Chittering
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Chittering's population is 7,358 as of Aug 2025. This represents an increase of 1,428 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,930. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 6,754 in June 2024 and an additional 276 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 6.0 persons per square kilometer. Chittering's growth rate of 24.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. Interstate migration contributed approximately 75.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. By 2041, Chittering is projected to have a population of 8,519, an increase of 7.6% over the 17-year period.

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

Chittering has seen approximately 67 new homes approved annually. Development approval data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics is on a financial year basis. There were 338 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25. As of now in FY26, there have been 18 approvals.

On average, each dwelling built has resulted in an increase of 2.7 new residents per year over these five years, indicating strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value for new homes is $444,000. This financial year has seen $21.8 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting steady investment activity. Compared to the Rest of WA, Chittering has 85.0% more development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice and indicating strong developer confidence in the area. All new construction consists of detached houses, maintaining Chittering's traditional low-density character focused on family homes.

There are approximately 108 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Future projections estimate that Chittering will add 556 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth beyond current forecasts.

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

Ten infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include: Chittering Eco-Golf Resort and Luxury Estates, Maryville Downs Estate, Shire of Chittering Local Planning Scheme 6 Amendment 75 (Education Establishment Zone), and Maryville Downs. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment performance in Chittering ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Chittering's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. The construction sector has high representation, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% as of June 2025.

There are 3,728 residents employed, with the unemployment rate at 2.5% lower than Rest of WA's 3.2%. Workforce participation is 62.2%, compared to Rest of WA's 59.4%. Dominant employment sectors include construction, mining, and agriculture, forestry & fishing. Construction jobs are particularly concentrated, with levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

The accommodation & food sector has limited presence, at 3.3% versus the regional 7.1%. Local employment opportunities appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Chittering's labour force decreased by 1.6%, with employment down by 1.3%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of WA had employment growth of 1.1% and labour force growth of 0.5%, with a 0.6 percentage point drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Chittering's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.4% over five years and 11.8% over ten years, using a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Chittering's median taxpayer income was $56,801 with an average of $72,037, both above national averages of $57,323 and $71,163 respectively across Rest of WA. By March 2025, estimates suggest a median income of approximately $63,396 and an average of $80,400 based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.61% since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census ranked household income at the 68th percentile ($2,044 weekly) and personal income at the 49th percentile. Distribution data showed that 31.3% (2,303 individuals) of Chittering's population earned between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, similar to regional levels where 31.1% fell within this range. Notably, 30.2% earned above $3,000 weekly. Housing costs consumed 15.2% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 69th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Chittering is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Latest Census data shows that in Chittering, 99.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 1.0% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Non-Metro WA's figures of 95.6% houses and 4.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Chittering stood at 33.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 58.8% and rented ones at 8.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Non-Metro WA's average of $1,425. Median weekly rent in Chittering was $320, lower than Non-Metro WA's figure of $231. Nationally, Chittering's median monthly mortgage repayment is higher at $2,100 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rent is lower at $320 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households make up 83.3% of all households, including 38.0% couples with children, 36.7% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 15.9% and group households comprising 1.0%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of WA average of 2.3.

Chittering faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 13.4%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 46.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (34.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.8% in primary education, 10.7% in secondary education, and 2.6% pursuing tertiary education. Chittering's three schools have a combined enrollment reaching 560 students as of the latest data. School places per 100 residents (7.6) fall below the regional average (12.2), with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas due to varied educational conditions across Chittering.

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

Chittering has four operational public transport stops, all offering bus services. These stops are served by a single route in total, facilitating four weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of these transports is deemed limited, with residents on average situated 9203 meters away from the nearest stop.

The service frequency stands at zero daily trips across all routes, translating to roughly one weekly trip per individual stop.

Chittering's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data shows relatively positive outcomes for Chittering residents with common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (~4,068 people), compared to 52.8% across Rest of WA.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 8.1%) and mental health issues (7.4%), while 69.5% declare they have no medical ailments, compared to 64.7% across Rest of WA. The area has 15.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,118 people), lower than the 21.7% in Rest of WA. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Chittering ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Chittering's cultural diversity was below average, with 74.3% born in Australia, 86.7% being citizens, and 95.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion (45.9%), while Judaism was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to 0% regionally. Top ancestry groups were English (36.5%), Australian (31.0%), and Scottish (7.6%).

Notably, Dutch (1.8%) South African (0.8%), and New Zealand (0.8%) ethnicities had higher representation than regional averages.

Chittering hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Chittering is 43 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of WA's average of 40 years and well above Australia's median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age cohort is notably over-represented in Chittering at 16.4%, compared to the Rest of WA average of 12% and the national average of 11.2%. Meanwhile, the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 9.6%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 11.5% to 13.1%, while the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.3% to 12.7%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 15.9% to 14.2% and the 65-74 group has dropped from 10.8% to 9.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Chittering. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to expand by 281 people (40%), from 708 to 990. However, the 15-24 and 85+ cohorts are expected to experience population declines.