Chirnside Park
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Chirnside Park's population is around 12,581 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 802 people (6.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,779 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,506 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 72 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 566 persons per square kilometer. Chirnside Park's 6.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (3.3%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 39.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward with demographic trends, an above median population growth is projected in the area analysed by AreaSearch. The area is expected to grow by 2,629 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with an increase of 20.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Chirnside Park has recorded approximately 104 residential property approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 524 homes. As of FY-26, six approvals have been recorded so far. On average, around two people have moved to the area for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply-demand ratio, which has moderated to 1.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction value of new properties is $385,000. This year, $60.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting high local commercial activity.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chirnside Park has recorded 119.0% more new home approvals per capita, offering buyers greater choice. The current development focus is on higher-density living, with 83.0% townhouses or apartments and 17.0% standalone homes, a significant shift from the previous housing mix of 98.0% houses. This change reflects reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The estimated population density is 381 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Chirnside Park is projected to grow by 2,554 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Looking ahead, Chirnside Park is expected to grow by 2,554 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Chirnside Park has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Chirnside Park Shopping Centre Refresh, Chirnside Park Structure Plan, Brushy Creek Recycled Water Project, and Proposed Cave Hill Railway Station. 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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AreaSearch analysis places Chirnside Park well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Chirnside Park has a skilled workforce with the construction sector being notably represented. The unemployment rate was 2.6% in June 2025, which is lower than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.3%. As of June 2025, 6,836 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.1% and workforce participation at 66.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction employment levels are particularly high, at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 7.2% versus the regional average of 10.1%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.3%, labour force increased by 0.7%, resulting in a unemployment fall by 0.6 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.5%, labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment rising 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Chirnside Park's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and not accounting for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data shows Chirnside Park had a median taxpayer income of $54,426 and an average income of $67,718 in financial year 2022. Nationally, the averages were $54,892 and $73,761 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest median incomes will reach approximately $61,044 and average incomes $75,953, based on a 12.16% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Chirnside Park cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows 34.6% of residents (4,353 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Housing accounts for 14.7% of income, and residents rank in the 73rd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Chirnside Park's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.0% houses and 2.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Melbourne metro's 93.8% houses and 6.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chirnside Park was at 37.0%, similar to Melbourne metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.9% and rented ones at 15.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,950. The median weekly rent figure stood at $443, compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Chirnside Park's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 19.3%, with lone person households at 17.5% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.7.

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 - advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (24.9%). Educational participation is high at 28.1%, including 9.6% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 4.4% in tertiary education.

Chirnside Park Primary School and Oxley Christian College serve a total of 1,227 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1070). There is one primary and one K-12 school, with school places per 100 residents at 9.8, below the regional average of 15.5. Some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

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

Chirnside Park has 39 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 26 different routes that together facilitate 5000 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in the area is rated as moderate, with residents on average being located 469 meters from their nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 714 trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 128 weekly trips per individual stop.

Chirnside Park's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows Chirnside Park residents have relatively positive health outcomes.

The prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is high at approximately 53% (6,718 people). The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.1 and 8.0% respectively. 69.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 66.9% in Greater Melbourne. 18.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,293 people), lower than the 19.4% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, matching the general population's health profile.

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

Chirnside Park showed above-average cultural diversity, with 22.2% of its population born overseas and 14.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Chirnside Park, accounting for 47.4% of people. The most notable overrepresentation was in the 'Other' category, comprising 1.0% of the population compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.7%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.1%), Australian (26.6%), and Irish (7.1%). Notably, Dutch (2.6%) was overrepresented compared to the regional average of 3.2%, as were Italian (5.3% vs 3.4%) and Sri Lankan (0.4% vs 0.3%).

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

The median age in Chirnside Park is close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chirnside Park has a higher percentage of residents aged 75-84 (6.9%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.4%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 13.8% to 15.2%, while those aged 15-24 increased from 12.0% to 13.4%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has declined from 13.0% to 10.4%. By 2041, Chirnside Park's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 44%, reaching 2,226 people from 1,544. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age group is expected to decrease by 24 residents.