Brunswick East vs Fitzroy North

Brunswick East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 36 in Fitzroy North. In both, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Brunswick East, about half of homes are flats or apartments. Houses cost more in Fitzroy North: a median of $1.6 million, against $1.44 million in Brunswick East, and rent is higher there too. Fitzroy North is closer to the city centre: 4.7 km, against 5.9 km. On these figures, Brunswick East tends to suit young adults.

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

Fitzroy North

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (9 vs 6)
  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 16)

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

First-home buyers

Brunswick East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($530,000 vs $620,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,435,000 vs $1,600,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brunswick East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($421/wk vs $481/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Fitzroy North

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (10 vs 4)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 9%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Brunswick East is growing faster (15.4% vs 3.6%)
  • Fitzroy North returns a higher gross yield on units (6.4% vs 5.5%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Brunswick East and Fitzroy North 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 Fitzroy North
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 Fitzroy North
Walkability 94 / 99
Brunswick East — Walkability: 94/100 Fitzroy North — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 25 / 19
Brunswick East — Safety: 25/100 Fitzroy North — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Brunswick East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fitzroy North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 65
Brunswick East — Low flood risk: 37/100 Fitzroy North — Low flood risk: 65/100

Demographics

Fitzroy North rents higher ($481/wk vs $421/wk); Fitzroy North has higher household incomes ($119,600 vs $108,576).

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Population 13,279
+4% vs other
 12,781
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.4% +3.6%
Median age 33 36
Median household income $108,576/yr $119,600/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $421/wk $481/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
0-4 3.7% / 4.1%
Brunswick East — 0-4: 3.7% Fitzroy North — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 5.7% / 8.1%
Brunswick East — 5-14: 5.7% Fitzroy North — 5-14: 8.1%
15-19 2.7% / 3.5%
Brunswick East — 15-19: 2.7% Fitzroy North — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 8.1% / 6.6%
Brunswick East — 20-24: 8.1% Fitzroy North — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 33.5% / 24.7%
Brunswick East — 25-34: 33.5% Fitzroy North — 25-34: 24.7%
35-44 20.0% / 15.4%
Brunswick East — 35-44: 20.0% Fitzroy North — 35-44: 15.4%
45-54 10.6% / 12.1%
Brunswick East — 45-54: 10.6% Fitzroy North — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 7.0% / 9.8%
Brunswick East — 55-64: 7.0% Fitzroy North — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 4.5% / 8.2%
Brunswick East — 65-74: 4.5% Fitzroy North — 65-74: 8.2%
75-84 2.8% / 5.2%
Brunswick East — 75-84: 2.8% Fitzroy North — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 1.3% / 2.3%
Brunswick East — 85+: 1.3% Fitzroy North — 85+: 2.3%

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%
Fitzroy North 46.8% lone person
Fitzroy North — Lone Person: 46.8% Fitzroy North — Couple Families: 26.5% Fitzroy North — Group Household: 16.6% Fitzroy North — One Parent Families: 8.7% Fitzroy North — Other Families: 1.4%
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%
Fitzroy North 50.6% renting
Fitzroy North — Owned Outright: 26.5% Fitzroy North — Mortgage: 23.0% Fitzroy North — Renting: 50.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Bachelor Degree 31.3% / 30.8%
Brunswick East — Bachelor Degree: 31.3% Fitzroy North — Bachelor Degree: 30.8%
Postgraduate Degree 16.4% / 16.0%
Brunswick East — Postgraduate Degree: 16.4% Fitzroy North — Postgraduate Degree: 16.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.2%
Brunswick East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Fitzroy North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 4.7%
Brunswick East — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Fitzroy North — Certificate III & IV: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.0% / 5.2%
Brunswick East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.0% Fitzroy North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2%

