Fairfield
Its 3.54 sq km footprint holds 6,535 residents at 1,846.9 people per sq km, giving it a denser, more mixed feel than nearby Ivanhoe. Education is a standout: 60.0% of adults have university qualifications, 29.9 percentage points above the national figure, supporting a professional workforce and household income at the 73.9rd percentile. The 43.9% separate-house share and 34.7% apartment share help explain why Fairfield attracts both established owners and renters, while 51.4% working from home strengthens its local, low-commute lifestyle.
Population
6,535
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,967/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
29
Median House
$1.8M
October to December 2025
Fairfield suits buyers prioritising an established inner-north setting, but the entry point remains demanding. Housing is not exclusively detached: 43.9% of dwellings are separate houses, 21.3% are semi-detached and 34.7% are apartments. Smaller formats are material, with 32.9% two-bedroom and 30.3% three-bedroom homes. The monthly mortgage figure is $2,167, and mortgage repayments equal 25.4% of household income, lower than the 41.7% renting share. This mix matters because buyers can trade space, tenure and price rather than choosing only between a detached house and renting.
For Buyers
Fairfield suits buyers prioritising an established inner-north setting, but the entry point remains demanding. Housing is not exclusively detached: 43.9% of dwellings are separate houses, 21.3% are semi-detached and 34.7% are apartments. Smaller formats are material, with 32.9% two-bedroom and 30.3% three-bedroom homes. The monthly mortgage figure is $2,167, and mortgage repayments equal 25.4% of household income, lower than the 41.7% renting share. This mix matters because buyers can trade space, tenure and price rather than choosing only between a detached house and renting.
For Investors
Investor conditions are mixed rather than one-directional. Fairfield has 41.7% of households renting, higher than the 28.9% owned outright share, and weekly rent is $369. Yet the 11.4% vacancy rate is elevated, so a landlord should allow for leasing competition and property-specific demand rather than assume automatic occupancy. Rents have grown 25.0% in the shift profile, supporting the income case, while 27 development applications in 12 months signal ongoing change. Overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver, which may broaden tenant demand, but the established market and 34.7% apartment share mean unit selection, parking, condition and body-corporate costs matter. Compared with a low-vacancy market, Fairfield's vacancy figure calls for conservative assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
43
Last 12 Months
29
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+314.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Fairfield
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Fairfield Primary School
Demographics
Fairfield's median age is 37, three years below the national comparison, and 60.0% university attainment is 29.9 percentage points above the national level. That education profile helps explain the concentration of professionals at 1,585 and managers at 595. Overseas-born residents account for 23.4%, only 1.8 points above the national figure, so the suburb remains more Anglo-leaning than migrant-majority: English ancestry numbers 2,179, Irish 1,047, Scottish 762 and Italian 665. No religion is recorded for 3,619 residents, compared with 2,207 identifying with Christianity. Average household size is 2.2, 0.3 below national, consistent with 41.3% of families being couples without children. Compared with nearby Northcote, Fairfield's profile is similarly inner-urban but slightly more established and Anglo-oriented.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
43.9%
Houses
21.3%
Townhouse
34.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is renter-heavy, with 41.7% renting versus 28.9% owning outright and 28.2% paying a mortgage. The dwelling mix is more varied than a conventional detached-house suburb: 43.9% separate houses, 21.3% semi-detached and 34.7% apartments. One- and two-bedroom homes make up 20.1% and 32.9%, while 30.3% have three bedrooms and 16.8% have four or more. Compared with nearby Ivanhoe, Fairfield's compact 3.54 sq km footprint and apartment share point to a more mixed housing environment.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $369.
