Fairfield
Fairfield's most defining trait is its scale of migration: 70.2% of residents were born overseas, 48.6 percentage points above the national figure. The suburb packs 18,596 people into 4.43 sq km, with density of 4,197.8 per sq km, so apartments at 46.2% are higher than separate houses at 40.2%. Compared with nearby Cabramatta and Fairfield Heights, Fairfield functions as a denser town centre where renters make up 59.6% and household income sits at the 17.1 percentile.
Population
18,596
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,092/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
104
Median House
$700K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Homebuyers are looking at a median house price of $700,000, with the latest price only 0.5% higher than 2024 and 0.0% below the recorded peak. The trade off is income pressure: the median mortgage is $1,733 per month and mortgage costs equal 36.7% of household income. Apartments make up 46.2%, higher than separate houses at 40.2%, so buyers needing 4 or more bedrooms, only 19.1% of stock, face a narrower search than those seeking 2 bedrooms at 41.1%.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are looking at a median house price of $700,000, with the latest price only 0.5% higher than 2024 and 0.0% below the recorded peak. The trade off is income pressure: the median mortgage is $1,733 per month and mortgage costs equal 36.7% of household income. Apartments make up 46.2%, higher than separate houses at 40.2%, so buyers needing 4 or more bedrooms, only 19.1% of stock, face a narrower search than those seeking 2 bedrooms at 41.1%.
For Investors
Fairfield has a renter majority, with 59.6% renting and median rent at $365 per week, so demand is closely tied to affordability rather than premium yields. Vacancy of 8.2% is higher than a tight rental market, which can slow rent growth despite the 26.6% rent rise recorded in the shift indicators. Development activity is strong at 90 applications in 12 months, including dual occupancy and secondary dwelling examples, because owners are using density to meet renter demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
534
Last 12 Months
104
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Fairfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 691 students
Patrician Brothers' College Fairfield
7-12 · 1144 students
Fairvale Public School
K-6 · 503 students
Fairfield Public School
K-6 · 386 students
Fairfield Heights Public School
K-6 · 642 students
Demographics
Fairfield's median age is 40, in line with the national age comparison at 0.0 years difference, but its cultural profile is far above national migration norms. Overseas born residents are 70.2%, 48.6 percentage points above national, while university attainment at 28.9% is 1.2 points below national. Vietnamese ancestry counts 2,081 residents and Chinese 1,903; Christianity has 10,611 adherents, with Buddhism at 2,185 and Islam at 1,585. Household size is 2.9, 0.4 above national, reflecting larger family and shared households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
40.2%
Houses
13.5%
Townhouse
46.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing market is relatively flat on the short price record: the median moved from $696,500 in 2024 to $700,000 in 2025, a 0.5% rise, with the 2025 figure also the peak. Renting at 59.6% is much higher than ownership with a mortgage at 18.5% or outright ownership at 21.8%. The mix is urban for western Sydney, with apartments at 46.2% compared with 40.2% separate houses and 13.5% semi detached homes. At about 12.3 times annual household income, price sits above local earning capacity.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$365
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$454
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.2%
Unoccupied
536
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
36.7% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
16.1%
Couples, no children
15,156
Total families
Economy & Employment
Fairfield's jobs base leans service and essential work: Healthcare is the largest listed industry at 19.7%, followed by Retail at 10.2%, Professional/Tech at 8.5%, Education at 7.6% and Manufacturing at 7.3%. The occupation mix is broad, with 738 Professionals, 664 Labourers and 622 Clerical/Admin workers. Economic stress is visible because unemployment is 14.7% and participation is 26.9%. SEIFA confirms this, with IEO decile 2, IER decile 1, IRSD decile 1 and IRSAD decile 1, all lower than middle Australia.
Unemployment
12.8%
Labour Force
6,961
Unemployed
890
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.3%
Part-time
23.0%
Participation
26.9%
Employed
3,547
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.9%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
70.2%
Dwellings
5,945
Transport to Work
Daily life is car oriented: 78.6% of commuters drive, far higher than the 9.4% using public transport and 3.7% walking or cycling. School choice is a practical strength, with 6 local schools spanning ICSEA 878-997. Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary leads at 997 with 691 enrolments, followed by Patrician Brothers' College at 969 with 1,144 enrolments and Fairvale Public at 919 with 503. IRSAD decile 1 points to lower area advantage, so services matter because households often face tighter budgets.
Drive
78.6%
Public Transport
9.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.67%/yr
(+129 people/yr)
EstablishedFairfield is growing slowly rather than surging: the trend forecast is 0.67% a year, or 129 people annually, taking the medium population path to 19,989 by 2031. Migration is the key reason, with overseas inflow averaging 672 people a year compared with net internal outflow of 495. The gentrification score is 20 and the stage is Early signs, so change is present but not advanced. The age structure is also shifting, with seniors up 5.2 points and young residents down 4.0 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+672
Net Internal / yr
-495
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal outflow -495/yr, Strong overseas inflow +672/yr, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Fairfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fairfield a good suburb to live in?
Fairfield suits people who value affordability, density and established services. It has 18,596 residents, 6 local schools and a high renter share at 59.6%, but household income sits at the 17.1 percentile, so budgets are tighter than average.
What is the median house price in Fairfield?
The median house price in Fairfield is $700,000 for 2025. That is 0.5% higher than the 2024 figure of $696,500 and equal to the recorded peak, so recent price movement has been fairly flat rather than rapid.
What schools are in Fairfield?
Fairfield has 6 listed schools across Catholic and government sectors. The highest ICSEA is Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary at 997, followed by Patrician Brothers' College Fairfield at 969 and Fairvale Public School at 919.
Is Fairfield safe?
A suburb level crime rate per 1,000 residents is not available for Fairfield, so safety should be assessed street by street. Useful local checks include station access, lighting, building security and the activity around its 6 schools and dense apartment areas.
Is Fairfield good for property investment?
Fairfield has investor appeal through scale of rental demand, with 59.6% of homes rented and median rent at $365 per week. However vacancy is 8.2%, higher than a tight market, so selection and pricing matter more than chasing quick rental uplift.
How is Fairfield's population changing?
Fairfield is forecast to grow by 0.67% a year, or about 129 people annually. The medium path reaches 19,989 people by 2031, driven by overseas migration averaging 672 people a year despite internal outflow of 495.
What languages are spoken in Fairfield?
Fairfield is highly multilingual, with 70.2% of residents born overseas. Arabic is the largest listed non English language count at 1,573, followed by Mandarin at 275, Canton at 250, Khmer at 183 and Serbian at 144.
Is there much development in Fairfield?
Yes. Fairfield recorded 90 development applications in 12 months, which is a high activity signal compared with quieter established suburbs. Recent examples include 1 dwelling house, 2 dwelling dual occupancy and 2 dwelling secondary dwelling projects.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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