New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Brightwaters NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Brightwaters, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Brightwaters NSW is 875 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Brightwaters is $752 per week ($39,104 per year). Median rent in Brightwaters is $390 per week ($1,690 per month). Brightwaters has a median age of 50 years, older than the national median of 38. Brightwaters has a population density of 517.1 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Brightwaters is England. The most common religion is No Religion (41% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Australian Indigenous. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Brightwaters is $2,000.

There were 3 recorded offences in Brightwaters in 2025-26, a rate of 3 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was sexual offences (1 offences).

Brightwaters Map

📍

Loading map…

Brightwaters Population

residents (Census 2021)

Brightwaters Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$752/wk

$39,104 per year

#4475 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$390/wk

$1,690 per month

#2258 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

50years

12 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$2,000/mo

Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.7 per bedroom

Brightwaters Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.2% (438) Female 49.8% (435)

Population Density

517.1

people per km²

875 people · 1.7 km²

Households

2.4

Avg household size

0.7

Persons per bedroom

$1,819

Family income/wk

Brightwaters 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 & Locality (SAL)

Brightwaters Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

60.9% 168 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

39.1% 108 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Brightwaters Country of Birth

Australia

93.9%

England

3.8%

Germany

1.3%

China

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Brightwaters Religion

No Religion

40.9%

Catholic

22.6%

Anglican

14.0%

Not stated

5.5%

Christnty Sevnth dy Advntst

5.0%

Uniting Church

4.8%

Christian (other)

4.3%

Baptist

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Brightwaters Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

44.9%

Year 10 or equivalent

36.7%

Year 9 or equivalent

9.5%

Year 11 or equivalent

8.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Brightwaters Languages Spoken at Home

Australian Indigenous

30.0%

Cantonese

20.0%

Greek

20.0%

Afrikaans

15.0%

Other

15.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Brightwaters Employment

💼

Employed full-time

29.6% 200 people

⏰

Employed part-time

19.2% 130 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.5% 17 people

🏠

Not in labour force

48.7% 329 people

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

Brightwaters Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

45.3%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

20.9%

Bachelor Degree

20.6%

Postgraduate Degree

6.2%

Certificate I/II

3.8%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

3.3%

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

Brightwaters Occupation

Professionals

23.9%

Technicians & Trade Workers

18.7%

Clerical & Administrative

14.2%

Managers

13.1%

Community & Personal Service

10.4%

Sales Workers

7.8%

Labourers

7.1%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

4.9%

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

Brightwaters Field of Study

Management & Commerce

23.4%

Engineering

18.1%

Society & Culture

13.6%

Health

12.5%

Architecture & Building

10.2%

Education

9.4%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

5.7%

Agriculture & Environment

2.6%

Creative Arts

2.3%

Information Technology

1.1%

Natural & Physical Sciences

1.1%

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

Brightwaters Dwelling Types

Separate house

98.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Brightwaters Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.7%

$300-$399/wk

3.0%

$400-$499/wk

4.2%

$500-$649/wk

9.9%

$650-$799/wk

8.4%

$800-$999/wk

5.4%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

11.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.0%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.9%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

9.0%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

7.8%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

5.4%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.7%

$4,000+/wk

9.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Brightwaters Marital Status

💍

Married

53.2% 393

↔️

Separated

2.4% 18

📋

Divorced

9.7% 72

🕊️

Widowed

5.7% 42

👤

Never married

29.0% 214

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Brightwaters Ancestry

English

35.1%

Australian

29.4%

Scottish

10.7%

Irish

8.6%

Other

4.0%

Aboriginal Australianralian

3.1%

German

3.0%

Dutch

2.0%

Italian

1.6%

Greek

1.0%

French

0.7%

Maltese

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Brightwaters School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

23.9%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

17.2%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

13.4%

Vocational Education

13.4%

Secondary — Government

12.7%

Pre-school

9.0%

Primary — Catholic

6.7%

Secondary — Catholic

3.7%

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

Brightwaters Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

8.7% 149

✅

No need for assistance

91.3% 1,561

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

Brightwaters Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

14.5% 104

—

Not a volunteer

85.5% 612

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Brightwaters Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

4.9%

$600-$799/mo

6.1%

$800-$999/mo

13.4%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

11.0%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

19.5%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

15.9%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

20.7%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

8.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Brightwaters How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

72.1%

Did not go to work

19.2%

Car (passenger)

5.3%

Walked only

2.3%

Truck

1.1%

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

Brightwaters Car Ownership

0 vehicles

2.6%

1 vehicle

30.9%

2 vehicles

43.4%

3 vehicles

14.9%

4+ vehicles

8.2%

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

Brightwaters Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

2.1%

2 bedrooms

10.3%

3 bedrooms

38.7%

4 bedrooms

39.3%

5 bedrooms

8.8%

6+ bedrooms

0.9%

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

Brightwaters Population Mobility

14.3%

moved in the last year

35.1%

moved in the last 5 years

3.4%

unemployment rate (Census)