$550
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $850 · units $575
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,093
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.4%
Unoccupied
351
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.3%
Couples with children
41.3%
Couples, no children
12.2%
Single parent
1,572
Total families
Economy & Employment
Fairfield's economic base is service-heavy and highly educated. Healthcare leads with 569 workers, or 19.3%, followed by Professional/Tech at 481, Education at 436, Public Administration at 263 and Finance at 173. The occupational mix reinforces this: 1,585 professionals and 595 managers sit above the 415 clerical/admin, 320 community/personal and 299 trades workers. Labour participation is 69.9%, unemployment is 4.0% and full-time employment is 60.3%, while household income is $1,967 weekly at the 73.9rd percentile. SEIFA is uneven in a useful way: education and occupation rank in decile 10, overall disadvantage is in decile 9, and advantage/disadvantage is in decile 9, but economic resources are lower at decile 6. That gap means strong qualifications do not translate into uniformly top-tier resources.
Unemployment
4.0%
Labour Force
3,869
Unemployed
155
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
33.9%
Participation
69.9%
Employed
3,714
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
60.0%
Postgraduate
19.6%
Born Overseas
23.4%
Dwellings
2,729
Transport to Work
Fairfield works well for people who value home-based work and local access. Working from home is 51.4%, higher than the 5.6% using public transport and the 34.0% driving, while 7.3% walk or cycle. That pattern reduces dependence on a daily commute, although transport choices remain household-specific. Local schooling includes one government primary school, so families should check enrolment zones and nearby options against the exact address rather than assume suburb boundaries decide access. Safety requires attention to context: 537 offences were recorded at a rate of 82.2 per 1,000, including 382 property and deception offences and 85 crimes against the person. Fairfield's SEIFA profile is above the middle range, with IRSAD and IRSD both in decile 9 and IEO in decile 10, while IER is lower at decile 6. Compared with its high education and advantage deciles, the economic-resources result is the main caveat.
Drive
34.0%
Public Transport
5.6%
Walk / Cycle
7.3%
Work from Home
51.4%
Population Forecast
+1.28%/yr
(+71 people/yr)
EstablishedFairfield is an established suburb, but its trajectory is not static. The forecast trend is 1.28% annual growth, with Overseas migration identified as the primary driver, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed. Population change across the wider area is 24.3% over 10 years, higher than a no-growth path, and rent growth is 25.0%, helping maintain pressure on the housing market. Gentrification signals are mixed: the shift measure records a score of 61 at the Active stage, while the gentrification measure is 20 at the Early signs stage. Fairfield also recovered from a 2.0% COVID dip, with 6.7% recovery, and 27 development applications in 12 months reinforce ongoing change. Compared with a purely mature, settled market, overseas migration, redevelopment activity and price movement point to continuing change rather than a flat outlook.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+150
Net Internal / yr
-76
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +29% since 2011, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
537
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
82.2
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
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
What schools are in Fairfield?
Fairfield has 1 local government primary school, Fairfield Primary School. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and nearby options because school access can cross suburb boundaries. Confirm current places and intake rules before signing a contract or relying on a particular address.
Is Fairfield safe?
Fairfield recorded 537 offences, equal to 82.2 offences per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences accounted for 382 cases, compared with 85 crimes against the person. Treat safety as street-specific by reviewing recent incidents, lighting and activity around the exact address at different times.
Is Fairfield good for property investment?
Fairfield can suit an investor seeking an established rental market, with 41.7% of households renting and weekly rent of $369. However, the 11.4% vacancy rate is high, so returns should be tested conservatively. A pipeline of 27 development applications and 25.0% rent growth add opportunity but also competition and changing supply.
How is Fairfield's population changing?
Fairfield has 6,535 residents today. The forecast points to 1.28% annual growth, driven primarily by Overseas migration, with a Mixed trajectory and 24.3% population change across the wider area over 10 years. A 2.0% COVID dip was followed by 6.7% recovery, indicating renewed momentum.
What development is happening in Fairfield?
There were 27 development applications over 12 months. Recent examples include a proposal for 2 new dwellings and an application to amend gymnasium operating conditions to 24 hours a day. This level of activity is higher than a quiet established-suburb pipeline, so buyers should check nearby permits and construction impacts.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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