Brighton-Le-Sands vs Monterey

In both, most households own their home. In Brighton-Le-Sands, most homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Monterey: a median of $2.56 million, against $2.33 million in Brighton-Le-Sands, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Brighton-Le-Sands tends to suit people living alone.

Brighton-Le-Sands is a larger, more walkable suburb closer to the CBD, with a walkability score of 84 compared to Monterey's 68. However, Monterey has notably higher median household income at $92,820 versus $82,264, and ranks higher on liveability (80 versus 71) and socio-economic standing (9 versus 7). Property prices are notably higher in Monterey—houses at $2,550,000 and units at $905,000 compared to $2,250,000 and $770,000 respectively. Brighton-Le-Sands may suit those prioritising walkability and proximity to the city, while Monterey appeals to buyers seeking a more affluent, quieter neighbourhood.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Monterey

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (44% vs 30%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 47%)
  • But Brighton-Le-Sands has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brighton-Le-Sands

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (45% vs 31%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Brighton-Le-Sands

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (84/100 vs 68/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Brighton-Le-Sands

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (70% vs 56%)
  • is more walkable (84/100 vs 68/100)
  • But Monterey carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 57/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Brighton-Le-Sands and Monterey drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Walkability 84 / 68
Brighton-Le-Sands — Walkability: 84/100 Monterey — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 43 / 71
Brighton-Le-Sands — Safety: 43/100 Monterey — Safety: 71/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Brighton-Le-Sands — Low fire risk: 100/100 Monterey — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Brighton-Le-Sands has more residents (8,336 vs 4,619); Monterey has higher household incomes ($92,820 vs $82,264).

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Population 8,336
+45% vs other
 4,619
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.1% +1.9%
Median age 43 44
Median household income $82,264/yr $92,820/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $480/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
0-4 5.2% / 4.5%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 0-4: 5.2% Monterey — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 8.9% / 10.0%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 5-14: 8.9% Monterey — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 4.5% / 4.9%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 15-19: 4.5% Monterey — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 4.6% / 5.6%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 20-24: 4.6% Monterey — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 13.3% / 12.0%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 25-34: 13.3% Monterey — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 15.6% / 13.5%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 35-44: 15.6% Monterey — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 14.5% / 15.3%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 45-54: 14.5% Monterey — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 12.5% / 12.6%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 55-64: 12.5% Monterey — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 10.7% / 10.2%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 65-74: 10.7% Monterey — 65-74: 10.2%
75-84 7.3% / 8.2%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 75-84: 7.3% Monterey — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 2.8% / 3.1%
Brighton-Le-Sands — 85+: 2.8% Monterey — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brighton-Le-Sands 46.1% lone person
Brighton-Le-Sands — Lone Person: 46.1% Brighton-Le-Sands — Couple Families: 31.4% Brighton-Le-Sands — One Parent Families: 15.3% Brighton-Le-Sands — Group Household: 5.1% Brighton-Le-Sands — Other Families: 2.0%
Monterey 37.7% lone person
Monterey — Lone Person: 37.7% Monterey — Couple Families: 42.3% Monterey — One Parent Families: 15.4% Monterey — Group Household: 3.1% Monterey — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brighton-Le-Sands 44.9% renting
Brighton-Le-Sands — Owned Outright: 31.7% Brighton-Le-Sands — Mortgage: 23.4% Brighton-Le-Sands — Renting: 44.9%
Monterey 31.2% renting
Monterey — Owned Outright: 38.1% Monterey — Mortgage: 30.7% Monterey — Renting: 31.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Bachelor Degree 14.9% / 17.5%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Bachelor Degree: 14.9% Monterey — Bachelor Degree: 17.5%
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 10.7%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Monterey — Certificate III & IV: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 9.4%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Monterey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 5.8% / 5.2%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Postgraduate Degree: 5.8% Monterey — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.4%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Monterey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Greece 5.0% / 5.9%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Greece: 5.0% Monterey — Greece: 5.9%
Egypt 2.7% / 4.1%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Egypt: 2.7% Monterey — Egypt: 4.1%
China 1.6% / 2.2%
Brighton-Le-Sands — China: 1.6% Monterey — China: 2.2%
England 1.6% / 1.6%
Brighton-Le-Sands — England: 1.6% Monterey — England: 1.6%
Lebanon 1.6% / 1.3%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Lebanon: 1.6% Monterey — Lebanon: 1.3%
Brazil 2.5% / —
Brighton-Le-Sands — Brazil: 2.5% Monterey — Brazil: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brighton-Le-Sands 60.4% flats / apartments
Brighton-Le-Sands — Flats / Apartments: 60.4% Brighton-Le-Sands — Houses: 29.7% Brighton-Le-Sands — Townhouses: 10.0%
Monterey 34.8% flats / apartments
Monterey — Flats / Apartments: 34.8% Monterey — Houses: 43.6% Monterey — Townhouses: 21.6%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Median house price $2,335,000 $2,564,000
Median unit price $855,000 $841,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 20 sales
 25 days
from 15 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
2 bed $845K / $834K
Brighton-Le-Sands — 2 bed: $845K (72 sales) Monterey — 2 bed: $834K (36 sales)