51.2%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Brightwaters Indigenous Population

4.8%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Indigenous residents

1,611

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Brightwaters Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

102

Arthritis

Asthma

Heart disease

Diabetes

Lung condition

Stroke

Cancer

Kidney disease

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

Brightwaters Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.9%

$1-$149/wk

4.0%

$150-$299/wk

4.3%

$300-$399/wk

4.7%

$400-$499/wk

4.0%

$500-$649/wk

5.4%

$650-$799/wk

9.7%

$800-$999/wk

12.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

11.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.8%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.2%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

7.7%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

3.3%

$3,500+/wk

3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Brightwaters Family Structure

Couple — no children

37.4%

Couple — children under 15

29.0%

Couple — no children under 15

19.9%

One parent — children under 15

8.5%

One parent — no children under 15

5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Brightwaters Military Service

🏅

Previously served

2.9% 21

👤

Never served

97.1% 692

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Brightwaters Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

14.3% 102

—

Did not provide

85.7% 609

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Brightwaters Children Ever Born

No children

23.3%

1 child

12.7%

2 children

36.4%

3 children

16.7%

4 children

9.4%

5+ children

1.5%

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

Brightwaters When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

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

Brightwaters Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

19.0%

5–14 hours

27.4%

15–29 hours

16.3%

30+ hours

15.2%

Did not do domestic work

22.0%

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

Brightwaters Household Size

1 person

21.3%

2 persons

44.7%

3 persons

13.0%

4 persons

14.4%

5 persons

4.3%

6+ persons

2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Brightwaters Where Residents Moved From

Same address

718

Moved from NSW

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from VIC

Moved from QLD

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

Brightwaters Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

83.5%

Step family — no other children

16.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Brightwaters Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 3 total

Sexual Offences

Other Against Person

Other Against Property

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Brightwaters Schools

schools nearby

government

963

avg ICSEA score

482

total students

Brightwaters Christian College Independent

Combined · K-10 · 106 students

1001

ICSEA

Bonnells Bay Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 376 students

925

ICSEA

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

View all schools in Brightwaters with map →

Brightwaters Rent Prices & Affordability

27%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,419/wk

Median Rent $390/wk

Rent-to-Income 27.5%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Brightwaters

Your weekly income

≈ $6,149/month

Median rent $390/wk

Left after rent $1,029/wk

Rent share 27.5%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Moonbi

Income: $660/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $170/wk

Crescent Head

Income: $674/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $70/wk

Braidwood

Income: $776/wk Rent: $345/wk Save: $45/wk

Batlow

Income: $602/wk Rent: $180/wk Save: $210/wk

Holbrook

Income: $628/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $205/wk

Booragul

Income: $613/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $70/wk

Moruya Heads

Income: $714/wk Rent: $350/wk Save: $40/wk

Dora Creek

Income: $726/wk Rent: $380/wk Save: $10/wk

Brightwaters vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Ariah Park

Pop: 439 Income: $601/wk Rent: $160/wk

Hyland Park

Pop: 440 Income: $533/wk Rent: $350/wk

Woodville (NSW)

Pop: 440 Income: $904/wk Rent: $360/wk

Bilambil

Pop: 441 Income: $643/wk Rent: $340/wk

Fernmount

Pop: 444 Income: $769/wk Rent: $350/wk

Ravenswood (NSW)

Pop: 444 Income: $520/wk Rent: $200/wk

Compare Brightwaters

Brightwaters vs Ariah Park →Brightwaters vs Hyland Park →Brightwaters vs Woodville (NSW) →Brightwaters vs Bilambil →

Frequently Asked Questions About Brightwaters

What is the population of Brightwaters NSW?

The population of Brightwaters NSW is 875 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 517.1 people per km².Brightwaters is ranked #4,165 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Brightwaters?

The median personal income in Brightwaters NSW is $752 per week, or $39,104 per year.The median household income is $1,419 per week.Family income is $1,819 per week.Brightwaters is ranked #4,475 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Brightwaters?

Median rent in Brightwaters NSW is $390 per week ($1,690 per month).Rent represents 27.5% of household income, which is considered moderate.Brightwaters ranks #2,258 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Brightwaters?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Brightwaters NSW is $2,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Brightwaters?

The median age in Brightwaters NSW is 50 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Brightwaters a good suburb to live in?

Brightwaters is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 875.The median income is $752/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (27.5% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

📊 Australian Average Salary 🏘️ Australian House Prices 🌆 Sydney Cost of Living

Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 10567. All dollar figures in AUD.