Chartwell was largely developed as a residential area after the 1950s, with houses from the 1970s dominant in the area.
The suburb is popular with families and many residents commute into central Hamilton for work. Chartwell has a large range of shopping opportunities, most notably the Westfield Shopping Centre, which contains over 80 designer, specialty, mainstream and boutique stores. Chartwell also has access to a dentist and doctors’ office as well as restaurants, cafés and takeaways. Alternatively nearby central Hamilton offers a greater range of amenities.