Brunswick East vs Coburg

Brunswick East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Coburg. In Brunswick East, about half of households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In Coburg, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Brunswick East: a median of $1.44 million, against $1.24 million in Coburg. Brunswick East is closer to the city centre: 5.9 km, against 7.9 km. On these figures, Brunswick East tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

Coburg

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (14 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (23 vs 6)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (65% vs 23%)

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

First-home buyers

Coburg

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,235,000 vs $1,435,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brunswick East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 34%)

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

Commuting to the city

Brunswick East

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (15 min vs 21 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (5.9 km vs 7.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Coburg

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (8 vs 4)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 9%)
  • But Brunswick East has more units and townhouses to downsize into (77% vs 35%)

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

Investors

Brunswick East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.4% vs 1.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Brunswick East and Coburg drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Brunswick East Coburg
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.

Brunswick East Coburg
Walkability 94 / 99
Brunswick East — Walkability: 94/100 Coburg — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 25 / 22
Brunswick East — Safety: 25/100 Coburg — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Brunswick East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Coburg — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 49
Brunswick East — Low flood risk: 37/100 Coburg — Low flood risk: 49/100

Demographics

Coburg has more residents (26,574 vs 13,279); Coburg skews older (37 vs 33).

Brunswick East Coburg
Population 13,279 26,574
+100% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.4% +1.5%
Median age 33 37
Median household income $108,576/yr
+1% vs other
 $107,380/yr
Median weekly rent $421/wk $430/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East Coburg
0-4 3.7% / 5.3%
Brunswick East — 0-4: 3.7% Coburg — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 5.7% / 9.9%
Brunswick East — 5-14: 5.7% Coburg — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 2.7% / 4.4%
Brunswick East — 15-19: 2.7% Coburg — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 8.1% / 6.8%
Brunswick East — 20-24: 8.1% Coburg — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 33.5% / 19.0%
Brunswick East — 25-34: 33.5% Coburg — 25-34: 19.0%
35-44 20.0% / 16.6%
Brunswick East — 35-44: 20.0% Coburg — 35-44: 16.6%
45-54 10.6% / 13.8%
Brunswick East — 45-54: 10.6% Coburg — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 7.0% / 10.1%
Brunswick East — 55-64: 7.0% Coburg — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 4.5% / 7.1%
Brunswick East — 65-74: 4.5% Coburg — 65-74: 7.1%
75-84 2.8% / 4.6%
Brunswick East — 75-84: 2.8% Coburg — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 1.3% / 2.4%
Brunswick East — 85+: 1.3% Coburg — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East 53.3% lone person
Brunswick East — Lone Person: 53.3% Brunswick East — Couple Families: 19.3% Brunswick East — Group Household: 17.2% Brunswick East — One Parent Families: 8.0% Brunswick East — Other Families: 2.1%
Coburg 33.5% lone person
Coburg — Lone Person: 33.5% Coburg — Couple Families: 39.9% Coburg — Group Household: 11.9% Coburg — One Parent Families: 12.5% Coburg — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East 54.5% renting
Brunswick East — Owned Outright: 18.4% Brunswick East — Mortgage: 27.1% Brunswick East — Renting: 54.5%
Coburg 34.0% renting
Coburg — Owned Outright: 33.1% Coburg — Mortgage: 32.9% Coburg — Renting: 34.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brunswick East Coburg
Bachelor Degree 31.3% / 21.2%
Brunswick East — Bachelor Degree: 31.3% Coburg — Bachelor Degree: 21.2%
Postgraduate Degree 16.4% / 10.3%
Brunswick East — Postgraduate Degree: 16.4% Coburg — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 7.5%
Brunswick East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Coburg — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 7.8%
Brunswick East — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Coburg — Certificate III & IV: 7.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.0% / 3.9%
Brunswick East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.0% Coburg — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.3%).

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.

Brunswick East Coburg
Italy 2.8% / 4.4%
Brunswick East — Italy: 2.8% Coburg — Italy: 4.4%
England 3.9% / 2.4%
Brunswick East — England: 3.9% Coburg — England: 2.4%
New Zealand 3.0% / 1.8%
Brunswick East — New Zealand: 3.0% Coburg — New Zealand: 1.8%
Greece 1.3% / 2.6%
Brunswick East — Greece: 1.3% Coburg — Greece: 2.6%
Lebanon 0.6% / 2.3%
Brunswick East — Lebanon: 0.6% Coburg — Lebanon: 2.3%
Malaysia 1.0% / —
Brunswick East — Malaysia: 1.0% Coburg — Malaysia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East 22.6% houses
Brunswick East — Houses: 22.6% Brunswick East — Flats / Apartments: 51.6% Brunswick East — Townhouses: 25.8%
Coburg 65.1% houses
Coburg — Houses: 65.1% Coburg — Flats / Apartments: 10.6% Coburg — Townhouses: 24.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Brunswick East Coburg
Median house price $1,435,000 $1,235,000
Median unit price $530,000 $522,500
Median land price — $1,250,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 93 sales
 24 days
from 264 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.

