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, as of November 2025, is approximately 12,581. This figure represents an increase of 802 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,779. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 12,506 in June 2024 and an additional 72 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 566 persons per square kilometer. Chirnside Park's population grew by 6.8% between the 2021 Census and November 2025, outpacing both its SA3 area (3.3%) and SA4 region. Natural growth contributed approximately 39.9% to overall gains during recent periods, with positive influences from overseas and interstate migration as well.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made via weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these trends, Chirnside Park is projected to grow by 2,629 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 20.3% over the 17-year period.

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 ending June 2025. This totals 524 homes. As of July 2026, seven approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of two people moved to the area per dwelling built, indicating balanced supply and demand conditions. However, this has moderated in recent years to 1.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years ending June 2024 and June 2025.

The average construction value for new properties is $385,000. In the current financial year ending June 2026, commercial approvals totalled $60.9 million. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Chirnside Park has recorded 119.0% more new home approvals per capita since July 2021. The dwelling mix shows 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% townhouses or apartments, a significant shift from the current housing mix of 98.0% houses. This change reflects reduced development site availability and evolving lifestyle demands. As of June 2025, there are an estimated 381 people per dwelling approval in Chirnside Park.

Looking ahead, AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate projects a population growth of 2,554 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting further population growth beyond current projections.

Chirnside Park has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 41stth percentile nationally

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

Chirnside Park has a skilled workforce with the construction sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% in September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.4% over the past year.

As of this date, 6,860 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9%, which is below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation was at 66.8%, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction stands out with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average, while professional & technical services show lower representation at 7.2% compared to the regional average of 10.1%.

Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data comparisons. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.4%, labour force grew by 0.9%, resulting in a decrease in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% during the same period. As of 25-Nov-25, Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate a projected growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

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 2022. Chirnside Park SA2 had a median income of $54,426 and an average income of $67,718 among taxpayers. These figures were higher than the national averages of $54,892 and $73,761 respectively for Greater Melbourne. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, estimated median income as of September 2025 would be approximately $61,044, with average income projected at $75,953. According to 2021 Census figures, incomes in Chirnside Park cluster around the 65th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 34.6% of residents (4,353 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to regional patterns where 32.8% occupy this 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), compared 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 the rest being mortgaged (47.9%) or rented (15.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,950. Median weekly rent in Chirnside Park was $443, compared to Melbourne metro's $380. Nationally, Chirnside Park's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 versus Australia's 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 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%, 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 people.

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 at 28.1%, with 9.6% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 4.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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 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 these services is rated as moderate, with residents located an average of 469 meters from their nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are an average of 714 trips per day, which amounts 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 for Chirnside Park shows a relatively positive picture.

The prevalence of common health conditions is quite low across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 53% (~6,718 people) of the total population have private health cover. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.1 and 8.0% of residents respectively. A majority, 69.6%, report having no medical ailments, compared to 66.9% across Greater Melbourne. Chirnside Park has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (18.2%, or 2,293 people) than Greater Melbourne (19.4%). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

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 cultural diversity is above average, with 22.2% of its population born overseas and 14.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Chirnside Park, comprising 47.4% of the population. Notably, the 'Other' religious category is overrepresented in Chirnside Park at 1.0%, compared to 0.7% across Greater Melbourne.

The top three ancestry groups are English (29.1%), Australian (26.6%), and Irish (7.1%). Some ethnic groups show significant divergence: Dutch (2.6% vs regional 3.2%), Italian (5.3% vs 3.4%), and Sri Lankan (0.4% vs 0.3%) are notably overrepresented in Chirnside Park.

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

The median age in Chirnside Park is 38 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. 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 decreased 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. However, the 0-4 age group is expected to decrease by 24 residents.