · 279 students
Our Lady Help of Christians School
Prep-6 · 249 students
Demographics
Brunswick East is younger, more educated and more internationally linked than the national average. The median age is 33, which is 7.0 years below national, and 66.1% of residents hold university qualifications, 36.0 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 31.3%, 9.7 points above national, while the average household size of 2.0 is 0.5 below national. English, Irish, Italian and Scottish ancestry sit alongside Italian, Greek, Arabic, Mandarin and Canton language communities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
22.7%
Houses
25.8%
Townhouse
50.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is skewed to compact inner-urban stock. Apartments account for 50.9% of dwellings and semi-detached homes another 25.8%, compared with only 22.7% separate houses. The bedroom mix reflects that pattern: 45.5% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 23.3% have 0 or 1, higher than a detached-family suburb would show. Prices have still risen over the long run, with a 4.1% CAGR across 14 years, but the latest $1,353,000 median is below the $1,480,000 peak.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$421
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,252
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.3%
Unoccupied
897
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.8%
Couples, no children
7,768
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce has a high-skill profile, with Professional/Tech at 18.7% of jobs, Healthcare at 14.8%, Education at 13.7%, Public Admin at 9.6% and Retail at 6.3%. Professionals number 4,076 and Managers 1,419, supporting an IEO decile of 10 and IRSAD decile of 10, both above average. The anomaly is IER decile 2, lower than the advantage scores, because many residents rent and hold fewer economic resources despite strong incomes. Unemployment is 4.5% and participation is 73.5%.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
10,980
Unemployed
565
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.4%
Part-time
26.1%
Participation
73.5%
Employed
8,443
Occupations
Top Industries
University
66.1%
Postgraduate
22.8%
Born Overseas
31.3%
Dwellings
6,350
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for compact, inner-north routines. Walking and cycling account for 27.0% of commutes, far above car-light outer suburbs, while 66.7% drive and 2.3% use public transport for the measured journey. The suburb has 3 schools, led by Brunswick South Primary School with ICSEA 1171 and Brunswick East Primary School with ICSEA 1162, plus Catholic provision at ICSEA 1124. Safety is mixed: the crime rate is 75.5 per 1,000, with 802 property and deception offences, but IRSAD decile 10 is above state average advantage.
Drive
66.7%
Public Transport
2.3%
Walk / Cycle
27.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.37%/yr
(+348 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is expected to continue rather than surge. The trend forecast is 2.37% annually, equal to about 348 extra residents each year, with the medium path rising from 14,897 in 2026 to 16,637 in 2031. Migration explains the pattern: overseas migration is the primary driver at +370 per year, compared with -22 net internal movement. The shift profile is 'Declining young', with young share down 2.2 points, while the gentrification score is 10 and stage is 'Not gentrifying', lower than an early-boom suburb.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+370
Net Internal / yr
-22
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Strong overseas inflow +370/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,002
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
75.5
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 Brunswick East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brunswick East a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for buyers or renters who value density, walkability and an educated inner-north setting. It has 13,279 residents, a median age of 33 and 27.0% walking or cycling to work, but the 75.5 per 1,000 crime rate is worth checking street by street.
What is the median house price in Brunswick East?
The median house price in Brunswick East was $1,353,000 in Apr-Jun 2024. That is 8.6% below the Oct-Dec 2023 peak of $1,480,000, but still 76.4% higher than the 2013 median of $767,000.
What schools are in Brunswick East?
There are 3 local schools: Brunswick South Primary School, Brunswick East Primary School and Our Lady Help of Christians School. ICSEA scores range from 1124 to 1171, with 2 government primaries and 1 Catholic primary.
Is Brunswick East safe?
Brunswick East recorded 1,002 offences, equal to 75.5 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences make up the largest category with 802 incidents, so safety is better judged by building security, street position and time of day.
Is Brunswick East good for property investment?
It has investor appeal because 54.5% of households rent and overseas migration averages +370 people per year. The caution is vacancy at 12.3%, which is higher than a tight rental market, so rent setting and apartment quality matter.
How is Brunswick East's population changing?
The forecast trend is 2.37% annual growth, or about 348 additional residents per year. The medium scenario rises from 14,897 people in 2026 to 16,637 in 2031, driven mainly by overseas migration rather than internal moves.
What languages are spoken in Brunswick East?
Brunswick East has 31.3% of residents born overseas, which is 9.7 percentage points above national. Common non-English languages include Italian with 246 speakers, Greek with 172, Arabic with 101, Mandarin with 86 and Canton with 45.
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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