Chelmer
Household income in Chelmer sits in the 98.9th percentile nationally, making it one of the most affluent pockets in Brisbane's inner-west. With a population of 3,325 packed into just 1.44 km2, the suburb scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, an uncommon clean sweep that reflects concentrated professional wealth rather than inherited advantage. University qualifications at 63.4% run 33.3 percentage points above the national figure. The stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 94.6%, and 61.5% of those homes have four or more bedrooms, signalling family-scale owner-occupier demand rather than rental investor activity. Only 16.4% of residents rent, well below state and national averages.
Population
3,325
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,402/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Median House
$707K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price is estimated at $707,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.4% sits comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, which reflects the suburb's very high household incomes rather than cheap housing. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000. The stock is unusually uniform, with 94.6% separate houses and 61.5% of all dwellings containing four or more bedrooms, so buyers are competing for large family homes on a 1.44 km2 footprint where supply is constrained. Owner-occupier culture is dominant: 39.2% own outright and 44.5% carry a mortgage, leaving only 16.4% renting, much lower than the Brisbane average. Buyers with university qualifications dominate at 63.4%, 33.3 points above national, which correlates with higher borrowing capacity and price resilience during downturns.
For Buyers
The median house price is estimated at $707,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.4% sits comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, which reflects the suburb's very high household incomes rather than cheap housing. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000. The stock is unusually uniform, with 94.6% separate houses and 61.5% of all dwellings containing four or more bedrooms, so buyers are competing for large family homes on a 1.44 km2 footprint where supply is constrained. Owner-occupier culture is dominant: 39.2% own outright and 44.5% carry a mortgage, leaving only 16.4% renting, much lower than the Brisbane average. Buyers with university qualifications dominate at 63.4%, 33.3 points above national, which correlates with higher borrowing capacity and price resilience during downturns.
For Investors
With only 16.4% of residents renting, Chelmer is not a yield-driven market. Weekly rent of $490 against a $707,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.6%, below what many investors target. The 5.4% vacancy rate is moderate and signals limited rental undersupply. Development activity is low at 20 applications in the past 12 months for a suburb of this density, which means new supply is unlikely to compress values. Net overseas migration adds a net 91 residents a year on average, while internal migration runs at minus 72 annually, leaving thin population growth of around 0.75% per year. The investment case rests on scarcity and income stability rather than rental volume. The gentrification stage reads as early signs, with a 19.6% population rise over 10 years and real income growth of 17.9%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
96
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-7.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Chelmer iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Milpera State High School
7-12 · 333 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 matches the national figure closely, within one year. The overseas-born share of 25.7% is 4.1 percentage points above national. Ancestry is primarily Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,353 residents), Irish (565) and Scottish (503), with German heritage a smaller fourth group at 174. The top non-English languages are Mandarin (42 speakers), Cantonese (15) and Hindi (12), a modest international mix compared to inner-city Brisbane suburbs. University qualifications reach 63.4%, which is 33.3 points higher than the national average and one of the highest rates in Queensland. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above national, reflecting the strong family-formation profile, with 1,402 couples with children compared to 536 couples without. Volunteering at 24.8% is above typical metropolitan norms.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.6%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
5.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupier tenure strongly dominates: 39.2% own outright and 44.5% are paying a mortgage, together accounting for 83.7% of households, which is substantially higher than Brisbane norms. Only 16.4% rent. The stock is nearly all detached houses at 94.6%, with apartments filling the remaining 5.4%, meaning the apartment segment is tiny and poorly diversified for investors seeking scale. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 61.5% of all dwellings, which is unusually concentrated at the larger end of the scale compared to most Brisbane suburbs. The median house price of $707,000 with monthly mortgage costs of $3,000 produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.4%, below the 30% stress threshold. The 5.4% vacancy rate is consistent with a low-renter, owner-occupied suburb where homes stay held for extended periods.
