Brunswick Heads vs New Brighton

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Brunswick Heads, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Brunswick Heads: a median of $1.8 million, against $1.54 million in New Brighton, though rent is higher in New Brighton. On these figures, Brunswick Heads tends to suit people living alone, while New Brighton suits share households.

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

New Brighton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 60%)

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

First-home buyers

New Brighton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,538,750 vs $1,805,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brunswick Heads

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($440/wk vs $600/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Brunswick Heads

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (484 min vs 492 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (761.3 km vs 767.4 km)
  • But New Brighton is more walkable (36/100 vs 28/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Brunswick Heads has more units and townhouses to downsize into (40% vs 6%)
  • New Brighton is more walkable (36/100 vs 28/100)

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

Investors

Brunswick Heads

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.7% vs 3.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Brunswick Heads and New Brighton 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 Heads New Brighton
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 Heads New Brighton
Walkability 28 / 36
Brunswick Heads — Walkability: 28/100 New Brighton — Walkability: 36/100
Safety 11 / 20
Brunswick Heads — Safety: 11/100 New Brighton — Safety: 20/100
Low fire risk 42 / 100
Brunswick Heads — Low fire risk: 42/100 New Brighton — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Brunswick Heads has more residents (1,905 vs 368); New Brighton rents higher ($600/wk vs $440/wk).

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Population 1,905
+81% vs other
 368
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.7% +3.4%
Median age 47 45
Median household income $66,560/yr $84,968/yr
+28% vs other
Median weekly rent $440/wk $600/wk
+36% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
0-4 4.7% / 7.9%
Brunswick Heads — 0-4: 4.7% New Brighton — 0-4: 7.9%
5-14 8.6% / 8.4%
Brunswick Heads — 5-14: 8.6% New Brighton — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 4.6% / 2.7%
Brunswick Heads — 15-19: 4.6% New Brighton — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 4.8% / 3.3%
Brunswick Heads — 20-24: 4.8% New Brighton — 20-24: 3.3%
25-34 11.5% / 11.1%
Brunswick Heads — 25-34: 11.5% New Brighton — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 12.5% / 14.9%
Brunswick Heads — 35-44: 12.5% New Brighton — 35-44: 14.9%
45-54 14.1% / 13.0%
Brunswick Heads — 45-54: 14.1% New Brighton — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 16.0% / 15.2%
Brunswick Heads — 55-64: 16.0% New Brighton — 55-64: 15.2%
65-74 14.0% / 15.8%
Brunswick Heads — 65-74: 14.0% New Brighton — 65-74: 15.8%
75-84 7.1% / 6.2%
Brunswick Heads — 75-84: 7.1% New Brighton — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 2.4% / 1.4%
Brunswick Heads — 85+: 2.4% New Brighton — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brunswick Heads 48.3% lone person
Brunswick Heads — Lone Person: 48.3% Brunswick Heads — Couple Families: 23.2% Brunswick Heads — Group Household: 10.2% Brunswick Heads — One Parent Families: 16.7% Brunswick Heads — Other Families: 1.6%
New Brighton 34.1% lone person
New Brighton — Lone Person: 34.1% New Brighton — Couple Families: 36.3% New Brighton — Group Household: 18.7% New Brighton — One Parent Families: 11.0% New Brighton — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brunswick Heads 40.7% renting
Brunswick Heads — Owned Outright: 40.5% Brunswick Heads — Mortgage: 18.8% Brunswick Heads — Renting: 40.7%
New Brighton 22.3% renting
New Brighton — Owned Outright: 53.6% New Brighton — Mortgage: 24.1% New Brighton — Renting: 22.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Bachelor Degree 15.8% / 16.3%
Brunswick Heads — Bachelor Degree: 15.8% New Brighton — Bachelor Degree: 16.3%
Certificate III & IV 14.5% / 12.0%
Brunswick Heads — Certificate III & IV: 14.5% New Brighton — Certificate III & IV: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 9.5%
Brunswick Heads — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% New Brighton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.3% / 9.0%
Brunswick Heads — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3% New Brighton — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.9%
Brunswick Heads — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% New Brighton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

