Chifley (NSW)

Chifley has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Chifley (NSW) is around 3,605, reflecting an increase of 115 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 3.3% increase from the previous census figure of 3,490 residents. The change was inferred by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and validation of 21 new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,400 persons per square kilometer, placing Chifley in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2016 to 2026, Chifley has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.7%. This growth outpaced that of the surrounding SA3 area and was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 83.0% 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 by this data, AreaSearch utilises the 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. Looking ahead, demographic trends suggest that Chifley is expected to increase its population just below the median of national statistical areas by 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to gain an additional 149 persons by then, reflecting a total increase of 3.9% over the 16-year period from 2025 to 2041.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Chifley according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Chifley experienced around 11 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 55 homes. As of FY-26, 9 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.5 new residents arrived per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply-demand market with stable conditions. The average construction cost value for new homes was $639,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

In FY-26, $72,000 in commercial approvals were registered, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Chifley had 19.0% more development per person over the past five years but was still below the national average, suggesting established planning limitations. Recent construction comprised 23.0% standalone homes and 77.0% townhouses or apartments, a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 59.0% houses. With around 297 people per dwelling approval, Chifley is considered low density. AreaSearch projects Chifley to add 140 residents by 2041, with current development patterns suggesting new housing supply should meet demand and potentially facilitate population growth beyond projections.

Future projections show Chifley adding 140 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Chifley 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 in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified four projects that are expected to impact this area. Notable projects include Prince Henry at Little Bay, Illume Apartments, Malabar Ocean Pool Accessible Amenities Building, and Seniors Housing - Combles Parade & Hamel Road. The following list provides details on those projects deemed most relevant.

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

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Employment drivers in Chifley are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Chifley has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. The unemployment rate was 7.1% as of December 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 3.1% over the previous year, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of that date, 1,751 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.9% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Chifley was lower at 65.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. Census responses indicated that 41.6% of residents worked from home, possibly influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The leading employment industries among residents were construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Chifley had a particularly high specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services employed only 8.3% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.1%, while the labour force grew by 2.7%, causing a decrease in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Chifley's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 ending June 30, 2023 shows median income in Chifley suburb at $53,357 and average income at $74,752. This compares to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% from July 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026, estimated current incomes are approximately $58,863 (median) and $82,466 (average). The 2021 Census data ranks household incomes at the 83rd percentile ($2,311 weekly) and personal income at the 57th percentile. Income distribution shows 25.0% of residents earning over $4,000 per week, differing from broader area where earnings between $1,500 - $2,999 dominate. High earners comprise 39.0% of population, indicating strong economic capability. Housing costs consume 16.5% of income, yet disposable income ranks at the 82nd percentile. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Chifley displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Chifley's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 58.6% houses and 41.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chifley was at 34.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (34.7%) or rented (31.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Chifley was $3,210, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure for Chifley was $400, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Chifley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Chifley features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 77.9% of all households, including 45.6% couples with children, 18.3% couples without children, and 13.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 22.1%, with lone person households at 20.5% and group households making up 1.6%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Chifley shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 28.0%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 54.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Trade and technical skills are prevalent, with 34.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (21.5%). Educational participation is high, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.1% in primary education, 9.8% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Chifley has 38 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 19 different routes, together facilitating 2,480 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 119 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential zone, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 87%, while buses account for 6%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 41.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 354 trips daily, translating to approximately 65 weekly trips per individual stop.

Chifley's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Chifley's health metrics performed strongly based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions had very low prevalence across all age groups.

Private health cover rate was high at approximately 56% (~2,035 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%. Most common medical conditions were arthritis (6.9%) and asthma (6.4%). 74.1% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 16.6% of residents aged 65 and over (598 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Chifley was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Chifley's population, as per the 2016 Census, showed high cultural diversity with 29.6% born overseas and 24.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 66.3%. Judaism was notably overrepresented at 2.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

Ancestry-wise, Australian (20.3%), English (20.1%), and Other (11.9%) were the top groups. French (2.0% vs regional 0.5%), Hungarian (0.6% vs 0.3%), and Spanish (1.0% vs 0.6%) were overrepresented among other ethnicities.

Chifley's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Chifley is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group comprises 15.4% of the population, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 6.8%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15-24 age group has increased from 13.1% to 16.3%, and the 75-84 age group has risen from 4.7% to 5.8%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 7.9% to 6.8%, and the 55-64 group has fallen from 13.9% to 12.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Chifley, with the 45-54 age group expected to grow by 14 people, reaching 631 from 555. Conversely, the 65-74 and 0-4 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.