Lower Chittering

Schools in Lower Chittering iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 41 is approximately 1 year above the national figure, and the suburb's trajectory is aging: the senior share grew 4.3 points while the young-adult share fell 3.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 29.2%, which is 7.6 points above the national average. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,202), Scottish (272) and Irish (207). University qualifications at 15.7% are 14.4 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades, construction and mining rather than professional services. Average household size of 3.2 is above national norms, with couples-with-children families at 978 making up the dominant household type.

Every dwelling in Lower Chittering is a separate house, a 100% detached rate that sets it apart from most WA suburbs. The bedroom distribution skews large: 82% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 13.5% have three, so sub-three-bedroom stock is essentially absent. Of residents, 72.4% carry a mortgage and 21.9% own outright, with renting at just 5.7%, one of the lower rates in the state. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,271, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.1% is below the national stress benchmark of 30%, meaning households are comfortably servicing their loans relative to income. The housing stress indicators show rent-to-income at 17.7%, also below stress levels.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Construction (14.4%, 109 workers) and mining (14.3%, 108 workers) together account for more than a quarter of local employment, higher than state and national averages, and explain why household incomes sit at the 93.7th percentile despite university qualifications running 14.4 points below national. Healthcare is the third-largest sector at 11.8%, followed by public administration at 8.2% and education at 8.1%. The full-time employment rate of 66.7% is solid, unemployment is 3.3%, and real income grew 15.2% over the decade. The SEIFA IRSD decile is 6, placing Lower Chittering in the middle tier for relative disadvantage nationally, while the IER (economic resources) decile reaches 10, the top tier, reflecting the high incomes and large owner-occupied houses.

Transport to Work

Car dependence is very high: 90.2% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average, while public transport use is just 1.7%. This reflects the rural setting across 118 square kilometres at a density of only 20.4 people per square kilometre. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on nearby towns for schooling. The IRSAD decile of 6 places the suburb in the middle range nationally for advantage. Volunteering is active at 16.3% of the population, and only 4.4% need daily assistance. Housing stress indicators are low: mortgage-to-income at 20.1% and rent-to-income at 17.7% are both comfortably below stress thresholds, making day-to-day costs manageable relative to local incomes.

Population Forecast

Lower Chittering has grown strongly: population rose 33.8% over the past decade and the gentrification score sits at 56 (active stage), driven by net internal migration averaging 183 people a year. Annual population growth is 2.34%, adding roughly 165 residents each year. Medium forecasts project the broader area population reaching 7,900 by 2031 from 7,039 in 2025. Overseas migration contributes a modest 15 net arrivals a year, so internal relocation is almost entirely the driver. The affordability trend is improving, with the affordability ratio moving from 53.3% in 2011 to 40.1% in 2021. Turnover is low at 20.1%, meaning most arrivals stay, which underpins the sustained demand growth.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Lower Chittering compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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