VIC · Merri-bek Council
Est. population · Jun 2025
16,282
Growth (1 yr)
+2.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+6.5%
Median age
34
Median income
$1,797/wk
Employment rate
68.9%
University qualified
48.3%
Work from home
37.2%
Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025
$1,366,000
Languages at home
28.6%non-English
Most common: Greek, Italian, Arabic
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
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Suburb profile
Brunswick West is a mixed commercial-residential suburb of Melbourne, in Merri-bek Council, with mainly dense residential and commercial development.
Public transport is a very strong feature of the suburb, with public transport 77% above the peer median. Health access is a very strong feature of the suburb, with health access 89% above the peer median. Childcare access is strong, with childcare access 100% above the peer median. Rents are relatively affordable. The clearer weaknesses are thinner heritage listings and fewer university qualifications.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising lower rents and childcare over heritage character.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Mixed commercial-residential suburb · compared with mixed commercial-residential suburbs in Victoria (30)
Who it suits
Housing, growth and risk
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.37M
+1.0% change
Median rent
$550/wk
Population (ERP)
16,282
+2.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
13.4%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#20
among Metro Melbourne · Growth area
Crime rate
68th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
94th
percentile in VIC
Rented dwellings
49%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
92nd
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Data sources & freshness
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)
Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band
Data sources & freshness
Estimated resident population
16,282(June 2025)
+2.9% annual · +6.5% over 5 years · 94th percentile in VIC
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
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 (~17,150), extrapolated at +1.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
48.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 9% have a trade or vocational qualification.
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
| Measure | Definition |
|---|---|
| University qualified | Bachelor degree or higher |
| Diploma qualified | Advanced Diploma / Diploma |
| Trade / vocational | Certificate III + IV |
| Year 12 | Year 12 as highest attainment |
| Below Year 12 | Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below |
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
87th percentile in VIC · +11% vs Australia
83rd percentile in VIC · +5% vs Australia
57th percentile in VIC · -6% vs Australia
21st percentile in VIC · -7% vs Australia
62nd percentile in VIC · +15% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3055 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
28.6% speak a language other than English at home; 31% born overseas
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
51.1%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 51.1%, while Christianity accounts for 33.3%.
| Measure | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| No religion | 51.1% | 38.8% |
| Christianity | 33.3% | 40.9% |
| Hinduism | 2% | 3.3% |
| Islam | 4.1% | 4.2% |
| Buddhism | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Other / not stated | 7.3% | 9.7% |
| Denomination | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 19.8% | 20.5% |
| Eastern Orthodox | 6.4% | 3.3% |
| Anglican | 2.7% | 6.5% |
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Data sources & freshness
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
6 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Childcare centres per 1,000 residents
Data sources & freshness
92 public transport stops in this suburb
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability
Data sources & freshness
322 mapped amenities
11 restaurants · 12 cafes · 1 pubs · 2 bars · 4 supermarkets · 4 pharmacies · 9 fast food · 1 bakeries
38 Grantham Street
168 Melville Road, Brunswick West
59a Melville Road, Brunswick West
366 Moreland Road
35 Grantham Street, Brunswick West
227 Melville Road, Brunswick West
414 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
49 Pearson Street, Brunswick West
Melville Road, Brunswick West
Victoria Street, Brunswick West
488 Albion Street
9 Grantham Street, Brunswick West
47 Pearson Street
434 Albion Street
229-231 Melville Road, Brunswick West
87 Melville Road, Brunswick West
Unit 12 190 Union Street, Brunswick West
71 Melville Road
47 Grantham Street, Brunswick West
Unit 13 190-196 Grantham Street, Brunswick West
Unit 14 190-196 Grantham Street, Brunswick West
Unit 15 190-196 Grantham Street
241 Melville Road, Brunswick West
42 Grantham Street
190 Union Street, Brunswick West
239 Melville Road, Brunswick West
360 Moreland Road
190 Union Street
Unit 2 6 Olive York Way, Brunswick West
35a Heller Street
27-31 Melville Road, Brunswick West
430 Moreland Road
34 Grantham Street
418 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
18a Wales Street
220 Melville Road, Brunswick West
2 Culloden Street
5A South Daly Street
185 Hope Street
245 Melville Road
228 Melville Road, Brunswick West
223 Melville Road
11 Melville Road
249-251 Melville Road
167-171 Dawson Street, Brunswick West
448 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
51 bus stops · 11 tram stops
247 Melville Road, Brunswick West
82 Melville Road
Shop 10C Grantham Street
Moreland Road, Brunswick West
479 Victoria Street
412 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
67A Melville Road, Brunswick West
465 Victoria Street, Brunswick West
372 Moreland Road
36 Grantham Street
503 Victoria Street
243 Melville Road, Brunswick West
129 Melville Road
237 Melville Road, Brunswick West
384 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
183 Hope Street
414 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
217 Dawson Street
34 Grantham Street
430 Albion Street, Brunswick West
17 Egginton Street, Brunswick West
410 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
552 Moreland Road
225 Melville Road, Brunswick West
73 Melville Road
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
2 named sporting clubs in this suburb
Hockey · Soccer
Tennis · +61 418 397 287
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Data sources & freshness
12 parks and public open space in this suburb
Data sources & freshness
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
5 places of worship within ~1.5 km
384 Moreland Road, Brunswick West
183 Hope Street
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Hospitals, GPs and aged care
Data sources & freshness
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
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.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
136 planning-related records
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
Data sources & freshness
2 heritage places
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Two-party preferred (2025)
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1.9 km away).
3.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.4 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
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
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).
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 (12%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)
Data sources & freshness
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.