Brunswick (Vic.)
VICBrunswick (Vic.) is a growing suburb in VIC with 24,896 residents.
- SAL code
- 20361
- SA2
- 206011496
- Population
- 24,896
- LGA
- Moreland
Brunswick (Vic.), VIC had 24,896 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 7.9% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 34. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,162 a month. Around 49.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 48.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 35.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 30 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
Brunswick (Vic.), VIC at a glance
Brunswick is an inner-north Melbourne suburb ~5-6 km from the CBD in Merri-bek City (formerly Moreland). Sydney Road is the spine — trams, terrace shopfronts, an Italian/Greek/Middle-Eastern food map, and a live-music + arts scene that's outlasted gentrification. Housing is a mix of Victorian/Edwardian terraces and a heavy build-out of medium-density apartments along the rail and tram corridors. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Brunswick suits people who want walkable inner-city life with character intact. Sydney Road carries Tram 19 straight into the CBD; Upfield-line stations at Jewell, Brunswick and Anstey put you ~15-20 min from Flinders Street. Tram 96 runs through East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach. Barkly Square is the closest covered shopping; the strip from Albert St to Albion handles cafes, bars, grocers and the Brunswick Mechanics Institute. Brunswick Secondary College on Dawson Street is the in-zone state high; RMIT's Brunswick campus and the University of Melbourne are both a short tram ride. Housing-stock-wise expect single-fronted Victorian terraces, post-war double-fronts, and a thick band of newer apartments along the rail corridor — the dwelling tiles below show the split. In short: a creative, dense, transport-rich inner suburb where the tram and the food map matter as much as the floorplan.
For investors
Brunswick is a tight-supply, growth-skewed inner-north market. Median house ~$1.29M against $718/wk rent gives a ~3.19% gross house yield; units are stronger at ~4.91% on a $580/wk median (Your Investment Property May 2026). HTAG reports stock-on-market at 0.19% with 32 days-on-market and an 86.4% auction clearance — supply is the constraint. ~262 house sales in the past 12 months; 12-month house growth ~2.17%.
Strengths
- Inner-city scarcity: stock-on-market ~0.19% and inventory ~0.6 months (HTAG, 2026) — limited downside on price.
- Auction clearance ~86.4% (HTAG, 2026) signals consistent buyer competition.
- Unit yields ~4.9% on $580/wk rent (YIP, May 2026) — a workable cashflow point for an inner Melbourne suburb.
- Dual-corridor transport (Upfield rail + Sydney Rd tram) supports tenant demand from RMIT, Melbourne Uni and CBD workers.
Trade-offs
- House gross yield ~3.1-3.2% (YIP / HTAG, 2026) — capital-growth play, not cashflow.
- House capital growth only ~2.17% YoY (YIP, May 2026) — softer than the long-run inner-Melbourne pattern.
- Apartment build-out along the rail corridor keeps unit supply elevated — pick the stock carefully.
- Entry price ~$1.29M (houses) limits the buyer pool and stretches debt-serviceability calcs.
What's coming
Merri-bek's 2025/26 capital works program is $93.9M. Brunswick-specific items include construction of the $12.5M Brunswick Early Years Hub and finalisation of the Saxon Street Brunswick facility + open space. Council-wide: $23.2M roads/carparks renewal, $16.4M parks and streetscapes, plus the $60M Coburg Library and Piazza in design phase nearby (Merri-bek 2025-29 Adopted Budget).
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a transport-rich, character-heavy inner suburb where the lifestyle premium is the point. For investors: a scarcity-driven growth market — units carry the yield, houses carry the long capital story.
Population
?24,896
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+7.9%
3yr: +15.5% · 10yr: +13.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,096/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
34
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?9/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?5.7%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?13
9 long day, 4 OSHC
Parks & green space
?30
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?85
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 — Brunswick - South (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Brunswick (Vic.) suburb alone is ~24,896 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 9,383 to 15,366 over 24 years, averaging 2.1% per year.
Schools
4 in suburbSector
3 public · 1 private
Type
2 primary · 2 secondary
Total enrolment
1,784
Avg per school
446
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 2.1%Mostly detached houses (35.7%), mixed tenure (49.9% own or mortgage), built for families (44% are 2 bed).
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
16 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCTZ2 | HCTZ2Other | 26.3% | 1.31 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 17.9% | 0.89 km² |
| HCTZ1 | HCTZ1Other | 13.9% | 0.69 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 10.4% | 0.52 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 6.6% | 0.33 km² |
| MUZ1 | Mixed Use Zone Schedule 1Residential | 5.6% | 0.28 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 5.1% | 0.25 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 4.4% | 0.22 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 3.0% | 0.15 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 2.5% | 0.12 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 1.5% | 0.07 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 1.4% | 0.07 km² |
| PUZ3 | Public Use Zone Schedule 3Special use | 0.4% | 0.02 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.4% | 0.02 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.2% | 9,749 m² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 0.2% | 8,221 m² |
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.