Brunswick Heads is a town in New South Wales, 761 km from Sydney CBD, around 8 hours 5 minutes by car. Population is 1,905; the median age is 47 and the median household income is $66,560 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 9.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $440 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,001. The area shows high crime risk. 1 school sits within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Brunswick Heads a good town?
Brunswick Heads scores a D (23/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit, prices, and safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 28/100 · 761.3 km · 484 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.8M · Less affordable than 94% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 58/100 · Crime 89/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 47 · 1,905 residents
Liveability Rating
23 / 100 · Ranked #1410 in NSWEach bar is Brunswick Heads's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Brunswick Heads?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
23 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBrunswick Heads's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.8 million, about 6% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,805,000
42% above its 4 neighbours (median $1,270,000)
Based on 44 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 56 days — median across 17 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 21 sales $1.76M
- 4 bed 13 sales $2.11M
Units
$1,160,000
Based on 23 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 44 days — median across 8 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 11 sales $1.25M
- 3 bed 5 sales $1.11M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Brunswick Heads are currently listed at around $1.88 million on average. Based on 16 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.88M
16 houses listed in the last 6 months.
17 of the suburb's 803 dwellings (2.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Brunswick Heads rent for around $915 a week on average, based on 6 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$915/wk
6 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$560/wk
3 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
9 rentals advertised against an estimated 327 rented homes (2.8%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $900/wk
- 29 bonds
- +33% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $662/wk
- 10 bonds
- +16% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2483 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202569 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 43% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2483.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$915/week ($48,000 a year) on a $1.88 million median
Based on a small sample (6 listings) — indicative only.
Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
114 active Airbnb listings: 103 whole homes and 11 rooms. Whole homes are about 10.5% of the town's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Brunswick Heads safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Brunswick Heads sits in the high band, with 238 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 26% on the prior year.
238 offences
26.3% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202512 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Byron Shire Council has published 5 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1989–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.5 km
- Rate
- -0.03 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -2.1 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Brunswick Heads, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 222 students in one school (avg 222)
Primary
Walkability
Brunswick Heads is car-dependent on foot — at 28/100, most errands require a car. Within the town there are 2 supermarkets, 5 parks and 13 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Brunswick Heads.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 17.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 6.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 2.7 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 23.0 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Brunswick Heads.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 33%
- Premises covered
- 1,256
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Byron: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 7 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Brunswick Heads is home to about 1,900 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $67,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,905
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$66,560/yr
Census Median Rent
$440/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,001/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$38,064/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
21.2%
Total Dwellings
803
Owner-Occupier Rate
59.3%
Houses
59.7%
Rental Stress
34.4%
Mortgage Stress
36.1%
Work From Home
26.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
13 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 18 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 312 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 75.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.1%
- Employment Rate
- 52.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 47.5%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
36 residents (1.9%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
11.9% of residents (216) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (110).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,815 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (18 of 866).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 884 people work here; 866 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident).
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,577 a year through Byron based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 48%
- Rural and farming 30%
- Residential 7%
- Other and special use 6%
- Infrastructure and transport 4%
- Parks and recreation 3%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Byron
In the year to August 2026, 129 new dwellings were approved across Byron. That mix is 109 houses and 20 units. Approvals are down 65.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Climate & Setting
from Murwillumbah (Bray Park), 28.8 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 9 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.5 km
- 2.2 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,569 mm
- 108 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.1°C
- 4 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 9.1°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 2483, 113 of 9,269 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.0% (278 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2483, 3,551 rooftop-solar systems totalling 21.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,960 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 252 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this town, 2 across postcode 2483.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $1,805,000 this is $1,205,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Justine Elliot Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Justine Elliot | 60.0% | 40.0% | +1.8 |
| 2022 | Justine Elliot | 58.2% | 41.8% | -4.2 |
| 2019 | Justine Elliot | 54.1% | 45.9% | -0.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Tamara Smith The Greens
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tamara Smith GRN | 57.7% |
| 2019 | Tamara Smith GRN | 55.4% |
| 2015 | Tamara Smith GRN | 53.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Brunswick Heads?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 1,905 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Brunswick Heads to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Brunswick Heads
Is Brunswick Heads a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Brunswick Heads is high (89/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Brunswick Heads?
Brunswick Heads has a moderate recorded bushfire history (58/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Brunswick Heads a good place to live?
Brunswick Heads has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (23/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Brunswick Heads?
Brunswick Heads, NSW had a population of 1,905 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Brunswick Heads, NSW?
The postcode for Brunswick Heads, NSW is 2483.
How far is Brunswick Heads from Sydney?
Brunswick Heads is 761 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 484 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Brunswick Heads?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Brunswick Heads was $66,560 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Brunswick Heads?
The median advertised rent in Brunswick Heads is $915 a week for houses (6 listings) and $560 a week for units (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Brunswick Heads?
The median age of residents in Brunswick Heads was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Brunswick Heads at risk of bushfire?
Brunswick Heads has a moderate recorded bushfire history (58/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Brunswick Heads?
There is 1 school inside the Brunswick Heads boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Brunswick Heads walkable?
Brunswick Heads scores 28/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Brunswick Heads?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Brunswick Heads, Murwillumbah (Bray Park) (28.8 km away), summer days average 29.1°C, winter nights 9.1°C, 1,569 mm of rain a year over 108 rainy days, and 4 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Brunswick Heads?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Brunswick Heads belong to?
Brunswick Heads sits within the Byron local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Brunswick Heads?
The average residential rates bill through Byron is $1,577 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Brunswick Heads?
Across Byron, 129 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 65.4% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Brunswick Heads in?
Brunswick Heads sits within the federal Division of Richmond, currently held by Justine Elliot (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.