Chatswood
NSWChatswood is a growing suburb in NSW with 25,553 residents.
- SAL code
- 10891
- SA2
- 121011684
- Population
- 25,553
- LGA
- Willoughby
Chatswood, NSW had 25,553 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 5.1% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,858 a month. Around 46.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 50.2%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 67.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 28 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Chatswood, NSW at a glance
Chatswood is the North Shore's commercial powerhouse, ~10 km north of Sydney CBD in Willoughby City. High-rise apartments cluster around the Metro/T1 interchange and the Westfield/Chatswood Chase retail spine, while quieter detached-housing pockets sit east and west of the core. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Chatswood is the rare Sydney suburb where you can live in a 50-storey tower above the train station and still be back home in 20 minutes from the CBD. The urban core is dominated by apartments above Westfield Chatswood and Chatswood Chase (the latter's $904,000 sqft expansion completes April 2026), with strong Chinese, Korean and Japanese dining filling the surrounding streets. Quieter detached-housing pockets sit east toward Roseville and west toward Lane Cove North. Chatswood Interchange runs the T1 North Shore line and the Sydney Metro Northwest, hitting Martin Place in under 20 minutes. Schools include Chatswood High (partially selective, 60 places per year group) and Chatswood Public; private options include St Pius X College and Mercy College. The 2026 catchment update transferred parts of the Chatswood High zone to Killara and Killarney Heights — worth checking before you commit to an address. In short: a genuine urban hub with metro-grade transport, premium retail and academic pull — at North Shore prices.
For investors
Chatswood is a low-yield, high-liquidity unit market with premium house pricing. Median house $3.56M against $1,200/wk rent gives ~2.04% gross yield; units median ~$820/wk rent for ~3.85% yield (Your Investment Property April 2026). House growth +3.94% YoY; units -5.82% YoY and -2.65% QoQ as new tower stock settled. 137 house + 297 unit sales in 12 months — one of the deepest unit markets on the North Shore. Days-on-market 43 (houses) / 42 (units); vacancy ~0.98%.
Strengths
- Metro + T1 interchange and Westfield/Chase retail anchor genuine 24/7 demand — vacancy ~0.98%.
- Deep, liquid unit market (~297 sales/yr) makes entry and exit straightforward at scale.
- Education pull (Chatswood High selective stream, multiple private schools) sustains family-tenant demand.
- Build-to-rent pipeline (Novus on Victoria, 260 apartments approved March 2026) signals continued institutional confidence in the precinct.
Trade-offs
- House yields ~2.04% are among Sydney's lowest — this is a capital-growth play, not cashflow.
- Unit values -5.82% over 12 months as new high-rise supply settled (YIP April 2026); near-term recovery depends on absorption.
- Days-on-market ~43 days is moderate, not auction-tight — premium pricing requires patient marketing.
- Heavy apartment skew means the unit segment is exposed to ongoing tower completions through 2026-27.
What's coming
Willoughby City Council's 2024/25 operational plan committed $39.1M to capital works including a $2.3M shared walking/cycling pathway on Pacific Highway between Mowbray Rd and Herbert St (St Leonards), plus $1.95M of playground and parks renewal. The IPC approved the 46-storey Novus on Victoria build-to-rent tower (260 apartments) in March 2026, ~50m from the interchange. Chatswood Chase's expansion completes April 2026.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: the North Shore's most urban address with metro-grade transport and premium retail at the door. For investors: a liquid, transit-anchored market where capital growth, not yield, has to do the work.
Population
?25,553
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+5.1%
3yr: +9.3% · 10yr: +12.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,158/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?5.5%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
1 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?19
16 long day, 2 OSHC, 1 family
Parks & green space
?28
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?70
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?6
Willoughby · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Chatswood - East (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Chatswood suburb alone is ~25,553 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 11,939 to 21,644 over 24 years, averaging 2.5% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbSector
2 public
Type
1 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
3,228
Avg per school
1,614
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Chatswood PS41.4%
- Lindfield LV 15.4%
- Roseville PS 13.8%
- Willoughby PS 8.2%
- Castle Cove PS 6.6%
- Artarmon PS 0.0%
Secondary
Chatswood HS64.2%
- Willoughby GHS 45.3%
- Lindfield LV 15.4%
- Killara HS 13.8%
- Killarney Hts HS 6.6%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.6%Predominantly apartments (67.7%), rental-heavy (50.2% renting).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
13 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 48.4% | 2.42 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 7.4% | 0.37 km² |
| E2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 6.7% | 0.34 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 6.1% | 0.30 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 5.4% | 0.27 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 5.4% | 0.27 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 4.7% | 0.24 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 4.6% | 0.23 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 4.6% | 0.23 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 4.4% | 0.22 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 0.9% | 0.05 km² |
| E3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.6% | 0.03 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.6% | 0.03 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.