Chisholm
Household income places Chisholm at the 95.8th percentile, above national benchmarks, while its 4,577 residents have a median age of 32, about 8 years below the national comparison. The suburb is strongly family-oriented: 99.6% of dwellings are separate houses, 93.7% have four or more bedrooms, and average household size is 3.2, or 0.7 above the national figure. Compared with nearby Thornton, Chisholm presents a more consistently detached, mortgage-led profile. Yet the trajectory is aging, with senior share up 7.1 percentage points and annual growth forecast at -0.28%, so today's young base does not automatically mean rapid expansion.
Population
4,577
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,755/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
347
Chisholm suits buyers seeking a large detached home rather than a compact apartment. Separate houses account for 99.6% of stock, while 93.7% has four or more bedrooms; that concentration supports family living but narrows choice for buyers seeking smaller dwellings. Mortgage commitments average $2,344 per month and represent 19.6% of household income, compared with weekly rent of $550 and rent-to-income of 20.0%. Ownership is mortgage-led at 61.7%, versus 18.6% outright, so interest-rate changes matter more than in a debt-light suburb. The mortgage stress flag is false, but buyers should test repayments against future rate rises and maintenance costs.
For Buyers
Chisholm suits buyers seeking a large detached home rather than a compact apartment. Separate houses account for 99.6% of stock, while 93.7% has four or more bedrooms; that concentration supports family living but narrows choice for buyers seeking smaller dwellings. Mortgage commitments average $2,344 per month and represent 19.6% of household income, compared with weekly rent of $550 and rent-to-income of 20.0%. Ownership is mortgage-led at 61.7%, versus 18.6% outright, so interest-rate changes matter more than in a debt-light suburb. The mortgage stress flag is false, but buyers should test repayments against future rate rises and maintenance costs.
For Investors
Investor appeal rests more on rental demand and household capacity than on rapid capital-growth momentum. Weekly rent is $550, vacancy is 2.5%, and 19.3% of households rent, creating a measurable tenant base. Rent-to-income is 20.0% and the rent stress flag is false, which supports affordability for many tenants. Development activity is substantial at 347 applications in 12 months, including detached homes, secondary dwellings and a two-dwelling dual occupancy, so future supply deserves close monitoring. Household income sits at the 95.8th percentile, above national benchmarks, while the annual growth trend is -0.28% and overseas migration is the primary driver. Compared with a high-growth strategy, Chisholm better suits investors prioritising established family housing and selective land-based projects.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,534
Last 12 Months
347
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+11.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Chisholm combines a young resident base with a family-heavy household structure. Median age is 32, 8 years below the national comparison, and couples with children account for 60.8% of families, compared with 31.8% couples without children and 7.1% one-parent families. Average household size is 3.2, or 0.7 above the national figure, which helps explain the strong demand for four-bedroom-plus houses. University attainment is 33.7%, 3.6 percentage points above the national comparison, while overseas-born residents are 15.9%, 5.7 points below it. English ancestry leads at 1,851 people, followed by Scottish 434, Irish 385 and Indian 271. Compared with nearby Thornton, Chisholm reads as more family-oriented than transient, with 62.4% staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.6%
Houses
0.4%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is unusually uniform: 99.6% of dwellings are separate houses, 93.7% contain four or more bedrooms, and 0.4% are semi-detached. The tenure mix is mortgage-heavy, with 61.7% paying a mortgage, 18.6% owning outright and 19.3% renting. The 61.7% mortgage share is higher than outright ownership, which makes household budgets more exposed to interest-rate movements. Housing stress indicators are moderate: mortgage-to-income is 19.6%, rent-to-income is 20.0%, and both stress flags are false. Vacancy is 2.5%, so rental supply is not abundant compared with a looser market. Compared with nearby Thornton, Chisholm's detached, four-bedroom-plus stock gives it a clearer family-estate identity, although it can limit downsizer and entry-level choice.
Mortgage / mo
$2,344
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $550.
