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

As of August 2025, Chester Hill - Sefton's population is approximately 21,727, indicating an increase of 885 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 20,842. This growth is inferred from ABS estimates as of June 2024 and validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 2,988 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally. Over the past decade, Chester Hill - Sefton has shown a compound annual growth rate of 1.7%, driven primarily by overseas migration contributing approximately 63.2% of overall population gains. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for uncovered areas, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Future trends suggest a population increase just below the national median by 2041, with an expected expansion of 2,465 persons, reflecting an 11.2% total increase over 17 years.

AreaSearch is adopting 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, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. As we examine future population trends, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected, with the area expected to expand by 2,465 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 11.2% in total 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 averaged approximately 157 new dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 789 homes approved over the past five years, from FY20 to FY25, with an additional 13 approved in FY26 so far. Each dwelling built has resulted in an average of 2.0 new residents per year over the past five financial years, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $400,000, which is below regional levels, offering more affordable housing options for buyers.

This financial year has seen $64.1 million in commercial approvals, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Chester Hill - Sefton records 19.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 71st percentile of areas assessed nationally. Recent construction comprises 38.0% detached houses and 62.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the current housing pattern of 72.0% houses. This higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers, potentially due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. With around 202 people per dwelling approval, Chester Hill - Sefton exhibits characteristics of a low density area.

By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 2,432 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable 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

The performance of a region can significantly be influenced by changes made to its local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 27 such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are the Villawood Town Centre Redevelopment (Kinara Place), Condell Park High School Upgrade, Chester Hill Station Upgrade, and Stage 2 Villawood Town Centre. The following list provides details on those projects considered 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, the unemployment rate is 11.2%.

Employment stability has been relative over the past year. There are 8,110 residents in work, with an unemployment rate 7.0% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation lags at 40.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing.

Manufacturing shows particular specialization, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 5.8% versus the regional average of 11.5%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by Census data. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 0.5%, while labour force grew by 3.2%, leading to a 2.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% 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, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

Chester Hill - Sefton's median taxpayer income in financial year 2022 was $39,917, with an average of $49,664 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than national averages; Greater Sydney had a median income of $56,994 and an average of $80,856 in the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $44,148 (median) and $54,928 (average). According to the 2021 Census, individual incomes at the 5th percentile were $517 weekly, while household income was at the 30th percentile. The largest segment of income distribution comprised 30.3% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (6,583 residents). Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 77.7% of income remaining, 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. Median weekly rent was $400, matching Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Chester Hill - Sefton's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while 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 comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is 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%, significantly below the SA4 region average of 39.1%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common 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, including 12.4% in primary, 11.6% in secondary, and 6.9% pursuing tertiary education. The area operates a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 5,046 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 977) offering 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

Chester Hill-Sefton has 147 active transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 34 different routes, facilitating 3,164 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average proximity of 128 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 452 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 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's health outcomes data shows exceptional results, particularly for younger cohorts who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 46% (~10,016 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and diabetes, affecting 6.1 and 5.8% of residents respectively. A total of 77.1% of residents reported being completely free from medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 77.0%. The area has a senior population (aged 65 and over) of 3,128 people, making up 14.4% of the total residents. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but require more attention compared to the broader 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 among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 49.2% of its population born overseas as of the 2016 Census. In this area, 70.3% speak a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Chester Hill-Sefton is Islam, making up 38.2% of people, compared to 29.1% across Greater Sydney according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are Other at 22.1%, Lebanese at 16.7%, and Chinese at 12.8%. Notably, Vietnamese is overrepresented at 11.6%, while Korean is at 0.8% and Samoan at 0.7%.

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 proportion of residents aged 15-24 (16.3%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (13.4%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 14.7% to 16.3%, while the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 14.1% to 13.4%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Chester Hill - Sefton. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 90%, adding 745 residents to reach a total of 1,578. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 55% of population growth, highlighting trends towards demographic aging. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups.