Fairfield (NSW)

Population growth drivers in Fairfield are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Fairfield's population is estimated at around 19,970 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,374 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 18,596. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 19,390 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024 and an additional 122 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 4,528 persons per square kilometer, placing Fairfield in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 7.4% growth since census is within 0.4 percentage points of the state's 7.8%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 92.0% 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, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, Fairfield is forecasted to increase its population by 6,012 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 27.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Fairfield recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates that Fairfield has experienced around 154 dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 770 homes were approved, with an additional 36 approved in FY-26 to date. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to the area's size.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $409,000. This year, commercial development approvals totaled $32.2 million, indicating strong commercial development momentum. New building activity comprises 17.0% detached dwellings and 83.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 40.0% houses. This trend suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs.

Fairfield has approximately 325 people per dwelling approval, indicating potential for growth. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Fairfield is expected to grow by 5,442 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 has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include Fairfield Central Transformation (formerly Fairfield Chase), Fairfield Forum Redevelopment, Fairfield West Public Preschool, and 37-39 Pavesi Street Smithfield Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

Fairfield has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 13.0% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 7.9%. As of September 2025, 6,091 residents were employed, but the unemployment rate was higher than Greater Sydney's at 8.8%.

Workforce participation lagged significantly at 42.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. A high proportion of residents worked from home, with 26.7% reported in Census responses. Key industries for employment were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Fairfield had a particular specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services were under-represented at 5.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 7.9% while labour force grew by 4.4%, leading to a unemployment fall of 2.8 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1%, labour force growth of 2.4%, and an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differed significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Fairfield's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Fairfield's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Fairfield is $40,232 and the average income stands at $48,780. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Fairfield would be approximately $43,797 (median) and $53,102 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Fairfield all fall between the 1st and 7th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile indicates that the $800 - 1,499 earnings band captures 29.5% of the community (5,891 individuals), unlike regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Fairfield, with only 73.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

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

As evaluated at the latest Census, dwelling structures in Fairfield consisted of 40.2% houses and 59.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Fairfield was 21.9%, with the rest being mortgaged (18.5%) or rented (59.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, below Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Fairfield was $365, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Fairfield's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Fairfield has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 74.5% of all households, including 36.4% couples with children, 17.0% couples without children, and 18.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 25.5%, with lone person households at 23.1% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.7%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.0%). Vocational pathways account for 23.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+. Advanced diplomas make up 9.6% while certificates represent 14.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 5.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Fairfield has 74 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 55 individual routes, carrying out 6,420 weekly passenger trips collectively. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically located 175 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily, with car being the dominant mode at 78%, and train at 12%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 0.9, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 26.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 917 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 86 weekly trips per individual stop.

Fairfield's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Fairfield's health metrics are close to national benchmarks. Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is extremely low, at approximately 46% of the total population (~9,246 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and diabetes, impacting 7.4% and 7.0% of residents respectively. 73.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. The under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. As of 2021, the area has 20.1% of residents aged 65 and over (4,013 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. National rankings are broadly in line with the general population.

Fairfield 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's population is predominantly diverse, with 70.2% born overseas and 82.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the primary religion in Fairfield, practiced by 62.1%. Buddhism is notably higher compared to Greater Sydney average (12.8% vs 4.1%).

Top ancestry groups include Other (49.4%), Vietnamese (10.8%), and Chinese (9.8%), all substantially higher than regional averages. Serbian (1.8%) and Spanish (1.1%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages, while Lebanese show a notable divergence (1.8% vs 2.6%).

Fairfield's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Fairfield's median age is 40, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 37 and Australia's 38 years. The 65-74 age group is notably over-represented in Fairfield at 12.1%, while the 35-44 cohort is under-represented at 11.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 65-74 age group grew from 9.9% to 12.1%, the 15-24 cohort increased from 12.6% to 14.5%, the 35-44 cohort declined from 13.0% to 11.5%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 11.8% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant growth in the 75-84 age cohort, expanding by 93% from 1,158 to 2,233 people. The 0-4 cohort is projected to grow modestly by 8%, adding 76 people.