Fairfield - Dutton Park
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Fairfield - Dutton Park's population is around 5,442 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 434 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,008 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,440 in June 2024 and an additional 92 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,616 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Fairfield - Dutton Park's growth rate of 8.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.6%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 80.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings are applied in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected, with the area expected to increase by 783 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 14.3% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Fairfield - Dutton Park according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Fairfield - Dutton Park has recorded approximately 84 residential property approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing around 420 homes over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 2 approvals so far in FY-26. On average, about 0.6 new residents arrive per new home each year over these five financial years. This indicates that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering buyers more options and potentially supporting population growth beyond current expectations.

The average value of new homes being built is $1,593,000, suggesting developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, there have been approximately $115.5 million in commercial approvals, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Fairfield - Dutton Park shows 127.0% higher construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, although recent construction activity has eased somewhat. This is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises approximately 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a trend towards denser development that provides accessible entry options appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 53.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 1349 people per dwelling approval, Fairfield - Dutton Park reflects a highly mature market.

Looking ahead, Fairfield - Dutton Park is expected to grow by approximately 781 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Fairfield - Dutton Park has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 27 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Princess Alexandra Hospital Expansion, Coles Annerley Supermarket, University of Queensland Student Residence Complex, and Brisbane Metro. The following details those most relevant.

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

Fairfield - Dutton Park has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Fairfield - Dutton Park has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 5.2% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.2%.

As of June 2025, 3419 residents were employed, with a local unemployment rate of 5.3%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 4.1%. Workforce participation was 72.0%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training had a particularly strong share of employment at 1.5 times the regional level.

However, construction was under-represented with only 4.6% of local workforce compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2%, labour force grew by 1.9%, and unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points in Fairfield - Dutton Park. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 4.4% and labour force growth of 4.0%. As of Sep-25, Queensland's employment had contracted by 0.23%, with a state unemployment rate of 4.2%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Fairfield - Dutton Park's industry mix suggests local employment growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Fairfield - Dutton Park had a median taxpayer income of $54,984 and an average of $69,814 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was higher than the national average, with Greater Brisbane's median income being $55,645 and average income $70,520. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $61,423 (median) and $77,989 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022. Census data shows that incomes in Fairfield - Dutton Park cluster around the 69th percentile nationally. The predominant income cohort spans 32.6% of locals, with 1,774 people earning between $1,500 and $2,999 annually. This is similar to the regional trend where 33.3% earn within this bracket. Economic strength is evident with 30.7% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 17.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 68th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Fairfield - Dutton Park features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Fairfield - Dutton Park's dwelling structure in the latest Census showed 53.2% houses and 46.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 47.7% houses and 52.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Fairfield - Dutton Park was 19.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.2% and rented dwellings at 52.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, above Brisbane metro's average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Fairfield - Dutton Park was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $390. Nationally, Fairfield - Dutton Park's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 than the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were $400, exceeding the national figure of $375.

Fairfield - Dutton Park features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 57.8 percent of all households, including 23.4 percent couples with children, 24.2 percent couples without children, and 7.8 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 42.2 percent, with lone person households at 29.0 percent and group households comprising 13.4 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.3.

Fairfield - Dutton Park shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Fairfield - Dutton Park has a higher educational attainment than Queensland's average. 52.3% of its residents aged 15 or above have university qualifications compared to the state's 25.7%. This is also higher than Australia's national average of 30.4%. The most common qualification in Fairfield - Dutton Park is Bachelor degrees at 31.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%).

Vocational pathways account for 21.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 or above, with advanced diplomas making up 8.2% and certificates 12.9%. Educational participation is high in Fairfield - Dutton Park with 34.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 15.7% in tertiary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing primary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,624 students. Fairfield - Dutton Park shows significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1133. Education provision is balanced with two primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 29.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 20.3, indicating that Fairfield - Dutton Park serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

The analysis indicates 53 active transport stops in Fairfield - Dutton Park. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. There are 77 individual routes serving these stops, collectively facilitating 8,717 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically located 133 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 1,245 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 164 weekly trips per stop.

Fairfield - Dutton Park's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Fairfield - Dutton Park. Prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 54% of the total population (~2,960 people), compared to 61.3% across Greater Brisbane. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 10.9 and 8.6% of residents respectively. 72.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.8% across Greater Brisbane. As of March 2023, 9.6% of residents are aged 65 and over (525 people), lower than the 12.4% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Fairfield - Dutton Park was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Fairfield-Dutton Park has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 30.7% of its population born overseas and 22.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Fairfield-Dutton Park, accounting for 35.5% of the population. Buddhism, however, is more prevalent here compared to Greater Brisbane, with 3.5% versus 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.5%), Australian (19.8%), and Other (11.6%). Notably, French (0.9%), Russian (0.6%), and Welsh (0.8%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Fairfield-Dutton Park compared to the regional averages of 0.5%, 0.5%, and 0.6% respectively.

Fairfield - Dutton Park hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Fairfield - Dutton Park's median age at 32 years is lower than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Fairfield - Dutton Park has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (22.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the percentage of residents aged 35-44 has increased from 14.5% to 15.8%, while the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 23.3% to 22.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Fairfield - Dutton Park's age profile. The 45-54 age cohort is expected to grow by 236 people (38%) from 626 to 863. Conversely, the 0-4 and 25-34 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.