Chester Hill - Sefton
Statistical Area - sa2

Chester Hill - Sefton lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Chester Hill - Sefton's population is around 21,727 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 885 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,842. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 21,727 in June 2024 and an additional 128 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,988 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Chester Hill - Sefton has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.7%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 63.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of national areas, with the area expected to expand by 2,465 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 11.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Chester Hill - Sefton among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Chester Hill - Sefton has averaged approximately 116 new dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, showing 583 homes over the past five financial years from FY-2021 to FY-2025, with 13 approvals so far in FY-2026. Each dwelling built has resulted in an average of two new residents per year over these five financial years, indicating healthy demand that should support property values. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost value of $400,000, which is under regional levels, offering more accessible housing choices for buyers.

There have been $64.1 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Chester Hill - Sefton records about three-quarters the building activity per person while it places among the 71st percentile of areas assessed nationally. Recent construction comprises 38.0% detached houses and 62.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns which are currently 72.0% houses. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 202 people per dwelling approval, Chester Hill - Sefton shows characteristics of a low density area.

By 2041, Chester Hill - Sefton is expected to grow by 2,432 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Chester Hill - Sefton has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 27 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Villawood Town Centre Redevelopment (Kinara Place), Condell Park High School Upgrade, Chester Hill Station Upgrade, and Stage 2 Villawood Town Centre. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Chester Hill - Sefton face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Chester Hill - Sefton has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 11.2%.

Over the past year, there's been relative employment stability. There are 8,110 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 7.0% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation lags significantly at 40.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing are dominant employment sectors among residents.

The area specializes in manufacturing with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 5.8% versus the regional average of 11.5%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 0.5% while labour force grew by 3.2%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 2.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. State-level data as of Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, favourable compared to national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Chester Hill - Sefton's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1%% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

Chester Hill - Sefton has a median taxpayer income of $39,917 and an average of $49,664 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than the national average, compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, current estimates would be approximately $44,148 (median) and $54,928 (average). In the 2021 Census figures, individual incomes were at the 5th percentile ($517 weekly), while household income was at the 30th percentile. The largest income segment comprises 30.3% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (6,583 residents). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 22nd percentile.

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

Dwelling structure in Chester Hill - Sefton, as per the latest Census, comprised 72.5% houses and 27.5% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metro had 62.1% houses and 37.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chester Hill - Sefton was at 29.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.2% and rented ones at 39.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, aligning with Sydney metro's average. The median weekly rent was $400, similar to Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Chester Hill - Sefton's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Chester Hill - Sefton has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 76.4% of all households, including 42.3% couples with children, 15.5% couples without children, and 16.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.6%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households making up 2.5%. The median household size is 3.2 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 3.1.

Educational outcomes in Chester Hill - Sefton fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 22.4%, substantially below the SA4 region average of 39.1%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 16.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 28.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (17.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 38.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.4% in primary education, 11.6% in secondary education, and 6.9% pursuing tertiary education. A robust network of 8 schools operates within Chester Hill - Sefton, educating approximately 5,046 students. Chester Hill - Sefton demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 977) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 2 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. The area functions as an education hub with 23.2 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 13.2 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis indicates 147 active public transport stops within Chester Hill - Sefton area. These consist of a mix of train and bus services. A total of 34 individual routes operate in this region, collectively facilitating 3,164 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 128 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 452 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 21 weekly trips per individual stop.

Chester Hill - Sefton's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Chester Hill - Sefton shows excellent health outcomes, particularly in younger age groups with low prevalence of common conditions. Approximately 46% (~10,016 individuals) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Common medical conditions include arthritis (6.1%) and diabetes (5.8%). About 77.1% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 77.0%. The area has 14.4% residents aged 65 and over (3,128 individuals). Senior health outcomes require more attention than the general population.

Chester Hill - Sefton is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Chester Hill-Sefton is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 49.2% of its population born overseas and 70.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Chester Hill-Sefton is Islam, comprising 38.2% of the population, compared to 29.1% across Greater Sydney. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other (22.1%), Lebanese (16.7%), and Chinese (12.8%).

Notably, Vietnamese (11.6%) and Korean (0.8%) are overrepresented in Chester Hill-Sefton compared to the regional averages of 4.0% and 0.5%, respectively. Additionally, Samoan representation stands at 0.7%, equal to the regional average.

Chester Hill - Sefton hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Chester Hill - Sefton's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Chester Hill - Sefton has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (16.3%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (13.4%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the percentage of residents aged 15-24 increased from 14.7% to 16.3%, while the percentage of residents aged 25-34 decreased from 14.1% to 13.4%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Chester Hill - Sefton. The cohort aged 75-84 is projected to grow by 90%, adding 745 residents to reach a total of 1,578. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 55% of population growth, reflecting demographic aging trends. Conversely, population declines are projected for the cohorts aged 0-4 and 5-14.