Brighton East, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Brighton East VIC is 16,757 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Brighton East is $1,036 per week ($53,872 per year). Median rent in Brighton East is $600 per week ($2,600 per month). Brighton East has a median age of 45 years, older than the national median of 38. Brighton East has a population density of 2,957 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Brighton East is England. The most common religion is No religion (38.6% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Brighton East is $3,300.

There were 812 recorded offences in Brighton East in 2025-25, a rate of 48 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (348 offences).

Population
16,757
Census 2021
Median income
$1,036/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$600/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
45years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Brighton East vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Brighton East is $1,036 a week, 35% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 102nd of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $600 a week, $284 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 23.6% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 45, 2 years older than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureBrighton EastTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,036/wk$767/wk +35%$766/wk
Household income$2,544/wk$1,687/wk +51%$1,637/wk
Rent$600/wk$316/wk +90%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$3,300/mo$1,723/mo +92%$1,733/mo
Median age4543 +2 yrs42
Rent share of household income23.6%19.1% +4.5 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Brighton East, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Brighton East Population

16,757 residents at the 2021 Census.

Brighton East Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,036/wk
$53,872 per year
Ranked 1,001 of 14,663
Median Rent
$600/wk
$2,600 per month
Ranked 202 of 14,663
Median Age
45years
7 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$3,300/mo
Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Brighton East Rent Prices & Affordability

24% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,544/wk
Median rent $600/wk
Rent to income 23.6%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Brighton East against your income

About $11,024 a month
Median rent $600/wk
Left after rent $1,944/wk
Rent share 23.6%

Brighton East Schools

47
schools nearby
20
government
1128
avg ICSEA score
19,289
total students
St Leonard's College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,597 students
1184
ICSEA
Kilvington Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 758 students
1182
ICSEA
St Joan of Arc School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 402 students
1170
ICSEA
Hampton Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 628 students
1168
ICSEA
Caulfield South Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 472 students
1164
ICSEA
Gardenvale Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 617 students
1164
ICSEA
Ormond Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 318 students
1158
ICSEA
Brighton Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 550 students
1153
ICSEA
Firbank Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,046 students
1152
ICSEA
Glen Huntly Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 308 students
1151
ICSEA
Elsternwick Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 463 students
1147
ICSEA
Bentleigh West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 788 students
1146
ICSEA
Brighton Beach Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 264 students
1146
ICSEA
Brighton Grammar School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,480 students
1143
ICSEA
St Mary's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 194 students
1142
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 47 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Brighton East, with a map

Brighton East Map

Brighton East, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Brighton East, Victoria: 37.9164°S, 145.0195°E

Brighton East Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (47)

People in Brighton East

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.8% (8,014) Female 52.2% (8,744)

Population Density

2,957
people per km²
16,757 people · 5.7 km²

Households

2.6
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$3,400
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
4.5%
China
3.9%
South Africa
1.8%
New Zealand
1.4%
India
1.2%
Greece
0.9%
Poland
0.8%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
4.6%
Greek
2.7%
Russian
2.1%
Italian
1.3%
Spanish
0.7%
Cantonese
0.6%
Polish
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
31.4%
Australian
26.9%
Irish
11.4%
Scottish
9.5%
Chinese
6.9%
Italian
6.0%
Greek
5.0%
German
4.0%
Polish
3.4%
Russian
2.1%
Indian
1.8%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
38.6%
Catholic
20.5%
Anglican
10.7%
Judaism
9.2%
Eastern Orthodox
5.3%
Not stated
5.2%
Uniting Church
2.6%
Buddhism
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.1%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
52.4% 7,122
Separated
2.4% 321
Divorced
8.0% 1,083
Widowed
7.7% 1,041
Never married
29.6% 4,027

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
46.5%
Couple: no children
21.6%
Couple: no children under 15
21.3%
One parent: no children under 15
5.9%
One parent: children under 15
4.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
24.1%
2 persons
29.6%
3 persons
15.9%
4 persons
21.5%
5 persons
7.2%
6+ persons
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Brighton East

Housing Tenure

Of the 6,009 occupied private dwellings in Brighton East at the 2021 Census, 19.5% were rented, 40.6% owned outright and 34.2% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
4.3% 259 dwellings
Owned outright
40.6% 2,438 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
34.2% 2,054 dwellings
Rented
19.5% 1,172 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.3% 79 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
74.0%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
14.0%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
12.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
3.7%
2 bedrooms
18.4%
3 bedrooms
37.5%
4 bedrooms
31.1%
5 bedrooms
8.1%
6+ bedrooms
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
10.4%
$300-$449/mo
2.9%
$450-$599/mo
2.4%
$600-$799/mo
2.8%
$800-$999/mo
4.1%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
8.1%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
17.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
15.1%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
27.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
5.2%
1 vehicle
34.5%
2 vehicles
43.3%
3 vehicles
11.5%
4+ vehicles
5.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Brighton East

