Port Fairy, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Port Fairy VIC is 3,742 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Port Fairy is $745 per week ($38,740 per year). Median rent in Port Fairy is $300 per week ($1,300 per month). Port Fairy has a median age of 51 years, older than the national median of 38. Port Fairy has a population density of 33 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Port Fairy is England. The most common religion is No religion (40.8% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Afrikaans. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Port Fairy is $1,733.

There were 132 recorded offences in Port Fairy in 2025-25, a rate of 35 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (33 offences).

Population
3,742
Census 2021
Median income
$745/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$300/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
51years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Port Fairy vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Port Fairy is $745 a week, 3% below the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 712th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $300 a week, $16 less than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 20.7% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 51, 8 years older than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasurePort FairyTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$745/wk$767/wk −3%$766/wk
Household income$1,450/wk$1,687/wk −14%$1,637/wk
Rent$300/wk$316/wk −5%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,733/mo$1,723/mo +1%$1,733/mo
Median age5143 +8 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.7%19.1% +1.6 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 Port Fairy, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Port Fairy Population

3,742 residents at the 2021 Census.

Port Fairy Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$745/wk
$38,740 per year
Ranked 4,636 of 14,663
Median Rent
$300/wk
$1,300 per month
Ranked 4,529 of 14,663
Median Age
51years
13 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.7 per bedroom

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

Port Fairy Rent Prices & Affordability

21% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,450/wk
Median rent $300/wk
Rent to income 20.7%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Port Fairy against your income

About $6,283 a month
Median rent $300/wk
Left after rent $1,150/wk
Rent share 20.7%

Port Fairy Map

Port Fairy, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
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People in Port Fairy

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 46.7% (1,748) Female 53.3% (1,993)

Population Density

33
people per km²
3,742 people · 113.0 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$1,942
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

England
2.7%
New Zealand
1.4%
South Africa
0.4%
Netherlands
0.3%
Germany
0.2%
Ireland
0.2%
Indonesia
0.2%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Afrikaans
0.3%
Mandarin
0.2%
Filipino
0.2%
Vietnamese
0.2%
Greek
0.2%
German
0.1%
Italian
0.1%

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

Ancestry

English
40.5%
Australian
39.1%
Irish
22.8%
Scottish
15.1%
German
4.4%
Dutch
1.8%
Italian
1.4%
Australian Aboriginal
1.0%
Chinese
0.7%
Welsh
0.7%
New Zealander
0.6%

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

No religion
40.8%
Catholic
25.2%
Anglican
11.6%
Not stated
8.3%
Uniting Church
5.5%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.8%
Christian (other)
1.3%
Lutheran
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.2%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
53.7% 1,658
Separated
2.3% 72
Divorced
9.0% 277
Widowed
8.3% 255
Never married
26.8% 828

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.4%
Couple: no children
37.5%
Couple: no children under 15
11.2%
One parent: children under 15
6.3%
One parent: no children under 15
4.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
29.8%
2 persons
40.7%
3 persons
10.0%
4 persons
11.8%
5 persons
6.3%
6+ persons
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Port Fairy

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,455 occupied private dwellings in Port Fairy at the 2021 Census, 19.9% were rented, 49.7% owned outright and 26.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.9% 28 dwellings
Owned outright
49.7% 723 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
26.6% 387 dwellings
Rented
19.9% 290 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.6% 24 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
91.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
7.1%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
2.0%
2 bedrooms
18.7%
3 bedrooms
49.9%
4 bedrooms
24.8%
5 bedrooms
4.1%
6+ bedrooms
0.6%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.1%
$300-$449/mo
4.4%
$450-$599/mo
0.9%
$600-$799/mo
5.0%
$800-$999/mo
4.7%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
14.7%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
24.3%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.8%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
12.6%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
5.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
4.8%
1 vehicle
34.5%
2 vehicles
44.2%
3 vehicles
11.3%
4+ vehicles
5.3%

