Chapel Hill
A 97th-percentile household income sits alongside an established, detached housing profile: Chapel Hill has 10,511 residents, a median age of 42, and 97.7% separate houses. Its 39.9% work-from-home share suits professional households, while 65.4% hold university qualifications, 35.3 percentage points above the national figure. Compared with nearby Indooroopilly, the suburb is more house-oriented, and its slower 0.37% annual growth points to stability rather than rapid turnover.
Population
10,511
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,969/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
39
Chapel Hill suits buyers seeking space and established tenure, but the absent median house price means an address-level valuation is essential. Separate houses make up 97.7% of dwellings and 70.4% have four or more bedrooms, so family-oriented stock dominates compared with apartment-led alternatives. Mortgage commitments average $2,427 monthly, while 42.4% of households are paying a mortgage and 42.8% own outright. Mortgage costs equal 18.9% of household income and mortgage stress is flagged false, supported by a 97th-percentile household income.
For Buyers
Chapel Hill suits buyers seeking space and established tenure, but the absent median house price means an address-level valuation is essential. Separate houses make up 97.7% of dwellings and 70.4% have four or more bedrooms, so family-oriented stock dominates compared with apartment-led alternatives. Mortgage commitments average $2,427 monthly, while 42.4% of households are paying a mortgage and 42.8% own outright. Mortgage costs equal 18.9% of household income and mortgage stress is flagged false, supported by a 97th-percentile household income.
For Investors
Chapel Hill presents a low-turnover, owner-heavy investment setting. Only 13.7% of households rent, while the 3.9% vacancy rate suggests rental availability is not excessive; demand may be supported by overseas migration as the primary forecast driver. Weekly rent is $555, but a yield cannot be assessed without a current house-price median. Compared with higher-rental-share suburbs, the tenant pool is narrower, and 97.7% separate houses favour family rentals over apartments. Development activity reached 38 matters in 12 months, so investors should check whether added supply is concentrated on particular streets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
107
Last 12 Months
39
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Chapel Hill
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Chapel Hill State School
Demographics
Chapel Hill's demographic profile is older and more university-qualified than the national average. Median age is 42, or 2 years above national, while 65.4% of residents hold university qualifications, 35.3 percentage points higher than the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 36.5%, 14.9 points above national, with Mandarin spoken by 260 residents. English ancestry accounts for 3,821 residents, followed by Irish at 1,301, Scottish at 1,180 and Chinese at 1,022. A 2.9-person average household and 80.9% staying rate support a settled family pattern, even as overseas migration refreshes the area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.7%
Houses
2.0%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Chapel Hill is overwhelmingly detached: 97.7% of homes are separate houses, 70.4% contain four or more bedrooms and only 0.3% are apartments. Tenure is split between 42.8% owned outright and 42.4% with a mortgage, leaving 13.7% renting. Compared with nearby Indooroopilly, this is a more house-oriented market, which helps explain the suburb's appeal to established families but limits compact entry options. Weekly rent is $555 and mortgage costs average $2,427 per month; these represent 18.7% and 18.9% of household income, with neither stress flag active. A current median price is not available, so buyers should compare recent sales rather than rely on a single suburb-wide figure.
Mortgage / mo
$2,427
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $555.
$750
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $750
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,084
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.9%
Unoccupied
142
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
54.6%
Couples with children
35.1%
Couples, no children
9.3%
Single parent
3,063
Total families
Economy & Employment
Chapel Hill's high-income economy is anchored by Professional/Tech at 20.1% of industry employment, followed by Healthcare at 17.6%, Education at 16.8%, Public Administration at 6.3% and Construction at 5.3%. This mix fits the occupational profile: 2,301 professionals and 953 managers lead the listed groups. Unemployment is 4.3% with 65.4% participation, while 60.1% of workers are full-time. Socioeconomic results sit in decile 10 across IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD, with scores of 1,159, 1,116, 1,110 and 1,141. Those top-decile results are above national conditions because skilled work, high incomes and education reinforce one another.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
5,449
Unemployed
234
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.1%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
65.4%
Employed
5,215
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
65.4%
Postgraduate
24.2%
Born Overseas
36.5%
Dwellings
3,531
Transport to Work
Chapel Hill provides a car-oriented, work-from-home-friendly lifestyle across 5.02 square kilometres, with density of 2,094.9 people per square kilometre. The car-driver share is 49.5%, compared with 4.6% using public transport and 2.8% walking or cycling; the 39.9% work-from-home rate can reduce daily commuting pressure. Families have access to Chapel Hill State School, a government state school, so enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. Socioeconomic access is strong, with IRSAD decile 10 and an IRSAD score of 1,141, above national conditions. Check current police and council updates for street-level safety decisions because conditions can vary across the suburb.
Drive
49.5%
Public Transport
4.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
39.9%
Population Forecast
+0.37%/yr
(+41 people/yr)
EstablishedChapel Hill is an established, slow-growth suburb: the forecast trend is 0.37% annually, with Overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 5.5% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging, including a 5.8-point rise in the senior share and a 4.6-point fall in the working share. Rent growth is 23.3%, and the affordability trend is Improving, moving from 57.3% in 2011 to 51.2% in 2021. Gentrification readings are mixed: the shift profile records 30 and Early signs, while the current gentrification score is 0, labelled Not gentrifying. That combination favours gradual renewal rather than rapid demographic replacement.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+145
Net Internal / yr
-65
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Chapel Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chapel Hill a good suburb to live in?
For many households, yes. Chapel Hill combines 97.7% separate houses, a 39.9% work-from-home rate and IRSAD decile 10. The trade-off is car dependence, with 49.5% driving and only 4.6% using public transport, so daily needs and the exact address matter.
What is the median house price in Chapel Hill?
A current median house price is not available. Use recent comparable sales for the exact street, then weigh the $555 weekly rent and $2,427 average monthly mortgage cost against household income. The suburb's 97.7% detached profile makes dwelling type especially important when comparing prices.
What schools are in Chapel Hill?
Chapel Hill State School is a local government school in the suburb. Confirm the catchment for the exact address before buying or renting, because enrolment zones can differ across nearby streets. The suburb has 10,511 residents, so school access should be checked early for family moves.
Is Chapel Hill safe?
Safety decisions should use current Queensland Police information, council updates and the exact address rather than assuming the same conditions across 5.02 square kilometres. Chapel Hill's population is 10,511, but population size alone cannot establish a safety rating.
Is Chapel Hill good for property investment?
It can suit a long-term investor seeking detached family rentals, but the case is not automatic. Rent is $555 a week, vacancy is 3.9% and only 13.7% of households rent. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, while 38 development matters in 12 months warrant a street-by-street supply check. A yield still requires a current purchase price.
How is Chapel Hill's population changing?
Chapel Hill is ageing gradually rather than expanding quickly. Annual growth is forecast at 0.37%, the trajectory is Aging, and population change across the wider area is 5.5% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the senior share rose 5.8 points and the working share fell 4.6 points.
What languages are spoken in Chapel Hill?
English ancestry accounts for 3,821 residents, while overseas-born residents make up 36.5% of the population. Mandarin is spoken by 260 residents, followed by Persian at 83, Cantonese and Korean at 61 each, and German at 54. The overseas-born share is 14.9 percentage points above national.
What development is occurring in Chapel Hill?
Development activity reached 38 matters in the past 12 months. Recent examples include referral-agency design and siting responses, with one sample application listing 1 dwelling. That volume does not automatically mean a large apartment pipeline, because 97.7% of existing homes are separate houses. Check the exact proposal, timing and street impact before treating activity as a supply change.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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