Brunswick East vs Thornbury

Brunswick East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Thornbury. 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 Thornbury, most households own their home. Brunswick East is closer to the city centre: 5.9 km, against 8.8 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

Thornbury

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 6)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (51% vs 23%)

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

Brunswick East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 43%)

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

  • sits closer to the CBD (5.9 km vs 8.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (15 min vs 21 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Thornbury

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 9%)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 4)
  • But Brunswick East has more units and townhouses to downsize into (77% vs 49%)

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 2.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Brunswick East and Thornbury 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 Thornbury
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 Thornbury
Walkability 94 / 97
Brunswick East — Walkability: 94/100 Thornbury — Walkability: 97/100
Safety 25 / 30
Brunswick East — Safety: 25/100 Thornbury — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Brunswick East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Thornbury — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 60
Brunswick East — Low flood risk: 37/100 Thornbury — Low flood risk: 60/100

Demographics

Thornbury has more residents (19,005 vs 13,279); Thornbury skews older (37 vs 33).

Brunswick East Thornbury
Population 13,279 19,005
+43% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.4% +2.4%
Median age 33 37
Median household income $108,576/yr
+6% vs other
 $102,492/yr
Median weekly rent $421/wk
+7% vs other
 $391/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brunswick East Thornbury
0-4 3.7% / 5.1%
Brunswick East — 0-4: 3.7% Thornbury — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 5.7% / 9.6%
Brunswick East — 5-14: 5.7% Thornbury — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 2.7% / 4.3%
Brunswick East — 15-19: 2.7% Thornbury — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 8.1% / 5.4%
Brunswick East — 20-24: 8.1% Thornbury — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 33.5% / 20.3%
Brunswick East — 25-34: 33.5% Thornbury — 25-34: 20.3%
35-44 20.0% / 17.7%
Brunswick East — 35-44: 20.0% Thornbury — 35-44: 17.7%
45-54 10.6% / 14.1%
Brunswick East — 45-54: 10.6% Thornbury — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 7.0% / 9.8%
Brunswick East — 55-64: 7.0% Thornbury — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 4.5% / 6.5%
Brunswick East — 65-74: 4.5% Thornbury — 65-74: 6.5%
75-84 2.8% / 4.5%
Brunswick East — 75-84: 2.8% Thornbury — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 1.3% / 2.6%
Brunswick East — 85+: 1.3% Thornbury — 85+: 2.6%

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%
Thornbury 44.0% lone person
Thornbury — Lone Person: 44.0% Thornbury — Couple Families: 33.6% Thornbury — Group Household: 9.7% Thornbury — One Parent Families: 11.1% Thornbury — Other Families: 1.5%
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%
Thornbury 42.8% renting
Thornbury — Owned Outright: 27.7% Thornbury — Mortgage: 29.5% Thornbury — Renting: 42.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brunswick East Thornbury
Bachelor Degree 31.3% / 24.4%
Brunswick East — Bachelor Degree: 31.3% Thornbury — Bachelor Degree: 24.4%
Postgraduate Degree 16.4% / 10.9%
Brunswick East — Postgraduate Degree: 16.4% Thornbury — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 7.1%
Brunswick East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Thornbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 7.4%
Brunswick East — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Thornbury — Certificate III & IV: 7.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.0% / 4.7%
Brunswick East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.0% Thornbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

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 Thornbury
England 3.9% / 2.9%
Brunswick East — England: 3.9% Thornbury — England: 2.9%
Italy 2.8% / 2.9%
Brunswick East — Italy: 2.8% Thornbury — Italy: 2.9%
Greece 1.3% / 4.2%
Brunswick East — Greece: 1.3% Thornbury — Greece: 4.2%
New Zealand 3.0% / 2.2%
Brunswick East — New Zealand: 3.0% Thornbury — New Zealand: 2.2%
India 1.0% / 1.2%
Brunswick East — India: 1.0% Thornbury — India: 1.2%
Malaysia 1.0% / —
Brunswick East — Malaysia: 1.0% Thornbury — Malaysia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

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%
Thornbury 25.2% flats / apartments
Thornbury — Flats / Apartments: 25.2% Thornbury — Houses: 51.4% Thornbury — Townhouses: 23.4%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Brunswick East Thornbury
Median house price $1,435,000 $1,440,000
Median unit price $530,000 $527,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 93 sales
 23 days
from 134 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 Thornbury
2 bed $1.21M / $1.28M
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $1.21M (40 sales) Thornbury — 2 bed: $1.28M (65 sales)

