Brunswick East vs Northcote

Brunswick East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Northcote. 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 Northcote, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Northcote: a median of $1.65 million, against $1.44 million in Brunswick East, and rent is higher there too. Brunswick East is closer to the city centre: 5.9 km, against 7.5 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

Northcote

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (49% vs 23%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 6)
  • But Brunswick East has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Brunswick East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,435,000 vs $1,650,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brunswick East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 38%)
  • has cheaper rent ($421/wk vs $475/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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Brunswick East has more units and townhouses to downsize into (77% vs 51%)
  • Northcote has more GPs (11 vs 4)

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

Investors

Brunswick East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (15.4% vs 2.9%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.5% vs 3.0%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Brunswick East and Northcote 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 Northcote
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 Northcote
Walkability 94 / 99
Brunswick East — Walkability: 94/100 Northcote — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 25 / 30
Brunswick East — Safety: 25/100 Northcote — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Brunswick East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Northcote — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 47
Brunswick East — Low flood risk: 37/100 Northcote — Low flood risk: 47/100

Demographics

Northcote has more residents (25,276 vs 13,279); Northcote rents higher ($475/wk vs $421/wk).

Brunswick East Northcote
Population 13,279 25,276
+90% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.4% +2.9%
Median age 33 37
Median household income $108,576/yr $118,924/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $421/wk $475/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East Northcote
0-4 3.7% / 4.6%
Brunswick East — 0-4: 3.7% Northcote — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 5.7% / 10.4%
Brunswick East — 5-14: 5.7% Northcote — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 2.7% / 4.8%
Brunswick East — 15-19: 2.7% Northcote — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 8.1% / 5.2%
Brunswick East — 20-24: 8.1% Northcote — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 33.5% / 20.4%
Brunswick East — 25-34: 33.5% Northcote — 25-34: 20.4%
35-44 20.0% / 15.9%
Brunswick East — 35-44: 20.0% Northcote — 35-44: 15.9%
45-54 10.6% / 15.2%
Brunswick East — 45-54: 10.6% Northcote — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 7.0% / 10.4%
Brunswick East — 55-64: 7.0% Northcote — 55-64: 10.4%
65-74 4.5% / 6.7%
Brunswick East — 65-74: 4.5% Northcote — 65-74: 6.7%
75-84 2.8% / 4.4%
Brunswick East — 75-84: 2.8% Northcote — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 1.3% / 2.1%
Brunswick East — 85+: 1.3% Northcote — 85+: 2.1%

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%
Northcote 40.4% lone person
Northcote — Lone Person: 40.4% Northcote — Couple Families: 35.9% Northcote — Group Household: 12.1% Northcote — One Parent Families: 10.2% Northcote — 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%
Northcote 38.3% renting
Northcote — Owned Outright: 30.8% Northcote — Mortgage: 30.9% Northcote — Renting: 38.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brunswick East Northcote
Bachelor Degree 31.3% / 26.9%
Brunswick East — Bachelor Degree: 31.3% Northcote — Bachelor Degree: 26.9%
Postgraduate Degree 16.4% / 14.1%
Brunswick East — Postgraduate Degree: 16.4% Northcote — Postgraduate Degree: 14.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.4%
Brunswick East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Northcote — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 5.6%
Brunswick East — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Northcote — Certificate III & IV: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.0% / 5.2%
Brunswick East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.0% Northcote — 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 Northcote
England 3.9% / 3.8%
Brunswick East — England: 3.9% Northcote — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 3.0% / 2.3%
Brunswick East — New Zealand: 3.0% Northcote — New Zealand: 2.3%
Greece 1.3% / 3.5%
Brunswick East — Greece: 1.3% Northcote — Greece: 3.5%
Italy 2.8% / 1.8%
Brunswick East — Italy: 2.8% Northcote — Italy: 1.8%
China 1.0% / 0.8%
Brunswick East — China: 1.0% Northcote — China: 0.8%
Malaysia 1.0% / 0.5%
Brunswick East — Malaysia: 1.0% Northcote — Malaysia: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

