Chisholm is an outer metropolitan suburb of Sydney, in Maitland Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.
Employment is a strong feature of the suburb, with employment 33% above the peer median. Local amenities are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs. Housing is unusually affordable against comparable places. Median house prices have risen 13% year on year. Population growth is an exceptional strength, and university qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 39% above the peer median. School access is relatively limited, with school access 60% below the peer median.
Chisholm's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in New South Wales (504)
Strengths
Housing is unusually affordable against comparable places
Local amenities are a relative strength
Employment is a relative strength
Population growth is a relative strength
University qualifications are a relative strength
Weaknesses
School access is relatively limited
What stands out
Chisholm Beach
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★☆☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★☆☆☆☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Chisholm compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$865k
+13% change
Median rent
$660/wk
Houses $670 · Units $575
Population (ERP)
5,712
+4.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
2.5%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#132
among Metro Sydney · Growth area
Crime rate
57th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
98th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
19%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
67th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
41.5/100 — Average
National rank
4008th in Australia
State rank
1360th in NSW
Peer rank
#132 among Metro Sydney · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#670 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data confidence
98%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$575
Houses (January to March 2026)
$670
All types (January to March 2026)
$660
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
245
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$865,000
Median price change
+13.1%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+4.6% annual · +36.8% over 5 years · 98th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+4.6%
5-year growth
+36.8%
Change in 1 year
+253
Change in 5 years
+1,536
Growth rank in NSW
98th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~7,550), extrapolated at +5.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
4,577
Median age
32
Median household income / week
$2,755
Dwelling vacancy
2.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
36 of 1,445
Median monthly mortgage
$2,344
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$550
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
18.7% / 62% / 19.4%
Employment rate
76.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
22.4% / 0% / 60.7%
Walked or cycled to work
0.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,398 / 6 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
26.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 24.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified26.2% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified13% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational24.3% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below36.5% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce25.4%
Engineering and related technologies21.3%
Health15.8%
Society and culture11.2%
Education9.3%
Food, hospitality and personal services5.2%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$63,624
74th percentile in NSW · +8% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$68,151
68th percentile in NSW · +5% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
10.0%
11th percentile in NSW · -27% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$70,630
50th percentile in NSW · +12% vs Australia
Residents with business income
7.0%
4th percentile in NSW · -33% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2322 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
15,756
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,579
Median net rent
-$2,034
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,044
Taxable income vs state median
+14%
Salary / wages vs state median
+9%
Rental investment vs state median
-29%
Super vs state median
0%
Business income vs state median
-30%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
13% speak a language other than English at home; 15.9% born overseas
Language at home
3,904 English only · 585 other
Non-English at home
13%
Born overseas
716 (15.9%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
208 (4.5%)
Australian citizens
4,238
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
21
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Malayalam89 · 36.8%
Punjabi26 · 10.7%
Korean17 · 7%
Mandarin11 · 4.5%
Vietnamese11 · 4.5%
Spanish8 · 3.3%
Tamil8 · 3.3%
Urdu8 · 3.3%
Religion
58.3%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 58.3%, while 32.8% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
32.8%
32.8%
Christianity
58.3%
47.6%
Hinduism
2%
3.4%
Other / not stated
6.9%
16.2%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
31.3%
22.4%
Anglican
14.8%
11.9%
Christian (not further defined)
3%
2.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.5%
1.9%
Uniting Church
2%
2.1%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2322, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
441
Against the person
128
Against property
165
Rate per 1,000 residents
77.2
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 36 residents
State crime-rate percentile
57.4th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+6.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
27
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
4.73
Most common offence types
Domestic Violence Related Assault36
Fraud36
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment47
Malicious Damage To Property35
Transport Regulatory Offences57
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
Schools within 2 km
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
1,047
Median ICSEA percentile
67th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
St Aloysius Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1064 · 73th percentile · LBOTE 24% · 614 students · Top SEA quarter 28% · 0.1 km awayView on My School →
St Bede's Catholic CollegeSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1030 · 60th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 910 students · Top SEA quarter 18% · 0.1 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Francis Greenway HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Maitland HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Millers Forest PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Morpeth PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Thornton PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Great for outdoor family life — 5 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 48 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 247 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
32/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.22
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.22
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.09
Food & drink(1)
Cafe
Community(5)
Little Zak's AcademyChildcare
2 Duskdarter Street, Chisholm
St Nicholas Early EducationChildcare
Tigerhawk Drive, Chisholm
Tillys Play & Development CentreChildcare
1 Seasons Circuit, Chisholm
St Aloysius Catholic Primary SchoolSchool
Heritage Drive, Chisholm
St Bede's Catholic CollegeSchool
Heritage Drive, Chisholm
Sport & outdoors(255)
Beach
3 Morpeth – East Maitland – Raymond TerraceCycling route
Emperor Parade Workout StationFitness station
Dragonfly Adventure ParkPark
Harvest ParkPark
Park (2)
Whitewater ParkPark
Dragonfly Adventure ParkPlayground
Harvest PlaygroundPlayground
Playground
Sports field
Swimming pool (243)
Transport(19)
19 bus stops
Other(4)
Bench (9)
Parking (10)
Proposed (3)
Shelter (8)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Health access
Nearest hospital
New Maitland Hospital (2.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
27° / 18°
Rainfall
295 mm · ~37 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 14°
Rainfall
366 mm · ~46 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
18° / 8°
Rainfall
272 mm · ~34 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
23° / 13°
Rainfall
230 mm · ~29 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Check signage. Exercise caution. Local Access Only from Government Road, No through Road.Haussman Drive, Raymond Terrace Road09 Jun 2026 – 31 Dec 2027
Exercise caution. Reduce your speed.Suncroft Street, Trampore Esplanade01 May 2025 – 30 Dec 2026
Data sources & freshness
Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Paterson
Member of Parliament
Meryl SWANSON (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
127,926
Turnout (2025)
92.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+4.3 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 43.1%Labor 56.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.7 km away).
Coalition 44.8%Labor 55.3%
1.6 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.2 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
ChisholmLabor 55.2% · Coalition 44.8% TPP (2025)0.1 km away
MetfordLabor 68.7% · Coalition 31.3% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
SomersetLabor 59.7% · Coalition 40.3% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
TenambitLabor 65.7% · Coalition 34.4% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
ThorntonLabor 58.8% · Coalition 41.2% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)