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

Work, income and education in Port Fairy

Employment

Employed full-time
29.0% 788 people
Employed part-time
23.3% 634 people
Unemployed
1.8% 48 people
Not in labour force
45.9% 1,246 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
33.5%
Managers
20.5%
Technicians & Trade Workers
14.0%
Community & Personal Service
11.8%
Clerical & Administrative
8.7%
Labourers
5.5%
Sales Workers
3.8%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.2%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
0.7%
$1-$149/wk
1.2%
$150-$299/wk
1.7%
$300-$399/wk
3.1%
$400-$499/wk
7.8%
$500-$649/wk
5.0%
$650-$799/wk
7.3%
$800-$999/wk
8.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.2%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.6%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.6%
$4,000+/wk
9.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
7.3%
$1-$149/wk
5.9%
$150-$299/wk
5.7%
$300-$399/wk
4.6%
$400-$499/wk
4.5%
$500-$649/wk
4.3%
$650-$799/wk
11.3%
$800-$999/wk
10.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
11.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
8.3%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.8%
$3,500+/wk
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
69.5%
Did not go to work
15.7%
Walked only
6.3%
Car (passenger)
4.5%
Bicycle
1.2%
Truck
1.0%
Other
0.9%
Bus
0.8%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
62.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
16.6%
Year 10 or equivalent
15.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
6.4%

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
33.5%
Certificate III/IV
28.3%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
20.7%
Postgraduate Degree
9.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.1%
Certificate I/II
2.2%

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

Field of Study

Health
16.7%
Management & Commerce
14.8%
Society & Culture
14.2%
Education
12.4%
Engineering
10.6%
Architecture & Building
9.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.8%
Agriculture & Environment
5.2%
Creative Arts
4.3%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.2%
Information Technology
1.2%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
24.2%
Primary: Catholic
22.7%
Secondary: Catholic
16.5%
Secondary: Government
13.9%
Pre-school
10.2%
Vocational Education
8.0%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
4.4%

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
86.9%
Has need for assistance
6.3%
Need for assistance not stated
6.8%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
341
Asthma
128
Arthritis
127
Heart disease
121
Lung condition
106
Diabetes
83
Cancer
69
Stroke
50
Kidney disease
41
Dementia
6

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
16.8% 478
Did not provide
83.2% 2,365

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
32.3% 928
Not a volunteer
67.7% 1,943

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 3
Current ADF: Reserves
0.2% 6
Previously served
3.5% 100
Never served
96.2% 2,759

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
26.0%
1 child
8.3%
2 children
30.5%
3 children
22.9%
4 children
10.2%
5+ children
2.1%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
10
1951: 1960
32
1961: 1970
40
1971: 1980
27
1981: 1990
21
1991: 2000
32
2001: 2010
56
2011: 2015
37
2016
4
2017
9
2019
7
2020
9

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

Population Mobility

10.8%
moved in the last year
39.8%
moved in the last 5 years
2.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
52.6%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
3,082
Moved: same area (SA2)
172
Moved from VIC
168
Moved from NSW
9
Moved from SA
4
Moved from TAS
4
Moved from overseas
4

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
19.2%
5: 14 hours
31.2%
15: 29 hours
19.4%
30+ hours
11.7%
Did not do domestic work
18.5%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
92.6%
Step family: no other children
6.3%
Blended family: no other children
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Port Fairy Crime Statistics

132 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
33
Justice Procedures
31
Assault
29
Property Damage
14
Drug Offences
8
Fraud
5
Weapons
5
Break & Enter
4
Public Order
3

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Frequently Asked Questions About Port Fairy

What is the population of Port Fairy VIC?

The population of Port Fairy VIC is 3,742 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 33 people per km². Port Fairy is ranked #2,024 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Port Fairy?

The median personal income in Port Fairy VIC is $745 per week, or $38,740 per year. The median household income is $1,450 per week. Family income is $1,942 per week. Port Fairy is ranked #4,636 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Port Fairy?

Median rent in Port Fairy VIC is $300 per week ($1,300 per month). Rent represents 20.7% of household income, which is considered affordable. Port Fairy ranks #4,529 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Port Fairy?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Port Fairy VIC 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 Port Fairy?

The median age in Port Fairy VIC is 51 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Port Fairy a good suburb to live in?

Port Fairy is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 3,742. The median income is $745/wk, which is below the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.7% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22105. All dollar figures in AUD.