Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Brighton

Brighton is a classic bayside suburb centred on a broad sandy foreshore and the picture-postcard Brighton Beach bathing boxes. Streets are lined with mature trees and a mix of grand Victorian and Edwardian homes, sympathetic renovations and pockets of contemporary apartments, giving the area an established, residential feel. It attracts professionals and families who value easy access to beaches, coastal walking and sailing from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, and a village-style shopping strip on Church Street with cafes and boutiques. The Sandringham train line and main roads make the beachside lifestyle convenient and steady.

Home to 23,252 people with a median age of 48, Brighton is dominated by couple families and has a high owner-occupier share of about 75.5%, while around a quarter of dwellings are rented. The suburb has also seen a substantial public-housing renewal at the New Street site, which replaced older stock with 291 new homes and added landscaped open space and a community pavilion. Whether Brighton suits you comes down to whether you want an established bayside suburb with local shops, transport links and easy beach access.

On these figures, housing in Brighton sits well above what local households earned at the last Census. A median house price of $2,910,000 is about 20.7 times a typical local household's annual income at the last Census, while the median unit price of $1,070,500 is about 7.6 times that annual income. Looking at rent, $1,390 a week for a house would take about 51.3% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and $700 a week for a unit would take about 25.8%. So buying, especially a house, is much more stretched against local incomes than renting a unit on these figures.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

The most striking movement in Brighton over the past 12 months is the sharp fall in unit values, down 19.3%, while unit rents rose only modestly, up 2.9%. That means on the unit side capital values contracted far more than rental income increased during the year.

Houses showed a different mix: median house values eased 5.1% over the year (a solid decline) while house rents climbed 9.0% (a solid rise). If rental income is your priority, the 9.0% rise in house rents is the figure that matters; if you are focused on capital growth, the negative value changes are the relevant numbers. Whether that balance suits your goals and circumstances is for you to judge.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.