Chermside

Chermside lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Based on ABS population updates for the broader area, the estimated population of the Chermside statistical area (Lv2) as of Nov 2025 is around 12,829. This reflects an increase of 1,403 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,426. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 12,506 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 432 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,223 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The Chermside (SA2) experienced a growth rate of 12.3% since the 2021 Census, exceeding the SA3 area's growth of 7.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in this area.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Future population trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of national areas, with the Chermside (SA2) expected to increase by 4,872 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 35.5% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Chermside was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Chermside has seen around 123 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 615 homes were approved, with an additional 70 in FY-26 to date. Each new dwelling is estimated to bring in about 2.3 residents yearly on average over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost for these dwellings is $685,000, indicating a focus on premium properties. Commercial approvals this year totalled $52.1 million. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Chermside has 147.0% more development activity per capita. New developments consist of 10.0% detached dwellings and 90.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living. The area reflects developing status with around 103 people per approval.

Population forecasts suggest Chermside will gain 4,549 residents by 2041. Construction pace is maintaining growth but may face increased competition as population grows.

Chermside has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 24 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion, Chermside Westfield Expansion & Redevelopment (Stage 2), Brisbane Metro - Northern Busway Extension (Roma Street to Carseldine), and 705-707 Hamilton Road Development. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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 Chermside remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Chermside has a well-educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 6.5% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 12.0%.

As of September 2025, there are 7,626 residents employed, while the unemployment rate is 2.5% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation in Chermside is lower at 62.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. Health care & social assistance has particularly notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 5.9% compared to the regional average of 9.4%. There are 1.5 workers for every resident in Chermside, indicating that it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 12.0%, while labour force increased by 10.9%, causing a decrease in unemployment rate of 0.9 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8% and unemployment falling by 0.5 percentage points during the same period. State-level data from QLD up to 25-Nov shows employment contracted by 0.01%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Chermside's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Chermside had a median income among taxpayers of $52,811. The average income stood at $63,323. Both figures are below the national average. In Greater Brisbane, the median and average incomes were $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Chermside would be approximately $58,045 (median) and $69,598 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, personal income in Chermside ranks at the 58th percentile ($844 weekly), while household income sits at the 30th percentile. Distribution data shows that 33.8% of the population (4,336 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, similar to regional levels where 33.3% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Chermside, with only 77.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 21st percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Chermside features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Chermside's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 21.4% houses and 78.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Brisbane metro had 67.2% houses and 32.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chermside was 15.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.7% and rented ones at 66.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,690, below Brisbane metro's average of $2,100. Median weekly rent was $370 compared to Brisbane metro's $390. Nationally, Chermside's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Chermside features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 50.5% of all households, including 13.7% couples with children, 24.6% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 49.5%, with lone person households at 41.8% and group households comprising 7.6%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.4.

Chermside demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 34.7% among residents aged 15+, surpassing both the Queensland average of 25.7% and the national average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common, held by 24.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 32.0% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.3%, while certificates make up 20.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.2% currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.0% in tertiary education, 6.3% in primary education, and 4.7% pursuing secondary education.

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

Chermside has 71 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 25 different routes that together facilitate 3957 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located 145 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, services operate an average of 565 trips across all routes, translating to approximately 55 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Chermside is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Chermside faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 52%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area (~6,708 people), compared to 58% in Greater Brisbane.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 11% and 7.7% of residents respectively. Sixty-six percent of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 69.1% in Greater Brisbane. Nineteen percent of residents are aged 65 or over (2,437 people), higher than the 16.6% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those of the broader population.

Chermside was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Chermside has a high level of cultural diversity, with 28.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 36.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Chermside, making up 45.6% of its population. Hinduism is notably overrepresented in Chermside compared to Greater Brisbane, comprising 5.6% versus 2.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.3%, Australian at 19.6%, and Other at 13.2%. Some ethnic groups have notable divergences: Filipino is overrepresented at 3.3% compared to the regional average of 1.5%, Korean at 1.1% versus 0.4%, and New Zealand at 1.0% versus 0.9%.

Chermside's population is younger than the national pattern

Chermside's median age is 35 years, nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and somewhat younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Chermside has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 at 22.7%, but fewer residents aged 5-14 at 7.1%. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 35 to 44 has grown from 14.2% to 15.2%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 12.5%, and the 85+ group has dropped from 4.6% to 3.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Chermside, with the 75-84 age cohort showing the strongest projected growth of 90%, adding 838 residents to reach a total of 1,775. Conversely, the 0-4 age cohort shows minimal growth of just 9%, with an increase of 45 people.