Chippendale
Student life, overseas migration and apartment density define Chippendale more than a conventional family-suburb profile. Its 7,803 residents have a median age of 28, density of 16,809.6 people per square kilometre and 67.3% born overseas. The university-educated share is 67.4%, or 37.3 percentage points above the national comparison. Compared with nearby Redfern and Ultimo, Chippendale reads as especially compact and apartment-led, with 89.1% apartments, 76.9% renters and a 16.7% vacancy rate. That rental churn helps explain its 2.71% annual growth trend, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver.
Population
7,803
Median Age
28.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,606/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
34
For homebuyers, Chippendale is principally an apartment market, so the main trade-off is inner-city convenience versus space and tenure security. Studios and one-bedroom dwellings account for 58.4%, while only 9.1% have three bedrooms and 3.2% have four or more. The 8.9% outright ownership rate and 12.8% mortgage rate are low compared with a settled owner-occupier suburb, because 76.9% of households rent. A $2,409 monthly mortgage and mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.6% require careful budgeting; household income sits at the 52.8th percentile. Buyers comparing Chippendale with Redfern should focus on building quality, strata costs, noise and exact walkability rather than assume a conventional house-market profile.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Chippendale is principally an apartment market, so the main trade-off is inner-city convenience versus space and tenure security. Studios and one-bedroom dwellings account for 58.4%, while only 9.1% have three bedrooms and 3.2% have four or more. The 8.9% outright ownership rate and 12.8% mortgage rate are low compared with a settled owner-occupier suburb, because 76.9% of households rent. A $2,409 monthly mortgage and mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.6% require careful budgeting; household income sits at the 52.8th percentile. Buyers comparing Chippendale with Redfern should focus on building quality, strata costs, noise and exact walkability rather than assume a conventional house-market profile.
For Investors
Chippendale has a clear rental focus: 76.9% of households rent, weekly rent is $520 and vacancy is 16.7%. The vacancy rate is higher than in a tightly supplied rental market, which can increase leasing competition for investors even when the location remains attractive. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, supporting demand from internationally mobile residents, while the 2.71% annual trend points to stronger expansion than a stable-growth setting. Thirty-eight development matters in the next 12 months add pipeline risk, because commercial, retail and community works can improve amenity but also increase construction disruption. Compare an apartment's strata, furnishing needs and tenant turnover with Redfern and Ultimo before judging yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
256
Last 12 Months
34
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-24.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Chippendale
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Chippendale is younger and more internationally connected than the national profile. Median age is 28, 12 years below the national comparison, while 67.3% were born overseas, 45.7 percentage points above national. Chinese ancestry is the largest named group at 2,735 people, and Mandarin is spoken by 705 residents, followed by Cantonese at 177. University education reaches 67.4%, 37.3 points above national, but average household size is only 1.8, or 0.7 below national. A 58.6% turnover rate and 41.4% staying rate fit a student-heavy, renter-majority suburb, because smaller apartments and study or early-career moves encourage shorter tenure. No religion is recorded for 4,302 residents, ahead of Christianity at 1,444 and Buddhism at 712.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
0.1%
Houses
9.9%
Townhouse
89.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Chippendale's housing stock is unusually concentrated in small apartments. Apartments represent 89.1% of dwellings, versus 0.1% separate houses and 9.9% semi-detached homes. The bedroom profile reinforces the contrast with family-oriented suburbs: 58.4% are studios or one-bedroom dwellings, 29.3% have two bedrooms and only 12.3% have three or more. Renting dominates at 76.9%, compared with 8.9% owned outright and 12.8% with a mortgage. Weekly rent is $520 and vacancy is 16.7%, so tenants have more choice than in a very tight market, while owners face a smaller resale audience than in house-heavy areas. The $2,409 monthly mortgage and 34.6% mortgage-to-income ratio make affordability important.
Mortgage / mo
$2,409
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $520.