Mortgage / mo
$3,000
Rent / wk
$490
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,282
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.4%
Unoccupied
59
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
14.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.3%
Couples, no children
2,776
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in knowledge-sector and care industries: Professional/Tech leads at 19.7% (249 workers), followed by Healthcare at 16.8% (212) and Education at 13.1% (166), with Finance at 6.7% and Construction at 5.8%. By occupation, Professionals (683) and Managers (316) together account for the dominant share, consistent with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation advantage. The unemployment rate is 4.2% and the full-time employment rate reaches 65.2%, with 957 residents working full-time and 510 part-time. The participation rate of 59.1% reflects a mix of retirees and primary carers in a suburb with 789 residents not in the labour force. All four SEIFA indexes score decile 10, confirming comprehensive economic advantage rather than a narrow income spike.
Unemployment
1.8%
Labour Force
4,451
Unemployed
81
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.2%
Part-time
30.6%
Participation
59.1%
Employed
1,467
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.4%
Postgraduate
19.8%
Born Overseas
25.7%
Dwellings
1,037
Transport to Work
Active and public transport are supplementary rather than primary: 76.7% drive, 12.0% use public transport and 5.8% walk or cycle, broadly consistent with Brisbane's inner-west transport profile. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD nationally, the highest advantage tier, and the rent-to-income ratio of 14.4% is well below the 30% stress threshold, meaning renters are not financially stressed. Mortgage-to-income at 20.4% is similarly comfortable compared to many inner-Brisbane suburbs. Need-for-assistance is low at 5.3% of the population (171 people). No schools are recorded inside the 1.44 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families draw on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. The 24.8% volunteering rate suggests strong community participation relative to metropolitan norms.
Drive
76.7%
Public Transport
12.0%
Walk / Cycle
5.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+60 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth runs at 0.75% annually, adding around 60 residents a year, and the medium forecast projects the broader SA2 reaching 8,538 by 2031 from a current 8,015. The 10-year population change is 19.6%, above the typical rate for established Brisbane suburbs. Net overseas migration drives growth at a net 91 residents per year, which is partially offset by an internal net outflow of 72, the pattern typical for well-established, expensive suburbs where younger renters are priced out. Rent has grown 22.5% over the period and real incomes rose 17.9%, both above national average rates. Affordability improved from 47.1% in 2011 to 39.8% in 2021, suggesting income growth has kept pace with prices better than in comparable markets. The gentrification score sits at early signs, supported by the population and income growth trend.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+91
Net Internal / yr
-72
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +17% since 2011, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Chelmer compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chelmer a good suburb to live in?
Chelmer scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes nationally, the highest advantage tier on every measure. Household income sits in the 98.9th percentile and university qualifications reach 63.4%, some 33.3 points above the national figure. The trade-off is a $707,000 median house price and very limited rental stock, with only 16.4% of residents renting.
What is the median house price in Chelmer?
The median house price is estimated at $707,000 (2025 estimate from rental data). Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.4% is below the 30% stress threshold, though only because household incomes rank in the 98.9th percentile nationally. Weekly rent averages $490.
What schools are in Chelmer?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.44 km2 Chelmer boundary in this dataset. Families draw on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Sherwood and Graceville. The local population is highly educated, with 63.4% holding university qualifications, which is 33.3 percentage points above the national average.
Is Chelmer safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Chelmer in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage nationally, the highest tier, and only 5.3% of its 3,325 residents need daily assistance. Both figures are consistent with a low-disadvantage, low-stress residential area.
Is Chelmer good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $490 against a $707,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.6%, below what many investors target. The 5.4% vacancy rate is moderate. Only 16.4% of residents rent, so the tenant pool is thin. The stronger case is capital growth supported by income stability, low development activity (20 DA lodgements in 12 months) and a 19.6% population rise over 10 years.
How is Chelmer's population changing?
Annual population growth runs at approximately 0.75%, adding around 60 residents per year. The 10-year change of 19.6% is above typical rates for established Brisbane suburbs. Overseas migration contributes a net 91 residents annually while internal migration runs at minus 72. The medium forecast projects the broader SA2 reaching 8,538 by 2031.
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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