Alphington - Fairfield

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

Alphington-Fairfield's population, as of May 2026, is approximately 9,765, showing an increase of 771 people since the 2021 Census. This growth, representing an 8.6% rise from the previous count of 8,994, is attributed to an estimated resident population of 9,749 in June 2025 and validated new addresses totalling 125 since the census date. The population density stands at 3,378 persons per square kilometer, placing Alphington-Fairfield in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 8.6% surpassed that of its SA3 region (8.0%), indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 80.3% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 adjusted to SA2 levels using weighted aggregation methods.

Future trends predict exceptional growth, placing Alphington-Fairfield in the top 10 percent of Australian statistical areas, with an expected increase of 4,192 persons by 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 42.8% over the 16-year period.

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

Alphington-Fairfield has seen approximately 41 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY2021 to FY2025, around 206 homes were approved, with an additional 27 approved so far in FY2026. On average, about 1.1 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these years. However, this figure has accelerated to 8.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating increasing demand and potentially tightening supply.

The average construction value of development projects is around $513,000, suggesting a focus on premium market developments. This year alone, $13.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating steady commercial investment activity in the area. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Alphington-Fairfield records relatively high construction levels, at 28.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This has helped maintain good buyer choice and support existing property values, despite a recent slowdown in building activity.

The new building activity comprises approximately 42.0% detached houses and 58.0% medium to high-density housing, indicating a trend towards denser development that caters to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. With around 318 people per dwelling approval, Alphington-Fairfield exhibits a developing market with approximately 4,176 residents expected to be added by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases in the future.

Alphington - Fairfield has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Alphington Village, Paper House Alphington, Samma Place, Ivanhoe, and Fairfield Station Precinct Redevelopment. The following list details those expected to be most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Alphington - Fairfield has been broadly consistent with national averages

Alphington-Fairfield has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 4.6% in December 2025, below Greater Melbourne's 4.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.9%.

As of that date, 6,032 residents were employed, with a participation rate of 75.7%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 69.9%. Half of residents worked from home according to Census responses, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, but construction representation is lower at 5.5% compared to the regional average of 9.7%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 4.9%, labour force by 4.5%, reducing unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment growth of 2.4% and labour force growth of 2.8%, with a slight rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Alphington-Fairfield's industry mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Alphington - Fairfield SA2 had median income among taxpayers at $71,409 and average income at $101,740. These figures are exceptionally high nationally compared to Greater Melbourne's median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year ended June 2023, current estimates for Alphington - Fairfield would be approximately $78,279 (median) and $111,527 (average) as of March 2026. According to 2021 Census figures, household incomes in Alphington - Fairfield rank between the 73rd and 85th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 26.3% of residents (2,568 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, consistent with broader regional trends where 32.8% are in the same category. Economic strength is evident with 36.7% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 14.2% of income and strong earnings place residents within the 75th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Alphington - Fairfield displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Alphington-Fairfield, as per the latest Census data, 51.9% of dwellings were houses while 48.1% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Melbourne metropolitan's ratio of 67.9% houses to 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Alphington-Fairfield stood at 31.5%, similar to Melbourne metro's rate. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (30.2%) or rented (38.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,200, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Alphington-Fairfield was $381, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Alphington-Fairfield's median monthly mortgage repayment exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Alphington - Fairfield features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 60.5% of all households, including 28.8% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 7.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 39.5%, with lone person households at 33.5% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Alphington - Fairfield places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Alphington-Fairfield shows a significant surplus over broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 54.8% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and Victoria's 33.4%. This educational advantage is led by bachelor degrees at 31.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.9%) and graduate diplomas (7.2%). Vocational pathways account for 17.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.4% and certificates at 9.5%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in tertiary education, 8.0% in primary education, and 6.8% pursuing secondary education.

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

Alphington-Fairfield has 61 active public transport stops, all bus routes. These are served by 10 different routes, offering a total of 3,102 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is excellent, with residents typically located 131 meters from the nearest stop. Most commutes are outward-bound due to the area's residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode at 67%, followed by trains at 13% and cycling at 8%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 50.5% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 443 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 50 weekly trips per individual stop.

Alphington - Fairfield's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Alphington-Fairfield's health outcomes show excellent results according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 71% of the total population (6,972 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Melbourne's 56.7% and Australia's national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma were found to be the most common medical conditions, affecting 10.3% and 8.0% of residents respectively. 70.7% of residents reported having no medical ailments, compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. The under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. The area has 15.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,464 people), with seniors' health outcomes ranking broadly in line with the general population nationally.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Alphington - Fairfield was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Alphington-Fairfield has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 23.3% of its population born overseas and 19.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Alphington-Fairfield, accounting for 37.1% of the population. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 0.3% versus 1.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.2%), Australian (20.3%), and Irish (10.9%). Notably, Greek (5.6%) and Italian (7.4%) populations are higher than the regional averages of 2.7% and 5.2%, respectively, while Macedonian is slightly overrepresented at 0.9%.

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

The median age in Alphington-Fairfield was 38 years old as of 2021, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Alphington-Fairfield had a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (12.3%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (9.7%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 11.2% to 12.2%, while the population aged 45-54 decreased from 14.4% to 12.8%. The population aged 5-14 also decreased from 10.8% to 9.7%. By 2041, projections indicate significant shifts in Alphington-Fairfield's age composition, with the 45-54 group expected to grow by 56%, reaching 1,955 people from 1,253.