$897
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $650 · units $915
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$882
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
16.7%
Unoccupied
749
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.6% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
13.6%
Couples with children
72.5%
Couples, no children
6.6%
Single parent
1,425
Total families
Economy & Employment
Chippendale combines a skilled occupational profile with uneven household resources. Professional/Tech is the largest industry at 22.1% and 763 workers, followed by Education at 10.6% and 366, Hospitality at 10.2% and 351, Finance at 10.0% and 345, and Healthcare at 9.8% and 336. Professionals number 1,825 and managers 612, supporting an education and knowledge-economy base. Yet unemployment is 9.3% among a labour force of 4,744, participation is 63.0% and full-time employment is 59.0%, consistent with a student-heavy area and its 1,250 part-time workers. SEIFA is mixed: IEO and IRSAD are both decile 10, while IER is decile 1 and IRSD decile 6. That higher education and occupation position alongside lower economic resources is more uneven than the $1,606 weekly household income percentile of 52.8 suggests.
Unemployment
9.3%
Labour Force
4,744
Unemployed
439
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.0%
Part-time
29.0%
Participation
63.0%
Employed
4,305
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
67.4%
Postgraduate
23.1%
Born Overseas
67.3%
Dwellings
3,705
Transport to Work
Chippendale suits residents who value proximity and low car dependence, although density changes the experience. At 16,809.6 people per square kilometre, it is far more compact than a typical suburban setting. Walking or cycling accounts for 14.4% of travel, public transport for 12.1% and car driving for 10.4%, while 61.7% work from home. Families have access to one nearby government primary school, Darlington Public School; enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. The IRSAD score is decile 10, placing area-level advantage above the national median, but that does not remove practical issues such as noise, small floorplans or high turnover. Current safety should be checked through recent local police data because a crime rate is not stated. Compared with outer suburbs, Chippendale trades private space for walkable inner-city access.
Drive
10.4%
Public Transport
12.1%
Walk / Cycle
14.4%
Work from Home
61.7%
Population Forecast
+2.71%/yr
(+258 people/yr)
High GrowthGrowth is running at 2.71% a year across the wider area, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 92.4% over ten years, indicating a high-growth setting compared with a settled low-change market. The trajectory is labelled Stable, while rent growth has reached 18.2% and affordability moved from 60.2 in 2011 to 59.0 in 2021, so demand is strengthening without a matching affordability improvement. Gentrification is not the main signal: the stage is 'Not gentrifying' with score 12, while new development is the stated growth stage with score 0. The practical implication is that new projects and migration, rather than wholesale neighbourhood turnover, are shaping change.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+711
Net Internal / yr
-366
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Chippendale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chippendale a good suburb to live in?
Chippendale suits residents who value inner-city access, apartment living and proximity to work or study. The median age is 28, apartments make up 89.1% of dwellings and 76.9% of households rent, so it feels more transient than a conventional family suburb.
What is the median house price in Chippendale?
A current median house price is not available. Because 89.1% of homes are apartments and just 0.1% are separate houses, buyers should compare apartment sales, strata costs and recent transaction evidence rather than rely on a house-price benchmark.
What schools are in Chippendale?
One nearby school is Darlington Public School, a government primary school. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and travel route, since Chippendale's density of 16,809.6 people per square kilometre and apartment-heavy housing can make daily access important.
Is Chippendale safe?
A suburb crime rate is not stated, so check recent local police and safety data before deciding. Visit at different times, particularly because vacancy is 16.7% and residential turnover is 58.6%, which can change street activity and the experience of individual buildings.
Is Chippendale good for property investment?
It can suit investors targeting inner-city renters, but it is not a simple low-risk rental play. Renting is 76.9%, weekly rent is $520 and vacancy is 16.7%; 38 development matters in 12 months also make strata, competition and construction impacts important.
How is Chippendale's population changing?
The wider-area growth trend is 2.71% a year and ten-year population change is 92.4%, driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Stable, while gentrification is labelled Not gentrifying with score 12 and the growth stage is New development with score 0.
What languages are spoken in Chippendale?
Chippendale has a strong overseas-born population at 67.3%. Mandarin is spoken by 705 residents, Cantonese by 177, Hindi by 56, Korean by 53 and French by 38, reflecting a more internationally connected population than the national comparison.
Is Chippendale undergoing development?
There were 38 development matters recorded across 12 months, including commercial, retail and community-related work. This can improve local amenity, but buyers and renters should also consider construction disruption, building quality and future apartment competition.
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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