Chirnside Park

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

Chirnside Park's population was around 12,617 as of May 2026. This reflected an increase from 11,779 people recorded in the 2021 Census, a growth of 838 people (7.1%). The increase was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 12,603 in June 2025 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 568 persons per square kilometer. Chirnside Park's growth exceeded its SA3 area (3.5%) and SA4 region, making it a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 50.7% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 were used with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Chirnside Park is projected to grow by 2,399 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 18.9% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Chirnside Park among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Chirnside Park granted approval for approximately 104 residential properties each year over the past five financial years, totalling 524 homes. As of FY-26, 11 approvals have been recorded. On average, around two people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand. However, this has moderated to 1.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting an improved balance. New properties are constructed at an average cost of $385,000.

In FY-26, commercial approvals valued at $60.9 million have been registered, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chirnside Park records 117.0% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice. New building activity comprises 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and affordability for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift contrasts with the current housing mix of 98.0% houses, reflecting reduced development site availability and changing lifestyle demands. The area's estimated population per dwelling approval is 381 people, indicating a quiet development environment. By 2041, Chirnside Park is projected to grow by 2,385 residents.

At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Chirnside Park has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 48thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects that could affect this region. Notable initiatives include the Chirnside Park Structure Plan, Chirnside Park Shopping Centre Refresh, Brushy Creek Recycled Water Project, and Proposed Cave Hill Railway Station. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis places Chirnside Park well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Chirnside Park's workforce is skilled with notable representation in the construction sector. The unemployment rate was 3.1% as of December 2025. Employment grew by an estimated 1.6% over the past year.

As of December 2025, 6,871 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.7%, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.8%. Workforce participation was on par with Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. According to Census responses, 26.0% of residents worked from home. Key industries include construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade.

Construction employment levels were at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, professional & technical services showed lower representation at 7.2% versus the regional average of 10.1%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.6%, labour force grew by 1.6%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Chirnside Park. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Chirnside Park's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023. Chirnside Park SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $58,321 and an average income of $70,725. These figures are higher than the national averages of $57,688 and $75,164 respectively for Greater Melbourne. With a 9.62% growth in wages since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $63,931 (median) and $77,529 (average). According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Chirnside Park cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows 34.6% of residents (4,365 individuals) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, similar to regional patterns where 32.8% fall within this range. Housing accounts for 14.7% of income. Residents rank high in disposable income, at the 73rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Chirnside Park, as evaluated at the latest Census conducted on 28 August 2016, comprised 98.0% houses and 2.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Melbourne metropolitan area's structure of 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chirnside Park stood at 37.0%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (47.9%) or rented (15.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $443, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Chirnside Park's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 80.7% of all households, including 40.7% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for 19.3%, consisting of 17.5% lone person households and 1.7% group households. The median household size is 2.8 people, exceeding the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Chirnside Park exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 25.0%, significantly lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 37.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 17.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (24.9%). Educational participation is high, with 28.1% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (9.6%), secondary (7.6%), and tertiary (4.4%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 4.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 39 active transport stops in Chirnside Park, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 22 different routes, offering a total of 4,352 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is rated as moderate, with residents typically located 469 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area's residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 93%. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling stands at 1.8, above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 26.0% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 621 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 111 weekly trips per individual stop.

Chirnside Park's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Chirnside Park's health outcomes show excellent results according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, particularly among younger cohorts.

Approximately 54% of Chirnside Park's total population (~6,825 people) has private health cover, compared to 56.7% across Greater Melbourne. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma (8.1%) and mental health issues (8.0%), with 69.6% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to 72.6% in Greater Melbourne. Under-65 residents have better-than-average health outcomes. Chirnside Park has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,325 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 15.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

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

Chirnside Park's population shows above-average cultural diversity, with 22.2% born overseas and 14.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 47.4%. The 'Other' religious category is overrepresented at 1.0%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 2.3%.

For ancestry, English (29.1%) and Australian (26.6%) are significantly higher than regional averages of 20.1% and 18.4% respectively. Irish ancestry comprises 7.1%. Dutch (2.6%), Italian (5.3%), and Sri Lankan (0.4%) ethnic groups show notable divergences from regional percentages.

Chirnside Park's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Chirnside Park is 38 years, closely matching Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chirnside Park has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (7.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.8%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 12.0% to 13.4%, while those aged 35-44 have risen from 13.8% to 15.2%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 13.0% to 10.8%, and those aged 55-64 have dropped from 11.6% to 10.6%. By 2041, Chirnside Park's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 41%, adding 646 people and reaching a total of 2,224 from the current 1,577. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow by 1%, with an increase of only 10 residents.