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 Heads New Brighton
England 4.5% / 3.3%
Brunswick Heads — England: 4.5% New Brighton — England: 3.3%
New Zealand 2.3% / 1.6%
Brunswick Heads — New Zealand: 2.3% New Brighton — New Zealand: 1.6%
France 0.5% / 1.1%
Brunswick Heads — France: 0.5% New Brighton — France: 1.1%
Italy 0.6% / 0.8%
Brunswick Heads — Italy: 0.6% New Brighton — Italy: 0.8%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.8%
Brunswick Heads — South Africa: 0.5% New Brighton — South Africa: 0.8%
Canada 1.2% / —
Brunswick Heads — Canada: 1.2% New Brighton — Canada: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Brunswick Heads — Netherlands: not among its largest New Brighton — Netherlands: 1.1%
Brazil 0.6% / —
Brunswick Heads — Brazil: 0.6% New Brighton — Brazil: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brunswick Heads 59.7% houses
Brunswick Heads — Houses: 59.7% Brunswick Heads — Flats / Apartments: 34.2% Brunswick Heads — Townhouses: 6.1%
New Brighton 93.8% houses
New Brighton — Houses: 93.8% New Brighton — Flats / Apartments: 6.2% New Brighton — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Median house price $1,805,000 $1,538,750
Median unit price $1,160,000 —
Median land price $2,200,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 56 days
from 17 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Brunswick Heads has more rural and farming land (30% vs 7%); New Brighton has more land zoned for conservation (61% vs 48%).

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Environmental 48% 61%
Rural and farming 30% 7%
Other and special use 6% 27%
Residential 7% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 1%
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 Heads New Brighton
New dwellings approved 129
across Byron
same for both
Approvals change year on year -65%
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 Heads New Brighton
Houses 2.5%
$915/wk on $1.88M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
House price Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Income Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 6% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 85% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 7% of NSW —

Liveability

New Brighton is more walkable (36 vs 28).

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Grade D —
Score 23/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Brunswick Heads carries more bushfire risk (58 vs 0).

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
89/100
 High
80/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
17/100
 Low
33/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Brunswick Heads

  • Brunswick Heads Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in New Brighton

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

Amenities in the suburb

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 13 0
Parks & reserves 5 3
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 1
same for both
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

New Brighton sits further from the CBD (767.4 km vs 761.3 km).

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Walkability score 28/100 36/100
Distance to Sydney 761.3 km 767.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 484 min 492 min
Public transport score 51/100
Bus
 24/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 17.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2483
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 2483
same for both

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 Heads New Brighton
Car (driver) 62.0% / 63.6%
Brunswick Heads — Car (driver): 62.0% New Brighton — Car (driver): 63.6%
Worked from Home 26.4% / 36.4%
Brunswick Heads — Worked from Home: 26.4% New Brighton — Worked from Home: 36.4%
Walked Only 5.6% / —
Brunswick Heads — Walked Only: 5.6% New Brighton — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 3.4% / —
Brunswick Heads — Bicycle: 3.4% New Brighton — Bicycle: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.5% / —
Brunswick Heads — Car (passenger): 2.5% New Brighton — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.6%).

Setting

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Elevation 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 -1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.5 km
2.2 km to a named beach
 210 m
1.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Connectivity score 70/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 33%
1,256 premises
 59%
235 premises

Climate

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Byron
same for both

Federal electorate

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brunswick Heads New Brighton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brunswick Heads

Coastal Premium

New Brighton

Acreage Coastal Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brunswick Heads

Brunswick Heads vs Ocean Shores Brunswick Heads vs Mullumbimby Brunswick Heads vs Myocum Brunswick Heads vs Tyagarah

Other comparisons with New Brighton

New Brighton vs Ocean Shores New Brighton vs South Golden Beach
Full data on Brunswick Heads Full data on New Brighton
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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