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 Fitzroy North
England 3.9% / 4.7%
Brunswick East — England: 3.9% Fitzroy North — England: 4.7%
New Zealand 3.0% / 2.8%
Brunswick East — New Zealand: 3.0% Fitzroy North — New Zealand: 2.8%
Italy 2.8% / 1.9%
Brunswick East — Italy: 2.8% Fitzroy North — Italy: 1.9%
Greece 1.3% / 0.9%
Brunswick East — Greece: 1.3% Fitzroy North — Greece: 0.9%
China 1.0% / 0.9%
Brunswick East — China: 1.0% Fitzroy North — China: 0.9%
Malaysia 1.0% / —
Brunswick East — Malaysia: 1.0% Fitzroy North — Malaysia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East 51.6% flats / apartments
Brunswick East — Flats / Apartments: 51.6% Brunswick East — Townhouses: 25.8% Brunswick East — Houses: 22.6%
Fitzroy North 37.1% flats / apartments
Fitzroy North — Flats / Apartments: 37.1% Fitzroy North — Townhouses: 48.6% Fitzroy North — Houses: 14.3%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Median house price $1,435,000 $1,600,000
Median unit price $530,000 $620,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 93 sales
 23 days
from 113 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 Fitzroy North
2 bed $1.21M / $1.36M
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $1.21M (40 sales) Fitzroy North — 2 bed: $1.36M (78 sales)

40 vs 78 sales

3 bed $1.46M / $1.7M
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $1.46M (73 sales) Fitzroy North — 3 bed: $1.7M (77 sales)

73 vs 77 sales

4 bed $1.77M / $2.15M
Brunswick East — 4 bed: $1.77M (20 sales) Fitzroy North — 4 bed: $2.15M (40 sales)

20 vs 40 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 Fitzroy North
1 bed $388K / $429K
Brunswick East — 1 bed: $388K (128 sales) Fitzroy North — 1 bed: $429K (44 sales)

128 vs 44 sales

2 bed $585K / $689K
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $585K (212 sales) Fitzroy North — 2 bed: $689K (64 sales)

212 vs 64 sales

3 bed $820K / $1.15M
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $820K (20 sales) Fitzroy North — 3 bed: $1.15M (10 sales)

20 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Residential 63% 73%
Parks and recreation 15% 12%
Commercial 12% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 11%
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 Fitzroy North
New dwellings approved 1,387
across Merri-bek
 1,675
across Yarra
Approvals change year on year +68% +646%

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 Fitzroy North
Houses 3.5%
$840/wk on $1.25M
 3.5%
$1,050/wk on $1.57M
Units 5.5%
$580/wk on $545K
 6.4%
$775/wk on $625K

Ranking within VIC

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
House price Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Income Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Schools Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC

Liveability

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Grade A
same for both
Score 76/100 74/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brunswick East carries more flood risk (63 vs 35).

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 High
81/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Low
35/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 18
within 5 km

Schools

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Inside the suburb 3 8
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 1 3
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 3.0 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 1.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 3.3%

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 Fitzroy North

  • Fitzroy Community School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Merri Creek Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Deutsche Schule Melbourne Independent · Primary below peers
  • Fitzroy High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Fitzroy North Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Fitzroy High School - Wurun Senior Campus Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Supermarkets 6 3
Cafes & restaurants 65 46
Parks & reserves 16 21
Childcare 6 9
GPs 4 10
Pharmacies 4 2
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 2 3
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Walkability score 94/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 5.9 km
+20% vs other
 4.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 13 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 430.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 351.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3057
 2.5%
postcode 3068
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 11
postcode 3057
 16
postcode 3068

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 Fitzroy North
Worked from Home 54.8% / 56.1%
Brunswick East — Worked from Home: 54.8% Fitzroy North — Worked from Home: 56.1%
Car (driver) 24.5% / 23.3%
Brunswick East — Car (driver): 24.5% Fitzroy North — Car (driver): 23.3%
Bicycle 6.5% / 6.8%
Brunswick East — Bicycle: 6.5% Fitzroy North — Bicycle: 6.8%
Tram / Light Rail 7.3% / 4.9%
Brunswick East — Tram / Light Rail: 7.3% Fitzroy North — Tram / Light Rail: 4.9%
Walked Only 3.4% / 5.4%
Brunswick East — Walked Only: 3.4% Fitzroy North — Walked Only: 5.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.1%).

Setting

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Elevation 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.0 km 7.8 km

NBN connectivity

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Connectivity score 96/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 86%
8,455 premises
 6%
7,088 premises

Climate

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
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 Fitzroy North
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
Average residential rate $1,914/yr $1,937/yr
Council Merri-bek Yarra

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Brunswick East Fitzroy North
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

Fitzroy North

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals River Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brunswick East

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

Other comparisons with Fitzroy North

Fitzroy North vs Northcote Fitzroy North vs Carlton Fitzroy North vs Fitzroy Fitzroy North vs Collingwood Fitzroy North vs Clifton Hill Fitzroy North vs Carlton North
Full data on Brunswick East Full data on Fitzroy North
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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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