Chester Hill vs Fairfield East

Chester Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 37 in Fairfield East. In both, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. In Chester Hill, most households own their home. In Fairfield East, about half of households rent.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Chester Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (12 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Fairfield East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($402,500 vs $575,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fairfield East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $380/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Chester Hill

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 76/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (26.6 km vs 29.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Chester Hill

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 76/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Chester Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.3% vs -1.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Chester Hill and Fairfield East drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Walkability 91 / 76
Chester Hill — Walkability: 91/100 Fairfield East — Walkability: 76/100
Safety 32 / 38
Chester Hill — Safety: 32/100 Fairfield East — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Chester Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fairfield East — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Chester Hill has more residents (14,007 vs 5,198); Chester Hill rents higher ($380/wk vs $300/wk).

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Population 14,007
+63% vs other
 5,198
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.3% -1.4%
Median age 34 37
Median household income $70,460/yr
+11% vs other
 $63,024/yr
Median weekly rent $380/wk
+21% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
0-4 7.2% / 5.8%
Chester Hill — 0-4: 7.2% Fairfield East — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 15.3% / 13.7%
Chester Hill — 5-14: 15.3% Fairfield East — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 7.5% / 7.6%
Chester Hill — 15-19: 7.5% Fairfield East — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 7.1% / 7.0%
Chester Hill — 20-24: 7.1% Fairfield East — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 13.4% / 12.5%
Chester Hill — 25-34: 13.4% Fairfield East — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 12.1% / 12.4%
Chester Hill — 35-44: 12.1% Fairfield East — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 11.7% / 13.4%
Chester Hill — 45-54: 11.7% Fairfield East — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 11.7% / 11.7%
Chester Hill — 55-64: 11.7% Fairfield East — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 7.7% / 9.1%
Chester Hill — 65-74: 7.7% Fairfield East — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 3.9% / 4.4%
Chester Hill — 75-84: 3.9% Fairfield East — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.5% / 2.4%
Chester Hill — 85+: 2.5% Fairfield East — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chester Hill 48.9% couple families
Chester Hill — Couple Families: 48.9% Chester Hill — Lone Person: 25.1% Chester Hill — One Parent Families: 21.0% Chester Hill — Group Household: 2.8% Chester Hill — Other Families: 2.2%
Fairfield East 47.8% couple families
Fairfield East — Couple Families: 47.8% Fairfield East — Lone Person: 24.4% Fairfield East — One Parent Families: 22.9% Fairfield East — Group Household: 3.6% Fairfield East — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chester Hill 42.1% renting
Chester Hill — Owned Outright: 27.4% Chester Hill — Mortgage: 30.4% Chester Hill — Renting: 42.1%
Fairfield East 46.3% renting
Fairfield East — Owned Outright: 26.0% Fairfield East — Mortgage: 27.7% Fairfield East — Renting: 46.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 8.5%
Chester Hill — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Fairfield East — Bachelor Degree: 8.5%
Certificate III & IV 8.1% / 7.4%
Chester Hill — Certificate III & IV: 8.1% Fairfield East — Certificate III & IV: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 5.3%
Chester Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Fairfield East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 1.5%
Chester Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Fairfield East — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / 0.5%
Chester Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Fairfield East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.9%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Vietnam 9.7% / 18.9%
Chester Hill — Vietnam: 9.7% Fairfield East — Vietnam: 18.9%
Lebanon 7.5% / 3.0%
Chester Hill — Lebanon: 7.5% Fairfield East — Lebanon: 3.0%
Iraq 1.6% / 7.2%
Chester Hill — Iraq: 1.6% Fairfield East — Iraq: 7.2%
China 4.6% / 2.7%
Chester Hill — China: 4.6% Fairfield East — China: 2.7%
Philippines — / 1.7%
Chester Hill — Philippines: not among its largest Fairfield East — Philippines: 1.7%
Afghanistan 1.5% / —
Chester Hill — Afghanistan: 1.5% Fairfield East — Afghanistan: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chester Hill 73.5% houses
Chester Hill — Houses: 73.5% Chester Hill — Flats / Apartments: 12.8% Chester Hill — Townhouses: 13.7%
Fairfield East 70.9% houses
Fairfield East — Houses: 70.9% Fairfield East — Flats / Apartments: 16.6% Fairfield East — Townhouses: 12.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Median house price $1,400,000 $1,300,000
Median unit price $575,000 $402,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 107 sales
 24 days
from 17 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
3 bed $1.31M / $1.04M
Chester Hill — 3 bed: $1.31M (80 sales) Fairfield East — 3 bed: $1.04M (14 sales)