72 vs 36 sales

3 bed $1.2M / $1.18M
Brighton-Le-Sands — 3 bed: $1.2M (17 sales) Monterey — 3 bed: $1.18M (9 sales)

17 vs 9 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
3 bed $2.28M / $2.28M
Brighton-Le-Sands — 3 bed: $2.28M (12 sales) Monterey — 3 bed: $2.28M (11 sales)

12 vs 11 sales

4 bed $2.29M / $2.56M
Brighton-Le-Sands — 4 bed: $2.29M (19 sales) Monterey — 4 bed: $2.56M (14 sales)

19 vs 14 sales

5 bed $2.63M / $2.79M
Brighton-Le-Sands — 5 bed: $2.63M (8 sales) Monterey — 5 bed: $2.79M (12 sales)

8 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Residential 74% 69%
Infrastructure and transport 16% 14%
Parks and recreation 7% 16%
Planning zones cover 97% of Brighton-Le-Sands and 99% of Monterey. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
New dwellings approved 857
across Bayside (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +98%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Houses — 2.6%
$1,200/wk on $2.38M
Units — 4.3%
$680/wk on $830K

Ranking within NSW

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
House price Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Income Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Schools Higher than 62% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 7% of NSW
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 9% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Brighton-Le-Sands is more walkable (84 vs 68); Monterey scores higher overall (78 vs 71).

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Grade A
same for both
Score 71/100 78/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Brighton-Le-Sands carries more crime risk (57 vs 29).

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Low
29/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
66/100
 High
76/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of New South Wales, 8.0 km
 2
The University of New South Wales, 9.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.2% 2.4%

Schools in Brighton-Le-Sands

  • St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School Brighton Le Sands Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Brighton-Le-Sands Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Cairnsfoot School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Monterey

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 13 3
Parks & reserves 5 3
Childcare 11 3
GPs 5 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Walkability score 84/100 68/100
Distance to Sydney 15.8 km 17.3 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min 22 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 135.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 110.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2216
 1.2%
postcode 2217
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 10
postcode 2216
 12
postcode 2217

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Car (driver) 49.0% / 51.0%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Car (driver): 49.0% Monterey — Car (driver): 51.0%
Worked from Home 38.4% / 39.7%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Worked from Home: 38.4% Monterey — Worked from Home: 39.7%
Train 5.4% / 3.1%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Train: 5.4% Monterey — Train: 3.1%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 3.5%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Car (passenger): 3.2% Monterey — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 2.5% / 1.1%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Walked Only: 2.5% Monterey — Walked Only: 1.1%
Bus 1.1% / 1.1%
Brighton-Le-Sands — Bus: 1.1% Monterey — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.0%).

Setting

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 417 m 401 m
3.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Connectivity score 73/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 17%
4,859 premises
 25%
2,132 premises

Climate

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Annual rainfall 1,129 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.79 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Average residential rate $1,217/yr
same for both
Council Bayside (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Division Kingsford Smith
same for both
Member Matt Thistlethwaite
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brighton-Le-Sands

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

Monterey

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brighton-Le-Sands

Brighton-Le-Sands vs Rockdale Brighton-Le-Sands vs Banksia Brighton-Le-Sands vs Kyeemagh

Other comparisons with Monterey

Monterey vs Kogarah Monterey vs Rockdale Monterey vs Ramsgate Beach Monterey vs Ramsgate
Full data on Brighton-Le-Sands Full data on Monterey
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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