Employment

Employed full-time
37.3% 4,676 people
Employed part-time
22.3% 2,805 people
Unemployed
2.9% 361 people
Not in labour force
37.5% 4,709 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
41.5%
Managers
27.2%
Clerical & Administrative
10.9%
Technicians & Trade Workers
6.2%
Sales Workers
5.9%
Community & Personal Service
5.7%
Labourers
1.6%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
1.0%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
4.6%
$500-$649/wk
3.7%
$650-$799/wk
4.1%
$800-$999/wk
4.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
4.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
8.4%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.7%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.4%
$4,000+/wk
33.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
13.0%
$1-$149/wk
5.4%
$150-$299/wk
5.4%
$300-$399/wk
2.3%
$400-$499/wk
2.3%
$500-$649/wk
2.2%
$650-$799/wk
5.8%
$800-$999/wk
6.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.5%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.6%
$3,500+/wk
14.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
66.3%
Did not go to work
20.6%
Car (passenger)
4.2%
Train
2.7%
Walked only
2.4%
Bicycle
1.4%
Other
0.6%
Tram/Light Rail
0.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%
Truck
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Bus
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
83.3%
Year 11 or equivalent
8.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
6.4%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.1%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
47.7%
Postgraduate Degree
17.7%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.3%
Certificate III/IV
10.9%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.6%
Certificate I/II
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
33.7%
Society & Culture
14.4%
Health
11.4%
Engineering
9.9%
Education
6.9%
Architecture & Building
5.1%
Creative Arts
5.1%
Information Technology
5.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.7%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.8%
Agriculture & Environment
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Secondary: Other Non-Govt
25.1%
Primary: Government
22.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
11.4%
Secondary: Government
10.7%
Pre-school
10.0%
Primary: Catholic
8.3%
Secondary: Catholic
6.7%
Vocational Education
5.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
90.0%
Has need for assistance
6.1%
Need for assistance not stated
3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,193
Asthma
547
Arthritis
446
Heart disease
440
Cancer
325
Diabetes
313
Lung condition
228
Stroke
183
Kidney disease
173
Dementia
85

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
15.0% 1,952
Did not provide
85.0% 11,036

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
16.5% 2,144
Not a volunteer
83.5% 10,866

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 11
Previously served
2.2% 290
Never served
97.7% 12,743

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
30.9%
1 child
13.8%
2 children
37.0%
3 children
14.5%
4 children
3.2%
5+ children
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
126
1951: 1960
314
1961: 1970
420
1971: 1980
437
1981: 1990
679
1991: 2000
610
2001: 2010
954
2011: 2015
535
2016
140
2017
165
2018
133
2019
195
2020
118
2021
20

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

13.9%
moved in the last year
37.7%
moved in the last 5 years
4.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
61.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
13,746
Moved from VIC
1,650
Moved: same area (SA2)
271
Moved from overseas
159
Moved from NSW
44
Moved from QLD
27
Moved from WA
12
Moved from TAS
10
Moved from ACT
7
Moved from SA
7
Moved from NT
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.9%
5: 14 hours
31.2%
15: 29 hours
14.3%
30+ hours
8.1%
Did not do domestic work
22.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
92.9%
Step family: no other children
4.8%
Blended family: no other children
1.9%
Other couple: children only
0.3%
Intact family: other children present
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Brighton East Crime Statistics

812 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
348
Break & Enter
120
Assault
97
Justice Procedures
68
Drug Offences
53
Property Damage
44
Fraud
41
Weapons
23
Public Order
16
Robbery
2

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Hazelwood North
Income: $855/wk Rent: $235/wk $365/wk less rent
Werribee South
Income: $857/wk Rent: $350/wk $250/wk less rent
Olinda (Vic.)
Income: $859/wk Rent: $398/wk $202/wk less rent
Lower Plenty
Income: $955/wk Rent: $400/wk $200/wk less rent
Woodend (Vic.)
Income: $857/wk Rent: $400/wk $200/wk less rent
Ferny Creek
Income: $875/wk Rent: $400/wk $200/wk less rent
Mount Dandenong
Income: $858/wk Rent: $415/wk $185/wk less rent
Williamstown (Vic.)
Income: $1,106/wk Rent: $450/wk $150/wk less rent

Suburbs near Brighton East

The closest suburb to Brighton East is Bentleigh, 1.7 km away.

Bentleigh
1.7 km away · income $990/wk · rent $480/wk
McKinnon
1.8 km away · income $963/wk · rent $516/wk
Gardenvale
2.2 km away · income $1,087/wk · rent $301/wk
Ormond
2.3 km away · income $986/wk · rent $395/wk
Brighton (Vic.)
2.3 km away · income $1,259/wk · rent $600/wk
Caulfield South
2.5 km away · income $1,074/wk · rent $496/wk

Compare Brighton East

Frequently Asked Questions About Brighton East

What is the population of Brighton East VIC?

The population of Brighton East VIC is 16,757 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,957 people per km². Brighton East is ranked #217 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Brighton East?

The median personal income in Brighton East VIC is $1,036 per week, or $53,872 per year. The median household income is $2,544 per week. Family income is $3,400 per week. Brighton East is ranked #1,001 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Brighton East?

Median rent in Brighton East VIC is $600 per week ($2,600 per month). Rent represents 23.6% of household income, which is considered affordable. Brighton East ranks #202 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Brighton East?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Brighton East VIC is $3,300. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Brighton East?

The median age in Brighton East VIC is 45 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Brighton East a good suburb to live in?

Brighton East is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 16,757. The median income is $1,036/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (23.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Melbourne Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 20338. All dollar figures in AUD.