80 vs 14 sales

4 bed $1.41M / $1.32M
Chester Hill — 4 bed: $1.41M (47 sales) Fairfield East — 4 bed: $1.32M (11 sales)

47 vs 11 sales

5 bed $1.5M / $1.32M
Chester Hill — 5 bed: $1.5M (38 sales) Fairfield East — 5 bed: $1.32M (7 sales)

38 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Fairfield East has more industrially zoned land (33% vs 9%).

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Residential 71% 60%
Industrial 9% 33%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 2%
Parks and recreation 7% 2%
Commercial 3% 0%
Environmental 1% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Chester Hill Fairfield East
New dwellings approved 1,785
across Canterbury-Bankstown
 1,095
across Fairfield
Approvals change year on year +50% +29%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Houses 3.2%
$830/wk on $1.34M
 3.3%
$800/wk on $1.26M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Chester Hill Fairfield East
House price Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Schools Higher than 18% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Chester Hill is more walkable (91 vs 76).

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Grade C B
Score 46/100 50/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
68/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Inside the suburb 5 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 4 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Western Sydney University - Bankstown City, 5.5 km
 3
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 7.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.1% 3.4%

Schools in Chester Hill

  • Chester Hill North Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Chester Hill High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Chester Hill Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Salamah College Independent · Combined below peers
  • Rowland Hassall School Government · Combined · Special school below peers

Schools in Fairfield East

  • Villawood North Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 11 1
Parks & reserves 11 10
Childcare 12 1
GPs 5 1
Pharmacies 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 1 2
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Fairfield East sits further from the CBD (29.5 km vs 26.6 km).

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Walkability score 91/100 76/100
Distance to Sydney 26.6 km 29.5 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 36 min 37 min
Public transport score 91/100
Rail · Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 226.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 91.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2162
 0.4%
postcode 2165
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 2162
 27
postcode 2165

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Car (driver) 54.5% / 59.8%
Chester Hill — Car (driver): 54.5% Fairfield East — Car (driver): 59.8%
Worked from Home 32.8% / 27.2%
Chester Hill — Worked from Home: 32.8% Fairfield East — Worked from Home: 27.2%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 6.0%
Chester Hill — Car (passenger): 5.1% Fairfield East — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Train 4.2% / 3.9%
Chester Hill — Train: 4.2% Fairfield East — Train: 3.9%
Walked Only 2.0% / 1.8%
Chester Hill — Walked Only: 2.0% Fairfield East — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.8%).

Setting

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.1 km
4.3 km to a named beach
 19.5 km
3.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Connectivity score 88/100 75/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
5,125 premises
 9%
1,915 premises

Climate

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Annual rainfall 909 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.4°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Chester Hill Fairfield East
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.9 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Average residential rate $1,322/yr $990/yr
Council Canterbury-Bankstown Fairfield

Federal electorate

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Division Blaxland Fowler
Member Jason Clare Dai Le
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

Chester Hill Fairfield East
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chester Hill

Easy Commute Family Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Transport Hub Urban

Fairfield East

Multicultural Outer Parks River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chester Hill

Chester Hill vs Auburn Chester Hill vs Guildford Chester Hill vs Bass Hill Chester Hill vs Villawood Chester Hill vs Sefton Chester Hill vs South Granville

Other comparisons with Fairfield East

Fairfield East vs Fairfield Fairfield East vs Villawood Fairfield East vs Carramar Fairfield East vs Old Guildford Fairfield East vs Yennora
Full data on Chester Hill Full data on Fairfield East
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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