Brunswick East Coburg
2 bed $1.21M / $1.01M
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $1.21M (40 sales) Coburg — 2 bed: $1.01M (85 sales)

40 vs 85 sales

3 bed $1.46M / $1.22M
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $1.46M (73 sales) Coburg — 3 bed: $1.22M (193 sales)

73 vs 193 sales

4 bed $1.77M / $1.43M
Brunswick East — 4 bed: $1.77M (20 sales) Coburg — 4 bed: $1.43M (93 sales)

20 vs 93 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.

Brunswick East Coburg
1 bed $388K / $392K
Brunswick East — 1 bed: $388K (128 sales) Coburg — 1 bed: $392K (82 sales)

128 vs 82 sales

2 bed $585K / $600K
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $585K (212 sales) Coburg — 2 bed: $600K (123 sales)

212 vs 123 sales

3 bed $820K / $690K
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $820K (20 sales) Coburg — 3 bed: $690K (17 sales)

20 vs 17 sales

Zoning mix

Brunswick East Coburg
Residential 63% 77%
Parks and recreation 15% 6%
Commercial 12% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 8%
Industrial 4% 0%
Other and special use 2% 0%
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

Brunswick East Coburg
New dwellings approved 1,387
across Merri-bek
same for both
Approvals change year on year +68%
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.

Brunswick East Coburg
Houses 3.5%
$840/wk on $1.25M
 3.4%
$750/wk on $1.15M
Units 5.5%
$580/wk on $545K
 5.3%
$550/wk on $540K

Ranking within VIC

Brunswick East Coburg
House price Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Income Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC

Liveability

Brunswick East scores higher overall (76 vs 67).

Brunswick East Coburg
Grade A B
Score 76/100 67/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Brunswick East carries more flood risk (63 vs 51).

Brunswick East Coburg
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 High
78/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
51/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Brunswick East Coburg
Inside the suburb 3 14
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 1 5
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 3.0 km
 3
The University of Melbourne, 4.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 2.9%

Schools in Brunswick East

  • Our Lady Help of Christians School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Brunswick East Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Brunswick South Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Coburg

  • St Bernard's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Paul's School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Coburg High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Fidelis' School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Australian International Academy of Education Independent · Combined below peers
  • Coburg North Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Brunswick East Coburg
Supermarkets 6 9
Cafes & restaurants 65 67
Parks & reserves 16 33
Childcare 6 23
GPs 4 8
Pharmacies 4 9
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 7
Fuel stations 2 5
EV chargers 1 2
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Coburg sits further from the CBD (7.9 km vs 5.9 km).

Brunswick East Coburg
Walkability score 94/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 5.9 km 7.9 km
+34% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 21 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 430.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 754.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3057
 1.5%
postcode 3058
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 11
postcode 3057
 26
postcode 3058

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.

Brunswick East Coburg
Worked from Home 54.8% / 45.4%
Brunswick East — Worked from Home: 54.8% Coburg — Worked from Home: 45.4%
Car (driver) 24.5% / 37.3%
Brunswick East — Car (driver): 24.5% Coburg — Car (driver): 37.3%
Tram / Light Rail 7.3% / 3.6%
Brunswick East — Tram / Light Rail: 7.3% Coburg — Tram / Light Rail: 3.6%
Bicycle 6.5% / 3.8%
Brunswick East — Bicycle: 6.5% Coburg — Bicycle: 3.8%
Walked Only 3.4% / 2.4%
Brunswick East — Walked Only: 3.4% Coburg — Walked Only: 2.4%
Train 1.1% / 3.9%
Brunswick East — Train: 1.1% Coburg — Train: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.8%).

Setting

Brunswick East Coburg
Elevation 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.0 km 11.1 km

NBN connectivity

Brunswick East Coburg
Connectivity score 96/100 82/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 86%
8,455 premises
 26%
13,334 premises

Climate

Brunswick East Coburg
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Brunswick East Coburg
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³ 7.3 µg/m³
PM10 — 17.8 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.82 pphm

Council rates

Brunswick East Coburg
Average residential rate $1,914/yr
same for both
Council Merri-bek
same for both

Federal electorate

Brunswick East Coburg
Division Wills
same for both
Member Peter Khalil
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brunswick East Coburg
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brunswick East

Apartments Cafe Culture Gentrifying Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Coburg

Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brunswick East

Brunswick East vs Northcote Brunswick East vs Brunswick Brunswick East vs Thornbury Brunswick East vs Fitzroy North Brunswick East vs Carlton North Brunswick East vs Princes Hill

Other comparisons with Coburg

Coburg vs Preston Coburg vs Brunswick Coburg vs Thornbury Coburg vs Pascoe Vale Coburg vs Brunswick West Coburg vs Pascoe Vale South
Full data on Brunswick East Full data on Coburg
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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