Ashwood - Chadstone

Population growth drivers in Ashwood - Chadstone are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Ashwood - Chadstone's population is around 21,169 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,662 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,507. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,139 in June 2025 and an additional 175 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,154 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ashwood - Chadstone's growth rate of 8.5% since census positions it within 0.8 percentage points of the state (9.3%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 88.0% 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 VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and the latest annual ERP population numbers, a significant population increase in the top quartile of national areas is forecast, with the area expected to expand by 6,186 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 29.1% in total over the 16 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Ashwood - Chadstone when compared nationally

Ashwood - Chadstone has seen approximately 98 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 491 homes. As of FY26, 58 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of 1.4 new residents per year arrived per new home. However, this figure has increased to 6.7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction value of new homes is $458,000.

This financial year, $48.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. When compared to Greater Melbourne, Ashwood - Chadstone maintains similar construction rates per person. Recent construction comprises 56% detached dwellings and 44% attached dwellings.

The location has approximately 332 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate Ashwood - Chadstone will gain 6,156 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth.

Ashwood - Chadstone has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include Ashburton Library and Community Centre, Suburban Rail Loop East, 65A Power Avenue Social Housing, and Ashwood Green. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Ashwood - Chadstone demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Ashwood-Chadstone has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.1% as of December 2025, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.4%.

As of December 2025, 12,363 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate similar to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. A high proportion of residents, 40.4%, worked from home based on Census responses. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. The area shows strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

In contrast, construction employs only 7.2% of local workers compared to Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. During the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.4% and labour force increased by 4.7%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Ashwood-Chadstone's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch reports that based on its aggregation of recent ATO data for financial year 2023, Ashwood - Chadstone SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $58,423 and an average income of $79,395. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Considering a 9.62% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 would be approximately $64,043 (median) and $87,033 (average). Census 2021 data indicates that income levels in Ashwood - Chadstone cluster around the 64th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 28.3% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, reflecting regional patterns where 32.8% fall within this range. Notably, 32.1% have incomes above $3,000 per week, suggesting strong economic capacity in the area. Housing costs consume 17.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 64th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Ashwood-Chadstone, as per the latest Census, consisted of 58.2% houses and 41.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashwood-Chadstone stood at 28.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (33.5%) or rented (38.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $415, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Ashwood-Chadstone's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 69.0% of all households, including 32.3% couples with children, 24.1% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.0%, consisting of 24.7% lone person households and 6.2% group households. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in Ashwood-Chadstone is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2016 Census data, 47.3% of residents aged 15 years and above had university qualifications, compared to the SA4 region's 29.8% and Australia's 30.4%. University graduates make up 29.8%, postgraduate qualifications account for 13.8%, and graduate diplomas are held by 3.7% of residents in this age group. Vocational pathways are pursued by 22.2%, with advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 11.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.7% currently enrolled in formal education as of 2016. This includes 8.6% in tertiary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 6.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Ashwood-Chadstone has 65 active public transport stops, all bus routes. There are 9 different routes serving these stops, together offering 2,032 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is considered good, with residents typically located 256 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily, primarily by car (82%), while 10% use trains. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 40.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 290 trips per day, equating to approximately 31 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ashwood - Chadstone's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data shows positive outcomes for Ashwood - Chadstone residents.

Mortality rates and health conditions are in line with national benchmarks. Common health conditions have a low prevalence among the general population but are higher among older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~12,362 people). The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 7.5 and 6.9% of residents respectively. 73.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. There are 15.1% of residents aged 65 and over (3,200 people).

Ashwood - 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

Ashwood-Chadstone has notable cultural diversity, with 44.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 45.2% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ashwood-Chadstone, comprising 43.3% of people. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 0.8% of the population versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (16.8%), Chinese (15.9%, significantly higher than the regional average of 6.5%), and Australian (15.0%). Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Sri Lankan (1.5% vs regional 0.8%), Greek (5.3% vs 2.7%), and Korean (1.2% vs 0.3%).

Ashwood - Chadstone's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Ashwood-Chadstone has a median age of 36 years, nearly matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ashwood-Chadstone has a higher percentage of 25-34 year-olds (18.5%) but fewer 5-14 year-olds (10.1%). According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group increased from 12.2% to 13.3%, while the 5-14 cohort decreased from 11.0% to 10.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Ashwood-Chadstone's age profile will change significantly. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 29%, adding 1,121 residents to reach a total of 5,029.