Brighton (Vic.)
VICBrighton (Vic.) is a stable suburb in VIC with 23,252 residents.
- SAL code
- 20337
- SA2
- 208011169
- Population
- 23,252
Brighton (Vic.), VIC had 23,252 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 0.8% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 45-54 years, and the median age sits at 48. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,467 a month. Around 73.2% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 45.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 57.5% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 29 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Brighton (Vic.), VIC at a glance
Brighton sits ~11 km south of Melbourne CBD on Port Phillip Bay, in the City of Bayside. Stately period homes, the Sandringham line, and the iconic bathing boxes define it. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council context they don't.
For homebuyers
Brighton trades on bayside lifestyle and grand homes. Period mansions and contemporary luxury rebuilds dominate; pockets of art-deco apartments fill in around the train stations. Three Sandringham-line stations — North Brighton, Middle Brighton, and Brighton Beach — put you ~25 minutes from Flinders Street. The bay frontage, Dendy Street Beach, and the colourful bathing boxes are the recreation anchor; Brighton Golf Club, Elsternwick Park, and Green Point round out the open space. Church Street and Bay Street are the dual shopping spines (Bay Street is the village; Church Street the boutique strip). Schools are a major draw: Brighton Grammar, Firbank Grammar, St Leonard's College, Haileybury Castlefield, and Brighton Secondary College all sit within the suburb. In short: an established bayside suburb where the price of entry buys access to elite schools, the beach, and a fast city run.
For investors
Brighton is a low-yield, capital-growth market that has cooled. Median house sale ~$3.12M against $1,490/week rent gives a ~2.11% gross yield; units sit around $790/week and ~3.54% yield (Your Investment Property April 2026). 12-month house growth was -9.55% — a softening, not a rally. Days-on-market sit at 43 (houses) per htag.com.au; ~279 house sales and 249 unit sales rolled through the past 12 months.
Strengths
- Liquidity: ~528 combined house + unit sales in 12 months means an exit market always exists.
- Tenant covenant: high-income professional renters underpin rent stability even at low yields.
- Brand-name school catchments (Brighton Grammar, Firbank, St Leonard's) anchor long-term family demand.
- Three-station Sandringham-line frontage keeps CBD commute proxies tight (~25 min to Flinders Street).
Trade-offs
- Yields are thin — houses ~2.11%, well below holding costs at current rates.
- 12-month price action is negative (-9.55% houses), so timing matters more than usual.
- Capital required is exceptional: $3M-plus median puts Brighton out of reach for most leveraged investors.
- Unit days-on-market can stretch past 80 days on some measures — apartment stock is slower to clear than the house segment.
What's coming
Bayside City Council's 2025-26 budget includes ~$58.6M of capital works, with $5.6M earmarked over four years for the Green Point tourist precinct upgrade in Brighton, Middle Brighton Baths toilet/shower renewal ($0.5M), and playground refresh works across Bayside reserves. The Warm Water Pool ($26M) is deferred pending an aquatics feasibility study during 2025-26.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a flagship bayside address with elite schools and a fast train, at flagship prices. For investors: a capital-preservation play with weak yield and a softening 12-month tape.
Population
?23,252
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+0.8%
3yr: +6.3% · 10yr: +1.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,710/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
48
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?10/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.9%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
8
7 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?18
8 long day, 6 OSHC
Parks & green space
?29
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?97
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Brighton (Vic.) (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Brighton (Vic.) suburb alone is ~23,252 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 21,029 to 24,340 over 24 years, averaging 0.6% per year.
Schools
8 in suburbSector
3 public · 5 private
Type
5 primary · 1 secondary · 2 K-12
Total enrolment
5,756
Avg per school
720
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.4%Predominantly detached houses (57.5%), owner-occupied (73.2%).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: Vicmap Planning — Bushfire Prone Area + Vicmap flood overlays.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
15 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRZ3 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 33.0% | 2.76 km² |
| HCTZ2 | HCTZ2Other | 28.2% | 2.36 km² |
| HCTZ1 | HCTZ1Other | 15.1% | 1.27 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 9.1% | 0.76 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 4.1% | 0.34 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 2.9% | 0.24 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 2.2% | 0.18 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 1.7% | 0.14 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 1.4% | 0.12 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.7% | 0.06 km² |
| GRZ9 | General Residential Zone Schedule 9Residential | 0.4% | 0.04 km² |
| NRZ4 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 0.4% | 0.03 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.3% | 0.03 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| RGZ2 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.