Chadstone

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

Chadstone's population is estimated at around 10,689 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,137 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,552. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 10,540 residents following examination of ABS data up to June 2024, along with an additional 111 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,516 persons per square kilometer, placing Chadstone in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 11.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%), along with the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 87.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, making adjustments employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. A significant population increase is forecast for Chadstone, with the area expected to increase by 3,199 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 28.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Chadstone recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Chadstone has seen approximately 58 new homes approved annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 290 homes were approved, with an additional 34 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 1.2 new residents arrived per new home over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this has accelerated to 6.5 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting increasing demand and tightening supply.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $783,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment by developers. This year, there have been $29.6 million in commercial approvals, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chadstone has somewhat elevated construction levels, recording 10.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years.

Building activity consists of 55.0% detached dwellings and 45.0% townhouses or apartments, providing options across different price points. The location has approximately 319 people per dwelling approval, indicating potential for growth. Population forecasts estimate Chadstone will gain 3,050 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Chadstone has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six key projects expected to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Suburban Rail Loop East, 65A Power Avenue Social Housing, Ashwood Green, and Chadstone Activity Centre Plan. The following details these projects in order of likely relevance.

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

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Employment conditions in Chadstone demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Chadstone has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.5% in the past year, showing a 4.6% employment growth. As of December 2025, 6,322 residents were employed at an unemployment rate of 2.2%, below Greater Melbourne's 4.8%.

Workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's 71.3%. A high 37.3% worked from home, potentially due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Finance & insurance has a higher representation at 1.5 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 6.9%.

Local employment opportunities appear limited as indicated by resident population vs working population count. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.6% and labour force by 4.8%, raising unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Chadstone's industry mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.9% in five years and 14.0% in ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 reports Chadstone's median income among taxpayers at $56,790 and average at $78,555. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. By September 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 8.25%, estimated incomes would be approximately $61,475 (median) and $85,036 (average). Census 2021 income data shows Chadstone's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 64th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 31.4% of residents earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, mirroring the metropolitan region at 32.8%. Notably, 30.3% earn above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 17.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 63rd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Chadstone displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Chadstone, as per the latest Census, 55.2% of dwellings were houses while 44.9% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. This contrasts with Melbourne metropolitan area's figures of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chadstone stood at 25.5%, lower than Melbourne metro's level, with mortgaged dwellings making up 33.9% and rented ones 40.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,250, exceeding the Melbourne metro average of $2,000. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Chadstone was $421 compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Chadstone's mortgage repayments were higher than Australia's average of $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Chadstone features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 68.3% of all households, including 30.4% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 31.7%, with lone person households at 23.9% and group households comprising 7.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Chadstone shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Chadstone is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 47.1% hold university qualifications, compared to 29.8% in the SA4 region and 30.4% nationally. University qualifications are led by bachelor degrees at 30.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.8% and graduate diplomas at 3.2%. Vocational pathways account for 22.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 12.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in tertiary education, 7.8% in primary education, and 5.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Chadstone has 29 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These are covered by seven different routes, offering a total of 1,314 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is considered good, with residents on average being 253 meters away from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 80%, while 11% use trains. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 37.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 187 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 45 weekly trips per individual stop.

Chadstone's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Chadstone.

AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence shows low prevalence of common health conditions among both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population, which totals around 6,181 people. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 6.8 and 6.7% of residents respectively. Approximately 75.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents demonstrate low chronic condition prevalence. As of the most recent data (2016), 14.3% of Chadstone's population is aged 65 and over, totaling around 1,528 people. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Chadstone's cultural diversity is notable, with 51.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 49.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 43.4%. While Judaism comprises only 1.0%, it is proportionally equal to Greater Melbourne.

In terms of ancestry, 'Other' is the largest group at 16.4%, followed by Chinese (15.9%), which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 6.5%, and English (13.8%), lower than the regional average of 20.1%. There are notable differences in representation for Greek (6.8% vs 2.7%), Sri Lankan (1.9% vs 0.8%) and Russian (0.8% vs 0.4%).

Chadstone's population is younger than the national pattern

Chadstone's median age is 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and the national average of 38 years. The age group of 25-34 years has a strong representation in Chadstone at 20.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne, while the 5-14 age cohort is less prevalent at 9.1%. This 25-34 concentration is higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.7% to 13.0% of Chadstone's population. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 21.9% to 20.9%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Chadstone. The 25-34 age group is projected to increase substantially, with an addition of 649 people (29%), growing from 2,234 to 2,884 individuals.