Fairfield

Development Activity

Demographics

The median age of 32 is 8 years below the national figure, one of the most pronounced youth skews in inner Brisbane. Overseas-born residents make up 28.1% of the population, which is 6.5 points above the national average, with English, Irish, and Scottish ancestries leading at 1,159, 469 and 341 residents respectively. University qualifications at 60.5% run 30.4 points above national, among the highest rates for a suburb at this price point. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national figure. The employment profile reflects the education level: Professionals account for 749 of 1,725 employed residents, and Managers add another 239. The full-time employment rate is 62.3%, consistent with a young workforce still building careers.

Tenure splits into roughly three groups: 22.7% own outright, 34.5% carry a mortgage, and 42.7% rent. The renter-majority profile is consistent with the young median age of 32 and high university qualification rate, where recent graduates and young professionals are more likely to rent before purchasing. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 35.4% and four-plus bedroom at 26.0%, giving the suburb a family-scale dwelling stock despite the high renter share. Apartments account for 28.6%, lower than many inner-city suburbs of comparable density. The rent-to-income ratio of 18.1% keeps rental housing accessible relative to incomes at the 87th percentile nationally, which partly explains why the renter cohort is stable rather than stressed.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare leads local employment at 19.8% of workers (285 residents), followed closely by Education at 16.6% (239) and Professional/Tech at 14.4% (207). Together these three knowledge-economy sectors account for 50.8% of the workforce, which drives the high university qualification rate of 60.5%. Public Admin adds 6.8% and Retail 6.2%. The unemployment rate is 5.7% and the participation rate is 68.4%, both near national norms. The SEIFA IEO score of 1,116 at decile 9 confirms strong education and occupation advantage, while the IRSAD sits at decile 8. The IER score at decile 3 is an outlier, reflecting that despite high income many residents rent rather than hold assets, which depresses the economic resources index.

Transport to Work

Active transport use is notably high: 12.5% of residents walk or cycle, and 16.5% use public transport, compared to the national average car dependence of over 70%. Car drivers account for 65.0%. The IRSAD decile 8 score confirms above-average advantage relative to the national distribution. Housing stress is low on both measures, with rent-to-income at 18.1% and mortgage-to-income at 21.4%. Volunteering reaches 20.1% of residents, suggesting strong civic engagement. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in surrounding inner-Brisbane suburbs. The need-for-assistance rate of 3.8% (113 residents) is low, consistent with the young and healthy profile of a suburb where the median age is 32.

Population Forecast

Population grew 8.3% over 10 years, reaching 19,062 by 2024 and an estimated 19,302 in 2025. The annual growth rate of 0.67% adds roughly 129 people per year. The primary growth driver is overseas migration at a net 672 residents per year, offsetting net internal outflow of 495 per year. A COVID dip of 4.3% was fully recovered by 2024, exceeding the pre-COVID population of 19,115. Rent grew 26.6% over the measured period, above the income growth of 9.0%, signalling tightening affordability. The gentrification score of 26 places the suburb at the early signs stage, with the combination of overseas inflow, high-income young professionals and modest prices creating the preconditions for further price appreciation through the late 2020s.

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