Chisholm

Chisholm is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Chisholm's population is around 5,255 as of Feb 2026. This reflects a decrease of 13 people (0.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,268 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,221 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,695 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. While Chisholm experienced a 0.2% decline since the census, the SA3 area achieved 0.1% growth, highlighting divergent population trends. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 66.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, with 2022 as a base, are adopted. Considering the projected demographic shifts, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to shrink by 325 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 125 people. See the age section for more details.

The level of residential development activity in Chisholm is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Chisholm has seen around 8 new homes approved per year, totalling 42 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 5 approvals have been recorded. Given an average of only 0.4 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $215,000. Additionally, $337,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating minimal commercial development activity.

Relative to the Australian Capital Territory, Chisholm shows approximately 69% of the construction activity per person and ranks in the 18th percentile of areas assessed nationally, meaning somewhat limited buyer options and strengthening demand for established homes. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. New building activity consists of 57.0% detached houses and 43.0% attached dwellings, featuring an increasing blend of attached housing types that offer choices across price ranges, from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 96.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 807 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Chisholm may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Chisholm has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 2 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Calwell Retirement Living Precinct, Calwell Public Housing Development, Erindale Group Centre Master Plan Implementation - Stage 1, and Canberra Light Rail Stage 4 - Woden to Tuggeranong, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Chisholm remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Chisholm possesses a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 4.9%, and 1.6% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 2,811 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.1% above the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to the Australian Capital Territory's 72.6%. Based on Census responses, a low 9.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and construction. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in construction, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. On the other hand, professional & technical services are under-represented, with only 7.4% of the Chisholm workforce compared to 11.1% in the Australian Capital Territory. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.6% while the labour force increased by 1.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.4 percentage points. This compares to the Australian Capital Territory, where employment grew by 0.9%, the labour force expanded by 1.2%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Chisholm. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Chisholm's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.0% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Chisholm SA2's median income among taxpayers is $67,412, with an average of $73,552. This is above the national average, and compares to the Australian Capital Territory's median of $72,206 and average of $85,981. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $73,654 (median) and $80,363 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Chisholm, between the 83rd and 85th percentiles nationally. Looking at income distribution, the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 38.1% of the community (2,002 individuals), reflecting patterns seen in the region where 34.3% similarly occupy this range. Economic strength emerges through 33.9% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 84th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Chisholm is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Chisholm, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 95.9% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to the Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Chisholm was higher than that of the Australian Capital Territory, at 29.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (50.7%) or rented (20.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Australian Capital Territory average at $2,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $410, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $2,080 and $450. Nationally, Chisholm's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

Chisholm has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 76.6% of all households, comprising 36.9% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 12.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 23.4%, with lone person households at 20.9% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

Educational attainment in Chisholm aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (25.6%) substantially below the SA4 region average of 46.8%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (24.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals 38 active transport stops operating within Chisholm, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 84 individual routes, collectively providing 5,450 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 175 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 93%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A relatively low 9.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 778 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 143 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Chisholm is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Chisholm faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~2,911 people). This compares to 62.4% across the Australian Capital Territory.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.5% and 8.8% of residents, respectively, while 66.4% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.2% across the Australian Capital Territory. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 17.5% of residents aged 65 and over (921 people), which is higher than the 14.3% in the Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Chisholm records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Chisholm was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 19.0% of its population born overseas and 14.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Chisholm is Christianity, which makes up 50.0% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Islam, which comprises 2.4% of the population, compared to 3.4% across the Australian Capital Territory.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Chisholm are Australian, comprising 27.5% of the population, English, comprising 26.5% of the population, and Irish, comprising 8.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Serbian is notably overrepresented at 0.5% of Chisholm (vs 0.4% regionally), Hungarian at 0.4% (vs 0.3%) and Macedonian at 0.4% (vs 0.2%).

Chisholm's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Chisholm's median age of 37 years is slightly older than the Australian Capital Territory's 35, though essentially aligned with the 38-year national average. The 65 - 74 age group shows strong representation at 11.8% compared to the Australian Capital Territory, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 10.7%. Since 2021, the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 9.4% to 11.8% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 13.5% to 15.2%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 10.7% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 15.1% to 12.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Chisholm. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to increase solidly, expanding by 102 people (43%) from 234 to 337. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 93% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 65 to 74 and 15 to 24 age groups will see reduced numbers.