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 — Houses: 22.6% Brunswick East — Townhouses: 25.8%
Northcote 23.6% flats / apartments
Northcote — Flats / Apartments: 23.6% Northcote — Houses: 49.1% Northcote — Townhouses: 27.4%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Brunswick East Northcote
Median house price $1,435,000 $1,650,000
Median unit price $530,000 $568,750
Median land price — $1,650,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 93 sales
 23 days
from 201 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 Northcote
2 bed $1.21M / $1.32M
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $1.21M (40 sales) Northcote — 2 bed: $1.32M (90 sales)

40 vs 90 sales

3 bed $1.46M / $1.65M
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $1.46M (73 sales) Northcote — 3 bed: $1.65M (167 sales)

73 vs 167 sales

4 bed $1.77M / $2.27M
Brunswick East — 4 bed: $1.77M (20 sales) Northcote — 4 bed: $2.27M (81 sales)

20 vs 81 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 Northcote
1 bed $388K / $399K
Brunswick East — 1 bed: $388K (128 sales) Northcote — 1 bed: $399K (102 sales)

128 vs 102 sales

2 bed $585K / $645K
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $585K (212 sales) Northcote — 2 bed: $645K (159 sales)

212 vs 159 sales

3 bed $820K / $1.05M
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $820K (20 sales) Northcote — 3 bed: $1.05M (13 sales)

20 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

Brunswick East Northcote
Residential 63% 72%
Parks and recreation 15% 11%
Commercial 12% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 11%
Industrial 4% 1%
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 Northcote
New dwellings approved 1,387
across Merri-bek
 1,213
across Darebin
Approvals change year on year +68% +0%

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 Northcote
Houses 3.5%
$840/wk on $1.25M
 3.0%
$922/wk on $1.6M
Units 5.5%
$580/wk on $545K
 5.1%
$550/wk on $565K

Ranking within VIC

Brunswick East Northcote
House price Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Income Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Schools Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 4% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 13% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC

Liveability

Brunswick East scores higher overall (76 vs 66).

Brunswick East Northcote
Grade A B
Score 76/100 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brunswick East carries more flood risk (63 vs 53).

Brunswick East Northcote
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 High
70/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
53/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Brunswick East Northcote
Inside the suburb 3 6
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 3
Rated below peers 1 2
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 3.0 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 3.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 2.7%

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 Northcote

  • Northcote High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Santa Maria College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Westgarth Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Northcote Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Croxton School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Brunswick East Northcote
Supermarkets 6 5
Cafes & restaurants 65 69
Parks & reserves 16 24
Childcare 6 12
GPs 4 11
Pharmacies 4 5
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 4
Fuel stations 2 3
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Brunswick East Northcote
Walkability score 94/100 99/100
Distance to Melbourne 5.9 km 7.5 km
+27% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 17 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 96/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 430.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 566.5
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 3070
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 11
postcode 3057
 25
postcode 3070

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 Northcote
Worked from Home 54.8% / 54.4%
Brunswick East — Worked from Home: 54.8% Northcote — Worked from Home: 54.4%
Car (driver) 24.5% / 28.6%
Brunswick East — Car (driver): 24.5% Northcote — Car (driver): 28.6%
Bicycle 6.5% / 5.2%
Brunswick East — Bicycle: 6.5% Northcote — Bicycle: 5.2%
Tram / Light Rail 7.3% / 1.9%
Brunswick East — Tram / Light Rail: 7.3% Northcote — Tram / Light Rail: 1.9%
Walked Only 3.4% / 2.9%
Brunswick East — Walked Only: 3.4% Northcote — Walked Only: 2.9%
Train 1.1% / 4.4%
Brunswick East — Train: 1.1% Northcote — Train: 4.4%

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

Setting

Brunswick East Northcote
Elevation 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.0 km 9.6 km

NBN connectivity

Brunswick East Northcote
Connectivity score 96/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 86%
8,455 premises
 7%
13,047 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

Brunswick East Northcote
Average residential rate $1,914/yr $1,764/yr
Council Merri-bek Darebin

Federal electorate

Brunswick East Northcote
Division Wills Cooper
Member Peter Khalil Ged Kearney
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brunswick East Northcote
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

Northcote

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

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brunswick East

Brunswick East vs Coburg 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 Northcote

Northcote vs Thornbury Northcote vs Fitzroy North Northcote vs Clifton Hill Northcote vs Fairfield
Full data on Brunswick East Full data on Northcote
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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