Fairfield - West
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Fairfield - West are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Fairfield-West's population is approximately 22,069 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 820 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 21,249. The change was inferred from ABS estimates of 22,025 in June 2024 and 56 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 4,705 persons per square kilometer, placing Fairfield-West among the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 3.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's rate of 2.2%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 78.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate an increase just below the national median statistical area's median. By 2041, Fairfield-West is expected to expand by approximately 1,097 persons, recording a total gain of 4.8% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Fairfield - West among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Fairfield - West has recorded approximately 133 residential properties granted approval annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, a total of 666 homes were approved, with an additional 40 approved in FY-26 so far. Over these five financial years, on average, 1.1 people moved to the area for each dwelling built.

This suggests that supply and demand are well-matched, contributing to stable market dynamics. The average construction cost value of new properties is $230,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options for purchasers. In FY-26 alone, $914,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Fairfield - West has seen slightly more development activity over the past five years, with a 34.0% increase per person above the regional average. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values.

The new development in Fairfield - West consists of an equal split between detached dwellings and medium to high-density housing (50.0% each). This shift from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses at 76.0%, reflects reduced availability of development sites and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 211 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Population forecasts suggest that Fairfield - West will gain 1,053 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Fairfield - West has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include EVO Fairfield, Fairfield Heights Town Centre Public Domain Upgrades, The Vale - Fairfield Heights (Stage 3), and Endeavour Sports Park Upgrade. Relevant projects are listed below.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment drivers in Fairfield - West are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Fairfield-West has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. Its unemployment rate was 9.9% in June 2025, showing an employment growth of 6.7% over the past year.

As of that date, 7,491 residents were employed while the unemployment rate stood at 5.7%, higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was lower at 36.1% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade. Manufacturing was particularly specialized with an employment share 2.2 times the regional level, while professional & technical services were underrepresented at 5.7% compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%.

Employment opportunities locally appeared limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 6.7% while labour force grew by 4.9%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points in Fairfield-West. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with a slight increase in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Fairfield-West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Fairfield - West is below the national average. The median income is $40,190 and the average income stands at $48,729. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $45,258 (median) and $54,874 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, individual incomes lag at the 2nd percentile ($457 weekly), while household income performs better at the 26th percentile. Distribution data shows that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 30.3% of the community (6,686 individuals). This is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 30.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.0% of income remaining, ranking at the 18th percentile.

Fairfield - West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Fairfield - West's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 76.0% houses and 24.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 73.3% houses and 26.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Fairfield - West was at 31.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.1% and rented dwellings at 41.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,057, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure for Fairfield - West was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Fairfield - West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average of $375.

Fairfield - West features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 83.3% of all households, including 47.4% couples with children, 16.5% couples without children, and 17.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 15.0% and group households making up 1.6%. The median household size is 3.4 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 3.2.

Fairfield - West faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 14.5%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.1%) and graduate diplomas (0.7%). Vocational pathways account for 23.9% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 15.0%. Educational participation is high, with 34.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.7% in secondary education, 10.6% in primary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education. Fairfield - West has three schools with a combined enrollment of 3,364 students. Educational provision is conventional, split between one primary and two secondary institutions.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis shows 77 active public transport stops in Fairfield-West. These are served by 44 bus routes, together offering 1,724 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent accessibility to these stops, being typically located just 185 meters away from the nearest one.

Service frequency averages at 246 trips daily across all routes, translating to around 22 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in Fairfield - West is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Fairfield-West demonstrates healthier-than-average outcomes with low prevalence of common health conditions among its general population, closer to national averages for older and at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is notably low here, at approximately 46% (around 10,129 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and diabetes, affecting 7.0% and 6.2% of residents respectively. Around 76.0% report being free from medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 75.6%. About 16.5% of residents are aged 65 or over (3,630 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 19.0%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in the broader population.

Fairfield - West is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Fairfield-West, one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, has a population where 63.2% were born overseas and 77.9% speak a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Fairfield-West, with 65.5%. However, Buddhism is less prevalent here compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 14.3% versus 21.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (44.8%), Vietnamese (14.2%), and Chinese (8.3%). Notably, Serbian (1.5%) and Croatian (1.4%) ethnicities are more represented in Fairfield-West than regionally, while Spanish is slightly less so at 0.9%.

Fairfield - West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Fairfield - West has a median age of 37, which matches Greater Sydney's figure and is comparable to Australia's median age of 38. The 15-24 age group constitutes 16.6%, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort makes up 12.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 14.4% to 16.6%. Meanwhile, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 12.8% to 11.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Fairfield - West's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 52%, reaching 1,942 people from 1,280. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 75% of the population growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.