Council (LGA) · Area profile
Brighton
171 km²
A noticeably younger population defines Brighton, where the typical resident is just 35 years old. This community is marked by a strong presence of First Nations people and a high proportion of families with children, making it far younger than the Tasmanian average. While the area has grown by 23% since 2011, it faces significant challenges with lower typical incomes and higher rates of long-term health conditions. It is a residential hub where large households and detached homes are the norm.
Brighton has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
Explore Brighton by topic
Brighton is much younger than most areas, with children under 15 making up 22.7% of the population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 11.6% of the community, a figure that rose 4.1 points since 2011 and is well above the state average.
The area is predominantly Australian and English in ancestry, with 87.4% of residents born in Australia. This is far below the national figure for overseas births, which stands at only 6.3%.
English is the primary language for 91.1% of the community. Only 3.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A majority of residents (51.7%) report having no religion, a figure that rose 26 points since 2011. This is far above the national average of 38.9%.
Education levels are lower than in most areas, with only 8.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion rose 11 points since 2011 to reach 37.0%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,352, which is about the same as the state average but well below the national figure. The number of households earning $3,000 or more a week is also lower than most areas.
Health challenges are more common here, with 33.8% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are reported by 13.2% of residents, which is among the highest rates for similar areas.
Unpaid care for children is very common, with 29.8% of people providing this support. Conversely, the proportion of volunteers is 10.4%, which is well below the state figure of 18.0%.
The First Nations community is relatively young, with a typical age of 21. The unemployment rate for First Nations people is 13.1%, which is a little above the state average.
Households here are larger than usual, with 2.6 people per home. One-parent families are especially common at 24.7%, a figure far above the national average of 14.1%.
Most people live in detached houses, and 79.1% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Renting is more common than average at 32.6%, while outright home ownership is far below the state average.
Cars are the primary way to get to work for 71.1% of residents. While there are many public transport stops, it takes much longer than average to walk to the nearest one.
About 35.4% of residents moved in the last five years, which is around the middle for similar areas. Recent arrivals from overseas rose to 12.4% by 2021.
More adults are working or looking for work (60.2%) than in most areas, though the unemployment rate of 6.6% is a little above the state average. Many residents work in health care, construction, or retail.
Brighton is ranked among the most disadvantaged areas for both overall advantage and job skills. Despite this, the population grew by 6.6% since 2021, well above the state growth rate.
The area sees much lower rainfall than the rest of Tasmania, averaging 516mm annually. It also experiences higher average minimum and maximum temperatures than the state average.
Residents have good access to parks and groceries within a 15-minute walk, but health services are far less accessible than in other Tasmanian areas. The overall walkability score is 4.2, which is slightly below the state average.