Child Care Chelsea

Needs Analysis

Demand and supply analysis of Child Care Centres and demographic drivers for Chelsea 3196. Key stats for childcare operators, investors and developers.

Updated March 15, 2026 10 Centres Pop: 8,966
Id Name Type Places Approval Distance (Km) Day Rate Availability

* Click centres on the map for more detail and custom analysis options.

Key Metrics

Chelsea / Greater Melbourne

LDC Providers
LDC Providers
3
1,675
LDC Places
Total LDC Places
169
156,102
Population
Total Population
8,966
5,464,605
Per Place
Persons Per Place
53.1
-
Avg Age
Avg Centre Age
14.2 yrs
10 yrs
0-4 Pop
Population 0-4
535
316,334
Kids Per Place
0-4 Per LDC Place
3.17
1.9
Workforce
Workforce Impact
Low
Standard
School Att
School Attendance
679
-
School Per LDC
School Per LDC Place
4.02
5.2
Avg Fee
Avg LDC Fee ($/day)
$186
$162
Other
Other Places (PSK/OOSH)
185
-

SOURCE: ACECQA, StartingBlocks, ABS data analysed by AreaSearch
Last updated:

Chelsea Child Care FAQ

What is the Child Care supply composition of Chelsea?

As of our last update on March 15, 2026, there are 10 child care centres in Chelsea. Of these, 3 centres provide Long Day Care offering 169 places, 2 centres provide Out of Hours School Care with 122 places, Preschool/Kindergarten is serviced by a facility with 63 places, and 4 centres provide other child care services. The area is also serviced by 4 schools, collectively accommodating 679 enrolments.

What population do these centres in Chelsea service?

AreaSearch's latest population estimate for Chelsea as at November 2025 stands at a total of 8,966 people, of this 535 are estimated to be children under five years of age.

Why do your population numbers differ from Census figures for Chelsea?

Some areas have changed considerably since the 2021 Census was undertaken. At the 2021 Census Chelsea was assessed as having 8,347 people with 534 of these (6.4%) being children under 5 years old. Given changes in localised population estimates by the ABS we estimate that Chelsea has experienced population growth of approximately 619 people from the 2021 Census.

How does the ratio of children per LDC place in Chelsea compare to those in Greater Melbourne?

In Chelsea, our latest analysis shows there are 3.2 resident children under 5yo per LDC place. This figure is significantly higher than the 1.9 children per place across Greater Melbourne.

How do childcare fees in Chelsea relate to those in Greater Melbourne?

Childcare fees in Chelsea average $186, which is slightly higher than the regional average of $162 in Greater Melbourne.

How does the ratio of school population per LDC place compare in Chelsea and Greater Melbourne?

In Chelsea, there are 4 students per LDC place. This figure is considerably lower than the 5.2 students per LDC place in Greater Melbourne.

What is the average age of Long Daycare Centres in Chelsea?

The average LDC in Chelsea was approved 14.2 years ago, while across Greater Melbourne the typical centre approval is 10 years old.

Is the local workforce a significant driver of additional child care demand for Chelsea?

No, daily workforce activity is considered low in this area and is unlikely to be a significant driver of child care demand.

Who would typically use analysis such as this?

Childcare operators, developers, investors and financiers would typically conduct a thorough child care supply and demand analysis (SDA) on Chelsea before allocating the significant amount of capital required. Boundary-based analysis such as this is often used as an initial guide however, and analysis would be undertaken on the specific site adopting a radial, travel time, or custom catchment to take into account nearby competition and demand drivers that would influence a centre's performance.

Comprehensive Demographic Analysis

Understanding child care demand requires deep analysis of population growth trends, dwelling supply forecasts, and workforce participation rates. Our detailed suburb profiles provide the complete demographic picture, including census data, building approvals, migration patterns, and economic indicators that drive child care demand in each area.

View the full demographic analysis, population projections, and market insights for this area:


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