Fairfield, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Fairfield NSW is 18,596 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Fairfield is $454 per week ($23,608 per year). Median rent in Fairfield is $365 per week ($1,582 per month). Fairfield has a median age of 40 years, older than the national median of 38. Fairfield has a population density of 4,198 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Fairfield is Iraq. The most common religion is Catholic (31.1% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Arabic. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Fairfield is $1,733.

There were 579 recorded offences in Fairfield in 2025-26, a rate of 31 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (167 offences).

Population
18,596
Census 2021
Median income
$454/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$365/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
40years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Fairfield vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Fairfield is $454 a week, 41% below the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 2,123rd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $365 a week, $20 less than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 33.4% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 40, 3 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureFairfieldTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$454/wk$765/wk −41%$766/wk
Household income$1,092/wk$1,704/wk −36%$1,637/wk
Rent$365/wk$385/wk −5%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,733/mo$1,965/mo −12%$1,733/mo
Median age4043 −3 yrs42
Rent share of household income33.4%22.6% +10.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Fairfield, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Fairfield Population

18,596 residents at the 2021 Census.

Fairfield Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$454/wk
$23,608 per year
Ranked 8,615 of 14,663
Median Rent
$365/wk
$1,582 per month
Ranked 2,840 of 14,663
Median Age
40years
2 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg household size: 2.9 · 1.1 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Fairfield Rent Prices & Affordability

33% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $1,092/wk
Median rent $365/wk
Rent to income 33.4%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Fairfield against your income

About $4,732 a month
Median rent $365/wk
Left after rent $727/wk
Rent share 33.4%

Fairfield Schools

32
schools nearby
22
government
947
avg ICSEA score
16,541
total students
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 226 students
1053
ICSEA
Pal Buddhist School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 109 students
1032
ICSEA
St Patrick's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 342 students
1028
ICSEA
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Cabramatta Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 622 students
1012
ICSEA
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 691 students
997
ICSEA
St Gertrude's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 632 students
992
ICSEA
Canley Vale Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 752 students
973
ICSEA
Lansvale East Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 117 students
969
ICSEA
Patrician Brothers' College Fairfield Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,144 students
969
ICSEA
Canley Vale High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,651 students
954
ICSEA
Cabramatta Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 435 students
950
ICSEA
Cabramatta West Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 477 students
950
ICSEA
Smithfield Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 517 students
948
ICSEA
Guildford West Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 366 students
945
ICSEA
Villawood North Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 250 students
937
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 32 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Fairfield, with a map

Fairfield Map

Fairfield, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Fairfield, New South Wales: 33.8690°S, 150.9510°E

Fairfield Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (32)

People in Fairfield

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.4% (9,182) Female 50.6% (9,409)

Population Density

4,198
people per km²
18,596 people · 4.4 km²

Households

2.9
Avg household size
1.1
Persons per bedroom
$1,246
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

Iraq
22.6%
Vietnam
9.8%
China
2.7%
Cambodia
2.1%
Philippines
1.6%
Lebanon
1.5%
Iran
1.0%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Arabic
16.7%
Vietnamese
12.0%
Mandarin
3.0%
Cantonese
2.8%
Spanish
2.3%
Khmer
2.1%
Serbian
1.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Vietnamese
11.2%
Chinese
10.2%
Australian
6.9%
English
5.8%
Filipino
2.2%
Italian
2.0%
Lebanese
1.9%
Serbian
1.9%
Indian
1.2%
Spanish
1.1%
Irish
0.9%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

Catholic
31.1%
No religion
11.8%
Buddhism
11.7%
Assyrian Apostolic
9.2%
Islam
8.5%
Not stated
7.9%
Christian (other)
5.6%
Eastern Orthodox
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.7%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
45.5% 7,042
Separated
4.2% 657
Divorced
9.1% 1,401
Widowed
6.3% 981
Never married
34.8% 5,384

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
38.0%
Couple: no children under 15
24.1%
Couple: no children
16.5%
One parent: no children under 15
13.4%
One parent: children under 15
8.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
23.1%
2 persons
26.2%
3 persons
18.7%
4 persons
15.3%
5 persons
9.1%
6+ persons
7.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Fairfield

Housing Tenure

Of the 5,978 occupied private dwellings in Fairfield at the 2021 Census, 57.5% were rented, 21.0% owned outright and 17.9% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.4% 83 dwellings
Owned outright
21.0% 1,258 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
17.9% 1,069 dwellings
Rented
57.5% 3,440 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
2.0% 117 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
74.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
21.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
7.4%
2 bedrooms
41.4%
3 bedrooms
32.0%
4 bedrooms
13.2%
5 bedrooms
4.7%
6+ bedrooms
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.2%
$300-$449/mo
2.3%
$450-$599/mo
1.5%
$600-$799/mo
3.5%
$800-$999/mo
4.5%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
17.4%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
18.8%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.1%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
11.8%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
9.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
19.4%
1 vehicle
42.7%
2 vehicles
25.6%
3 vehicles
7.9%
4+ vehicles
4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Fairfield

Employment

Employed full-time
16.6% 2,210 people
Employed part-time
10.1% 1,340 people
Unemployed
4.6% 608 people
Not in labour force
68.7% 9,122 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
27.7%
Clerical & Administrative
15.9%
Community & Personal Service
13.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
12.9%
Labourers
8.0%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
7.7%
Managers
7.6%
Sales Workers
6.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
4.4%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
1.9%
$300-$399/wk
4.3%
$400-$499/wk
7.8%
$500-$649/wk
6.4%
$650-$799/wk
10.5%
$800-$999/wk
10.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.0%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
8.3%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
2.3%
$4,000+/wk
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
17.9%
$1-$149/wk
3.9%
$150-$299/wk
12.4%
$300-$399/wk
9.9%
$400-$499/wk
7.1%
$500-$649/wk
6.0%
$650-$799/wk
9.1%
$800-$999/wk
9.8%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
3.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
2.5%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
2.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
0.5%
$3,500+/wk
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
58.9%
Did not go to work
22.2%
Car (passenger)
6.2%
Train
5.6%
Walked only
2.7%
Bus
1.4%
Truck
1.2%
Other
0.9%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Bicycle
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
70.1%
Year 10 or equivalent
14.5%
Year 9 or equivalent
9.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.3%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
34.0%
Certificate III/IV
28.6%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
24.9%
Postgraduate Degree
6.7%
Certificate I/II
3.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
28.6%
Society & Culture
13.8%
Engineering
13.4%
Health
11.6%
Information Technology
8.0%
Education
7.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.5%
Architecture & Building
4.3%
Creative Arts
3.1%
Agriculture & Environment
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
27.6%
Secondary: Government
26.4%
Vocational Education
17.2%
Primary: Catholic
9.4%
Secondary: Catholic
8.4%
Pre-school
6.5%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.3%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
79.8%
Has need for assistance
12.5%
Need for assistance not stated
7.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,085
Diabetes
680
Arthritis
497
Asthma
444
Heart disease
406
Lung condition
225
Kidney disease
216
Stroke
193
Cancer
157
Dementia
66

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.3% 1,723
Did not provide
87.7% 12,331

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
5.3% 744
Not a volunteer
94.7% 13,404

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 6
Current ADF: Reserves
0.0% 4
Previously served
0.4% 56
Never served
99.5% 14,188

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
37.8%
1 child
13.3%
2 children
22.9%
3 children
14.1%
4 children
7.8%
5+ children
4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
27
1951: 1960
117
1961: 1970
294
1971: 1980
766
1981: 1990
1,431
1991: 2000
1,779
2001: 2010
1,990
2011: 2015
1,810
2016
1,237
2017
837
2018
454
2019
912
2020
228
2021
16

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

11.0%
moved in the last year
42.0%
moved in the last 5 years
12.1%
unemployment rate (Census)
32.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
15,206
Moved from NSW
1,094
Moved: same area (SA2)
592
Moved from overseas
115
Moved from VIC
29
Moved from QLD
13
Moved from WA
7
Moved from TAS
4
Moved from ACT
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
12.8%
5: 14 hours
15.1%
15: 29 hours
6.9%
30+ hours
7.4%
Did not do domestic work
57.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
91.0%
Step family: no other children
4.7%
Blended family: no other children
2.1%
Intact family: other children present
1.6%
Other couple: children only
0.4%
Step family: other children present
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Fairfield Crime Statistics

579 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Other Against Property
167
Traffic
102
Theft
96
Assault
61
Drug Offences
44
Other Against Person
42
Property Damage
39
Sexual Offences
20
Weapons
5
Robbery
3

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

South Grafton
Income: $526/wk Rent: $280/wk $85/wk less rent
West Kempsey
Income: $493/wk Rent: $290/wk $75/wk less rent
Carramar (NSW)
Income: $529/wk Rent: $300/wk $65/wk less rent
Cabramatta
Income: $461/wk Rent: $330/wk $35/wk less rent
Bowenfels
Income: $497/wk Rent: $185/wk $180/wk less rent
Warrawong
Income: $481/wk Rent: $270/wk $95/wk less rent
Canley Vale
Income: $475/wk Rent: $330/wk $35/wk less rent
South Kempsey
Income: $527/wk Rent: $270/wk $95/wk less rent

Suburbs near Fairfield

The closest suburb to Fairfield is Fairfield Heights, 0.9 km away.

Fairfield Heights
0.9 km away · income $431/wk · rent $450/wk
Yennora
1.8 km away · income $448/wk · rent $226/wk
Canley Vale
1.8 km away · income $475/wk · rent $330/wk
Carramar (NSW)
2.0 km away · income $529/wk · rent $300/wk
Fairfield East
2.2 km away · income $459/wk · rent $300/wk
Fairfield West
2.5 km away · income $476/wk · rent $440/wk

Compare Fairfield (NSW)

Frequently Asked Questions About Fairfield

What is the population of Fairfield NSW?

The population of Fairfield NSW is 18,596 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 4,198 people per km². Fairfield is ranked #169 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Fairfield?

The median personal income in Fairfield NSW is $454 per week, or $23,608 per year. The median household income is $1,092 per week. Family income is $1,246 per week. Fairfield is ranked #8,615 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Fairfield?

Median rent in Fairfield NSW is $365 per week ($1,582 per month). Rent represents 33.4% of household income, which is considered moderate. Fairfield ranks #2,840 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Fairfield?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Fairfield NSW is $1,733. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Fairfield?

The median age in Fairfield NSW is 40 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Fairfield a good suburb to live in?

Fairfield is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 18,596. The median income is $454/wk, which is below the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (33.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 11480. All dollar figures in AUD.