Chatswood West
Household income in the 97.7th percentile nationally and a $2,494,000 median house price define Chatswood West as one of Sydney's genuine upper-tier residential pockets. The suburb covers just 0.81 km2 yet holds 1,521 residents at a density of 1,878 per km2. Detached housing makes up 93.9% of dwellings, far above the national average for urban suburbs, and 58.5% of those homes have 4 or more bedrooms. University qualifications reach 63.3%, which is 33.2 percentage points above the national figure, and 43.7% of residents were born overseas, some 22.1 points above national.
Population
1,521
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,121/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$2.5M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $2,494,000 places Chatswood West well above Sydney's city-wide median, and prices rose from $2,405,000 in 2024 to $2,518,000 in 2025, a 4.7% gain in one year. The stock is almost entirely detached: 93.9% of dwellings are separate houses and just 0.6% are apartments, meaning buyers compete for a homogeneous, scarce product. Four-bedroom-plus homes account for 58.5% of the stock, making this one of the few Sydney suburbs where large family houses dominate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6%, just below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes sitting in the 97.7th percentile nationally. Outright owners at 46.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 38.8%, pointing to long-established wealth rather than recent leveraged entry.
For Buyers
The median house price of $2,494,000 places Chatswood West well above Sydney's city-wide median, and prices rose from $2,405,000 in 2024 to $2,518,000 in 2025, a 4.7% gain in one year. The stock is almost entirely detached: 93.9% of dwellings are separate houses and just 0.6% are apartments, meaning buyers compete for a homogeneous, scarce product. Four-bedroom-plus homes account for 58.5% of the stock, making this one of the few Sydney suburbs where large family houses dominate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6%, just below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes sitting in the 97.7th percentile nationally. Outright owners at 46.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 38.8%, pointing to long-established wealth rather than recent leveraged entry.
For Investors
The investor case for Chatswood West is thin on yield but supported by low-turnover fundamentals. Weekly rent of $750 against a $2,494,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.6%, below what most investors target. The vacancy rate of 7.1% is elevated compared to typical residential markets, suggesting rental demand does not easily absorb the limited rental stock, which is just 14.9% of dwellings. Only 11 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, confirming a settled, low-supply suburb with virtually no new stock entering the market. With 79.4% of residents having stayed at the same address for 5 or more years, turnover is low, meaning rental listings are rare and competition for them is brief when they appear. Capital growth rather than income is the dominant investment thesis here.
Development Activity
Total DAs
81
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-29.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2 years above the national average, reflecting a suburb of established families rather than young renters. University qualifications at 63.3% run 33.2 percentage points above the national figure, among the highest concentrations in NSW. Overseas-born residents reach 43.7%, which is 22.1 points above the national rate, and the leading ancestries are English (443), Chinese (398), Irish (139) and Scottish (105), showing a mix of Anglo-Celtic heritage and significant East Asian migration. Mandarin is spoken by 85 residents and Cantonese by 46, consistent with the suburb's position close to the Chatswood corridor. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above the national average, driven by a high share of couples with children: 648 such families compared to 283 couples without children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.9%
Houses
5.5%
Townhouse
0.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Chatswood West is skewed strongly toward ownership: 46.3% own outright, 38.8% hold a mortgage and only 14.9% rent, well below the national renter share. The 46.3% outright ownership rate signals accumulated wealth and long-held assets rather than a market driven by new buyers. The stock is almost exclusively detached houses at 93.9%, with semi-detached at 5.5% and apartments at just 0.6%. Size skews large: 58.5% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 34.3% have 3 bedrooms, so single-bedroom dwellings are nearly absent. Median house price rose 4.7% from $2,405,000 in 2024 to $2,518,000 in 2025. Rent-to-income at 24.0% and mortgage-to-income at 29.6% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, reflecting household incomes in the 97.7th percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$4,000
Rent / wk
$750
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,057
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
38
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.0%
Couples, no children
1,345
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates heavily in knowledge and professional roles. Professional and Technical services leads at 19.9% of workers (117 people), Healthcare follows at 13.2% (78) and Finance at 10.2% (60), with Education at 9.2% (54) and Public Administration at 7.0% (41). By occupation, Professionals account for 290 workers and Managers for 162, together making up the majority of employed residents. The unemployment rate of 3.4% is low, and 65.4% of employed residents work full-time. Participation at 57.5% is moderate because 433 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with a suburb containing a meaningful share of retirees given the median age of 42. Personal weekly income averages $1,057 and family weekly income reaches $3,430, well above state and national averages.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.4%
Part-time
31.2%
Participation
57.5%
Employed
680
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.3%
Postgraduate
22.6%
Born Overseas
43.7%
Dwellings
505
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 82.1% of residents drive to work, compared to a much lower share in inner-city Sydney, while only 7.1% use public transport and 5.8% walk or cycle, partly because the 0.81 km2 suburb sits at the edge of the Chatswood rail catchment rather than on a major station. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families depend on institutions in neighbouring Chatswood and Lane Cove West. Safety data is not available at suburb level. Rent stress is absent at 24.0% rent-to-income, and only 3.9% of residents (58 people) require daily assistance, a low rate relative to the national average. The volunteering rate of 18.8% reflects a civically engaged community, above many comparable suburbs nationally.
Drive
82.1%
Public Transport
7.1%
Walk / Cycle
5.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Chatswood West compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chatswood West a good suburb to live in?
Chatswood West offers household incomes in the 97.7th percentile nationally and university qualifications at 63.3%, which is 33.2 points above the national figure. The housing stock is 93.9% detached houses on a quiet 0.81 km2 footprint. The main trade-off is a $2,494,000 median house price and limited public transport, with 82.1% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Chatswood West?
The median house price is $2,494,000 as of 2024-2025. Prices rose 4.7% from $2,405,000 in 2024 to $2,518,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, and rent averages $750 per week. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6% sits just below the 30% stress benchmark.
What schools are in Chatswood West?
No schools are recorded within the Chatswood West suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically use schools in neighbouring Chatswood and Lane Cove West. The suburb's population is highly educated, with 63.3% holding university qualifications, which is 33.2 percentage points above the national average.
Is Chatswood West safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Chatswood West at suburb level. As a proxy indicator, household incomes sit in the 97.7th percentile nationally and the unemployment rate is just 3.4%, both factors associated with lower crime rates. Only 3.9% of residents (58 people) require daily assistance, consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Chatswood West good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $750 against a $2,494,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.6%, which is below typical investor targets. The vacancy rate of 7.1% is elevated and only 14.9% of dwellings are rented. With just 11 development applications in 12 months, new supply is minimal, so the investment thesis relies on capital growth rather than rental income.
How is Chatswood West's population changing?
The current population is 1,521 across 0.81 km2. The suburb has a turnover rate of 20.6%, meaning about 1 in 5 residents moved address in the prior year, which is moderate. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above the national average, and the median age of 42 is 2 years older than the national figure, suggesting a stable, family-oriented demographic rather than rapid churn.
What languages are spoken in Chatswood West?
About 43.7% of residents were born overseas, which is 22.1 percentage points above the national average. Mandarin is spoken by 85 residents and Cantonese by 46, reflecting the suburb's proximity to the Chatswood corridor. English dominates, and the top ancestries are English (443 residents), Chinese (398), Irish (139) and Scottish (105).
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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