40 vs 65 sales

3 bed $1.46M / $1.4M
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $1.46M (73 sales) Thornbury — 3 bed: $1.4M (140 sales)

73 vs 140 sales

4 bed $1.77M / $1.75M
Brunswick East — 4 bed: $1.77M (20 sales) Thornbury — 4 bed: $1.75M (52 sales)

20 vs 52 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 Thornbury
1 bed $388K / $395K
Brunswick East — 1 bed: $388K (128 sales) Thornbury — 1 bed: $395K (98 sales)

128 vs 98 sales

2 bed $585K / $611K
Brunswick East — 2 bed: $585K (212 sales) Thornbury — 2 bed: $611K (112 sales)

212 vs 112 sales

3 bed $820K / $910K
Brunswick East — 3 bed: $820K (20 sales) Thornbury — 3 bed: $910K (7 sales)

20 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Brunswick East Thornbury
Residential 63% 71%
Parks and recreation 15% 10%
Commercial 12% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 10%
Industrial 4% 6%
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 Thornbury
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 Thornbury
Houses 3.5%
$840/wk on $1.25M
 3.5%
$878/wk on $1.31M
Units 5.5%
$580/wk on $545K
 5.1%
$550/wk on $559K

Ranking within VIC

Brunswick East Thornbury
House price Higher than 82% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Income Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 75% of VIC
Schools Higher than 72% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 12% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 92% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 35% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 68% of VIC

Liveability

Brunswick East scores higher overall (76 vs 71).

Brunswick East Thornbury
Grade A
same for both
Score 76/100 71/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brunswick East carries more flood risk (63 vs 40).

Brunswick East Thornbury
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 High
70/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
40/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Brunswick East Thornbury
Inside the suburb 3 9
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 4
Rated below peers 1 2
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Melbourne, 3.0 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 5.3 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 Thornbury

  • Virtual School Victoria Government · Combined above peers
  • Penders Grove Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Thornbury High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Wales Street Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Holy Spirit School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Brunswick East Thornbury
Supermarkets 6
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 65 37
Parks & reserves 16 25
Childcare 6 17
GPs 4 6
Pharmacies 4 5
Banks & Bank@Post 2
same for both
Fuel stations 2 5
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Thornbury sits further from the CBD (8.8 km vs 5.9 km).

Brunswick East Thornbury
Walkability score 94/100 97/100
Distance to Melbourne 5.9 km 8.8 km
+49% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 21 min
Public transport score 81/100
Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 430.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 386.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 3057
 1.6%
postcode 3071
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 11
postcode 3057
 19
postcode 3071

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 Thornbury
Worked from Home 54.8% / 49.4%
Brunswick East — Worked from Home: 54.8% Thornbury — Worked from Home: 49.4%
Car (driver) 24.5% / 35.3%
Brunswick East — Car (driver): 24.5% Thornbury — Car (driver): 35.3%
Bicycle 6.5% / 4.0%
Brunswick East — Bicycle: 6.5% Thornbury — Bicycle: 4.0%
Tram / Light Rail 7.3% / 2.5%
Brunswick East — Tram / Light Rail: 7.3% Thornbury — Tram / Light Rail: 2.5%
Walked Only 3.4% / 2.3%
Brunswick East — Walked Only: 3.4% Thornbury — Walked Only: 2.3%
Train 1.1% / 3.6%
Brunswick East — Train: 1.1% Thornbury — Train: 3.6%

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

Setting

Brunswick East Thornbury
Elevation 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 69 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.0 km 11.2 km

NBN connectivity

Brunswick East Thornbury
Connectivity score 96/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 86%
8,455 premises
 3%
10,177 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Brunswick East Thornbury
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

Thornbury

Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals 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 Fitzroy North Brunswick East vs Carlton North Brunswick East vs Princes Hill

Other comparisons with Thornbury

Thornbury vs Preston Thornbury vs Coburg Thornbury vs Northcote Thornbury vs Ivanhoe Thornbury vs Fairfield Thornbury vs Alphington
Full data on Brunswick East Full data on Thornbury
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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