$660
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $680 · units $510
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,164
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.5%
Unoccupied
36
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
60.8%
Couples with children
31.8%
Couples, no children
7.1%
Single parent
1,319
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is concentrated in essential and public-facing sectors. Healthcare accounts for 21.4% of industry employment with 379 workers, followed by Education at 11.1% and 197, Public Administration at 9.9% and 176, Construction at 7.9% and 141, and Professional/Technical at 6.9% and 123. Participation is high at 78.1%, full-time employment is 64.5%, and unemployment is 2.4%, supporting household spending and mortgage capacity. Household income ranks at the 95.8th percentile, above national benchmarks, while SEIFA places education and occupation at deciles 7 and 8 and disadvantage at deciles 7 and 7. The higher occupation decile than education suggests a skilled workforce without uniformly top-tier formal qualifications, which fits the mix of professionals, trades and clerical roles.
Unemployment
2.4%
Labour Force
2,532
Unemployed
60
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.5%
Part-time
28.5%
Participation
78.1%
Employed
2,472
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.7%
Postgraduate
7.5%
Born Overseas
15.9%
Dwellings
1,404
Transport to Work
Livability is practical and car-oriented. About 68.3% of residents drive a car to work, compared with just 0.6% walking or cycling, while 27.1% work from home; the 99.6% separate-house form helps explain why private vehicles remain central. At 617 people per square kilometre across 7.42 square kilometres, Chisholm is less compact in feel than a dense urban centre, even with 4,577 residents. Safety decisions should use current NSW Police incident data and compare nearby Thornton and Maitland over the same period. Families should check school availability, sector and enrolment zones by exact address rather than assume proximity. An IRSAD decile of 7 indicates above-average relative advantage.
Drive
68.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
27.1%
Population Forecast
-0.28%/yr
(-15 people/yr)
EstablishedChisholm's outlook is established and slow rather than expansionary. The annual trend is -0.28%, while population change across the wider area is 0.7% over 10 years, both below the pace associated with a high-growth corridor. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, but the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 7.1 percentage points, compared with a young-share decline of 0.3 points and a working-share decline of 1.4 points. Gentrification is not occurring, with a score of 0, while rent growth reached 13.9%. This combination means demand may persist through migration and established housing, yet demographic aging and limited overall growth should temper expectations of rapid expansion compared with stronger-growth locations.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+24
Net Internal / yr
-54
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Chisholm compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chisholm a good suburb to live in?
Chisholm can suit families wanting space, because 99.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 93.7% contain 4 or more bedrooms. The median age is 32, 8 years below the national comparison, and vacancy is 2.5%. Compared with a denser centre, expect greater car dependence and fewer compact-home choices.
What is the median house price in Chisholm?
Check recent settled sales for the exact estate, land size and dwelling condition before budgeting. Chisholm is 99.6% detached and 93.7% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, so a single suburb median can hide substantial variation. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, land and house size are likely to have a greater effect on the price of each sale.
What schools are in Chisholm?
Check the current NSW school directory and enrolment zones for the exact address. Chisholm has 4,577 residents and 27.1% of residents work from home, but those figures do not determine school access. Compared with assuming a school is nearby, verifying the catchment and travel route avoids relying on suburb boundaries alone.
Is Chisholm safe?
Use current NSW Police incident data before deciding, and compare Chisholm with nearby Thornton and Maitland over the same 12-month period. A suburb-specific crime rate should not be assumed from housing or demographic indicators. Chisholm has 4,577 residents, so review both incident counts and rates when making a fair comparison.
Is Chisholm good for property investment?
Chisholm has a 2.5% vacancy rate, $550 weekly rent and 19.3% renting households, which can support family-housing demand. However, the annual growth trend is -0.28% and 347 development applications were recorded in 12 months. Compared with a high-growth strategy, it suits investors focused on rental income and established detached stock.
How is Chisholm's population changing?
Chisholm has 4,577 residents today, with a wider-area population change of 0.7% over 10 years and an annual trend of -0.28%. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 7.1 percentage points while the young share fell 0.3 points. Compared with faster-growth areas, change is likely to be gradual, with overseas migration the primary driver.
What development is occurring in Chisholm?
Development activity is notable, with 347 applications in 12 months. Recent examples include a 2-dwelling dual occupancy, new dwelling houses, subdivisions, earthworks and secondary dwellings. Because 99.6% of existing homes are separate houses, additions are likely to reinforce detached housing rather than create an apartment-led mix. The gentrification score is 0.
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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