Median house price
$1.38M
+15% change
NSW · Byron Council
Brunswick Heads, 2483
Est. population · Jun 2025
2,033
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+8.0%
Median age
47
Median income
$1,280/wk
Employment rate
52.1%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,382,000
Languages at home
6.2%non-English
Most common: French, German, Italian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Excellent transport
- Green suburb
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Brunswick Heads is a coastal smaller community a long way from Sydney, where beach life and a quieter rhythm set the tone. Regional towns and local services do more of the everyday heavy lifting than the city. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.
Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
Against similar coastal suburbs, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus safety lag behind, despite relative strength in growth momentum.
At a glance
Brunswick Heads snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$850/wk
Houses $925 · Units $620
Population (ERP)
2,033
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
17.4%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#53
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
39th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
69th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
58th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 39.1/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3925th in Australia
- State rank
- 1198th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #53 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #116 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $620
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $925
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $850
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 81
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,382,000
- Median price change
- +15.2%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
2,033(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +8.0% over 5 years · 69th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +8.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +22
- Change in 5 years
- +150
- Growth rank in NSW
- 69th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~2,200), extrapolated at +1.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 1,905
- Median age
- 47
- Median household income / week
- $1,280
- Dwelling vacancy
- 17.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 170 of 979
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,001
- Employment rate
- 52.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 479 / 49 / 152 (+ 112 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 117
- Against the person
- 33
- Against property
- 54
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 57.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 58 residents
- State safety percentile
- 38.6th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -2.2%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order50
- Domestic Violence Related Assault50
- Fraud47
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment68
- Malicious Damage To Property77
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,025
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 58th
School list
- Brunswick Heads Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1025 · 58th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 222 students · Top SEA quarter 19% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
26 public transport stops in this suburb
- Brunswick Heads Public School, Park St
- Gulgan Rd At Mullumbimby Rd
- Park St After Balun Lane
- Tweed St At Bayside Way
- Tweed St Opp Bayside Estate
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
18 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 supermarkets · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Well connected by public transport — 26 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 55/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.57
Shopping(1)
- Brunswick Village GreensSupermarket
Sport & outdoors(4)
- Picnic area
- Alby Lofts OvalSports field
- Sports field
- Stan Thompson OvalSports field
Transport(6)
6 bus stops
Other(7)
- Drinking FountainDrinking water
- Chalet MotelMotel
- Parking
- Pilgrim Memorial ParkParking
- Petrol station
- Public toilets
- TelstraTelephone
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Banner ParkPark
- Tom Kendall ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Byron Central Hospital (9.2 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 57
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 28.0
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 29° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 628 mm · ~78 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 26° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 552 mm · ~69 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 240 mm · ~30 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 282 mm · ~35 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 16 proposals
August 2026
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure5 BOOYUN STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Under Assessment
- Subdivision66 THE SADDLE ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Additional Information Requested
July 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)35 BAYSIDE WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Under Assessment
- Secondary dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure14 BAYSIDE WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
June 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool38 BOOYUN STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Additional Information Requested
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Rainwater tanks150 TANDYS LANE BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Under Assessment
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation55 FINGAL STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Under Assessment
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation44 MULLUMBIMBI STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Additional Information Requested
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Driveways and hard stand spaces; Residential Accommodation29 TWEED STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
April 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Fences; Swimming pool26 PANDANUS COURT BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure80 HARBOUR WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Under Assessment
March 2026
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)16 SHORT STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure24-34 BAYSIDE WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure30 SOUTH BEACH ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
January 2026
- Subdivision35 BAYSIDE WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Subdivision35 BAYSIDE WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
2025· 28 proposals
December 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure36A BOOYUN STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool62 MULLUMBIMBI STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Restaurant or cafe; Commercial development; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise30 FINGAL STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation46 MULLUMBIMBI STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
November 2025
- Demolition; Shop top housing; Restaurant or cafe; Business premises; Commercial development; Office Premise; Erection of a new structure; Car park; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise; Shop; Neighbourhood shop; Residential Accommodation3-5 Fingal Street, Brunswick HeadsUnder Assessment
- Outdoor dining - general; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Recreation facility (indoor); Food and drink premise38 TWEED STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation54 MULLUMBIMBI STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
October 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)4 OCEAN WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Subdivision66 THE SADDLE ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Deferred Commencement
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool72 TANDYS LANE BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Deferred Commencement
August 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Animal boarding or training establishment65 Hyrama Crescent Brunswick Heads, Lot 341 DP1177Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Group home66 THE SADDLE ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation16 SOUTH BEACH ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure5 BOOYUN STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure26 HYRAMA CRESCENT BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Navigation and emergency response facility; Other Infrastructure43 HARBOUR WAY BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Driveways and hard stand spaces; Residential Accommodation29 TWEED STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure187 THE SADDLE ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
June 2025
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)16 SHORT STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
May 2025
- Subdivision66 THE SADDLE ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation18 FAWCETT STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Recreation facility (indoor)14-16 TEVEN STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Pub; Commercial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise2-4 MULLUMBIMBI STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
April 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool8 NEWBERRY PARADE BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool18 OMEGA CIRCUIT BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
March 2025
- Outdoor dining - general; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Recreation facility (indoor); Food and drink premise38 TWEED STREET BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)5 AURANA PLACE BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation187 THE SADDLE ROAD BRUNSWICK HEADS 2483Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Richmond
- Member of Parliament
- Justine ELLIOT (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 126,814
- Turnout (2025)
- 89.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +1.8 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 40.0%Labor 60.0%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 11.6 km away).
Coalition 25.9%Labor 74.1%
14.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Brunswick HeadsLabor 74.9% · Coalition 25.1% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- Ocean ShoresLabor 71.9% · Coalition 28.1% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
- Mullumbimby SouthLabor 73.6% · Coalition 26.4% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
- MullumbimbyLabor 73.4% · Coalition 26.6% TPP (2025)4.7 km away
- Ocean Shores NorthLabor 76.0% · Coalition 23.9% TPP (2025)7.4 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 4/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Byron Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.