Chittaway Bay

Chittaway Bay is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As per ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the population of the suburb of Chittaway Bay was estimated at around 1,963 as of Feb 2026. This shows a decrease of 24 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 1,987. The current resident population is estimated at 1,958 by AreaSearch following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,752 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilised. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 47 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 5.6% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Chittaway Bay is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Chittaway Bay has had no residential development approvals in the past five years. This indicates that the area is largely built out with minimal vacant land available for new developments. Established areas like Chittaway Bay often experience steady demand for existing properties due to limited new-build alternatives.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Chittaway Bay has significantly less development activity. The scarcity of new homes typically enhances demand and prices for existing properties in such areas. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and suggesting possible planning constraints may be in place.

Chittaway Bay has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely affecting this region. Key projects are Berkeley Vale Industrial Estate Expansion, Berkeley Vale Private Hospital & Medical Precinct, Tumbi Umbi/Killarney Vale Priority Growth Precinct (Planning Proposal), and M1 Pacific Motorway Tuggerah to Doyalson Widening. The following details those 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Chittaway Bay well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Chittaway Bay's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well-represented, with an unemployment rate of 2.8% as of September 2025. This rate is 1.4% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Chittaway Bay is similar to Greater Sydney's at 70.0%. According to Census responses, 26.4% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

In contrast, professional & technical services employ only 4.7% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 2.8%, while labour force grew by 3.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within Chittaway Bay. These projections suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Chittaway Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Chittaway Bay had a lower median income among taxpayers than the national average according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. The median income in Chittaway Bay was $47,598 while the national figure stood at $60,817. The average income in Chittaway Bay was $59,183 compared to the Greater Sydney average of $83,003 for the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from financial year 2023 to September 2025, current estimates project a median income of approximately $51,815 and an average income of around $64,427 in Chittaway Bay by that date. According to Census 2021 data, incomes in Chittaway Bay ranked modestly, between the 40th and 46th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The income distribution showed that 34.6% of residents (679 people) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, similar to the surrounding region where 30.9% occupied this bracket. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Chittaway Bay, with only 83.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 47th percentile.

Chittaway Bay is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Chittaway Bay's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.9% houses and 3.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chittaway Bay stood at 34.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.6% and rented ones at 22.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,905, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Chittaway Bay was $380, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Chittaway Bay's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Chittaway Bay features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 78.4% of all households, including 31.9% couples with children, 28.9% couples without children, and 16.0% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.6%, with lone person households at 19.5% and group households comprising 3.3%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational outcomes in Chittaway Bay fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 16.1%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 43.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.8%) and certificates (34.4%). Educational participation is high at 26.4%, with 9.6% in primary education, 6.2% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 6.2% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Chittaway Bay has 25 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 45 different routes, offering a total of 991 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 118 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. In this predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outwards, with cars being the primary mode of transport at 94%. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, 26.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages 141 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly 39 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Chittaway Bay is well below average with considerably higher than average prevalence of common health conditions and to an even higher degree among older age cohorts

Chittaway Bay faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are considerably higher than average, with an even greater disparity among older age cohorts. Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~988 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 9.9% and 9.8% of residents respectively. Only 62.5% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The working-age population also faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. Chittaway Bay has 19.6% of residents aged 65 and over (384 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

Chittaway Bay is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Chittaway Bay, as per the census data from June 2016, showed lower cultural diversity with 87.2% of its population born in Australia, 93.0% being citizens, and 94.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 57.2%, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups were English (31.8%), Australian (31.4%), and Irish (8.5%).

Notably, Welsh (0.7%) and Maltese (0.9%) were overrepresented in Chittaway Bay compared to regional averages of 0.4% and 1.0%, respectively. Samoan representation was lower at 0.3% compared to the regional average of 0.5%.

Chittaway Bay's median age exceeds the national pattern

Chittaway Bay's median age is 41 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Chittaway Bay has a notably higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (11.6% locally) and a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (11.1%). Post the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 4.8% to 6.2%, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 11.8% to 12.9%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort decreased from 12.1% to 11.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Chittaway Bay's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 35%, adding 42 residents to reach 164. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 62% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts.