Fairfield vs Fairfield West

Fairfield West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 40 in Fairfield. In Fairfield, most households rent and about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Fairfield West, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Fairfield tends to suit renters, while Fairfield West suits couples.

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

Fairfield West

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (88% vs 40%)
  • carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 79/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 8)
  • But Fairfield has more childcare (13 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Fairfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($445,500 vs $560,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fairfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (60% vs 36%)
  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $440/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Fairfield

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 80/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (31.2 km vs 33.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Fairfield

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (22 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (60% vs 12%)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 80/100)
  • But Fairfield West carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 79/100)

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

Investors

Fairfield West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.1% vs 2.8%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Fairfield Fairfield West
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.

Fairfield Fairfield West
Walkability 94 / 80
Fairfield — Walkability: 94/100 Fairfield West — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 21 / 64
Fairfield — Safety: 21/100 Fairfield West — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Fairfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fairfield West — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fairfield has more residents (18,596 vs 12,981); Fairfield West has higher household incomes ($74,256 vs $56,784).

Fairfield Fairfield West
Population 18,596
+30% vs other
 12,981
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.8% +12.1%
Median age 40 36
Median household income $56,784/yr $74,256/yr
+31% vs other
Median weekly rent $365/wk $440/wk
+21% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fairfield Fairfield West
0-4 5.1% / 5.9%
Fairfield — 0-4: 5.1% Fairfield West — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 11.8% / 14.3%
Fairfield — 5-14: 11.8% Fairfield West — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 6.3% / 7.2%
Fairfield — 15-19: 6.3% Fairfield West — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 6.4% / 7.5%
Fairfield — 20-24: 6.4% Fairfield West — 20-24: 7.5%
25-34 13.1% / 12.8%
Fairfield — 25-34: 13.1% Fairfield West — 25-34: 12.8%
35-44 13.0% / 12.5%
Fairfield — 35-44: 13.0% Fairfield West — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 13.6% / 12.8%
Fairfield — 45-54: 13.6% Fairfield West — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 13.9% / 11.8%
Fairfield — 55-64: 13.9% Fairfield West — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 9.9% / 8.4%
Fairfield — 65-74: 9.9% Fairfield West — 65-74: 8.4%
75-84 5.1% / 5.5%
Fairfield — 75-84: 5.1% Fairfield West — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 2.0% / 1.4%
Fairfield — 85+: 2.0% Fairfield West — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fairfield 44.0% couple families
Fairfield — Couple Families: 44.0% Fairfield — One Parent Families: 22.9% Fairfield — Lone Person: 27.3% Fairfield — Group Household: 2.9% Fairfield — Other Families: 2.9%
Fairfield West 57.6% couple families
Fairfield West — Couple Families: 57.6% Fairfield West — One Parent Families: 22.9% Fairfield West — Lone Person: 15.3% Fairfield West — Group Household: 2.2% Fairfield West — Other Families: 2.1%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fairfield 59.6% renting
Fairfield — Owned Outright: 21.8% Fairfield — Mortgage: 18.5% Fairfield — Renting: 59.6%
Fairfield West 36.2% renting
Fairfield West — Owned Outright: 34.7% Fairfield West — Mortgage: 29.0% Fairfield West — Renting: 36.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Fairfield Fairfield West
Bachelor Degree 8.1% / 7.3%
Fairfield — Bachelor Degree: 8.1% Fairfield West — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Certificate III & IV 6.8% / 8.2%
Fairfield — Certificate III & IV: 6.8% Fairfield West — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 5.5%
Fairfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Fairfield West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / 1.3%
Fairfield — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Fairfield West — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / 0.4%
Fairfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Fairfield West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.2%).

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.

Fairfield Fairfield West
Iraq 22.6% / 18.0%
Fairfield — Iraq: 22.6% Fairfield West — Iraq: 18.0%
Vietnam 9.8% / 12.7%
Fairfield — Vietnam: 9.8% Fairfield West — Vietnam: 12.7%
China 2.7% / 1.0%
Fairfield — China: 2.7% Fairfield West — China: 1.0%
Lebanon 1.5% / 1.3%
Fairfield — Lebanon: 1.5% Fairfield West — Lebanon: 1.3%
Philippines 1.6% / 0.8%
Fairfield — Philippines: 1.6% Fairfield West — Philippines: 0.8%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.1%
Fairfield — New Zealand: 0.9% Fairfield West — New Zealand: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fairfield 40.0% houses
Fairfield — Houses: 40.0% Fairfield — Flats / Apartments: 46.6% Fairfield — Townhouses: 13.4%
Fairfield West 88.3% houses
Fairfield West — Houses: 88.3% Fairfield West — Flats / Apartments: 4.7% Fairfield West — Townhouses: 7.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Fairfield Fairfield West
Median house price $1,300,000 $1,250,000
Median unit price $445,500 $560,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 89 sales
 25 days
from 94 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.

Fairfield Fairfield West
3 bed $1.2M / $1.15M
Fairfield — 3 bed: $1.2M (46 sales) Fairfield West — 3 bed: $1.15M (48 sales)

46 vs 48 sales

4 bed $1.34M / $1.25M
Fairfield — 4 bed: $1.34M (25 sales) Fairfield West — 4 bed: $1.25M (40 sales)

25 vs 40 sales

5 bed $1.44M / $1.48M
Fairfield — 5 bed: $1.44M (32 sales) Fairfield West — 5 bed: $1.48M (27 sales)

32 vs 27 sales

6 bed $1.52M / $1.37M
Fairfield — 6 bed: $1.52M (5 sales) Fairfield West — 6 bed: $1.37M (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Fairfield Fairfield West
Residential 79% 84%
Parks and recreation 5% 10%
Environmental 8% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 3%
Commercial 1%
same for both
Industrial 1% 0%
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

Fairfield Fairfield West
New dwellings approved 1,095
across Fairfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year +29%
same for both

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.

Fairfield Fairfield West
Houses 3.2%
$750/wk on $1.24M
 3.1%
$740/wk on $1.23M
Units 5.6%
$500/wk on $461K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Fairfield Fairfield West
House price Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Schools Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 88% of NSW —

Liveability

Fairfield West scores higher overall (68 vs 50); Fairfield is more walkable (94 vs 80).

Fairfield Fairfield West
Grade B
same for both
Score 50/100 68/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Fairfield carries more crime risk (79 vs 36).

Fairfield Fairfield West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
79/100
 Low
36/100
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
 21
within 5 km

Schools

Fairfield Fairfield West
Inside the suburb 8 3
Rated above peers 2 3
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
50 Scott Street Liverpool, 6.7 km
 3
50 Scott Street Liverpool, 6.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 3.1%

Schools in Fairfield

  • Fairfield Heights Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Fairfield High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Fairvale Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Patrician Brothers' College Fairfield Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Fairfield Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Fairfield West

  • Fairfield West Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Fairvale High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Westfields Sports High School Government · Secondary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Fairfield Fairfield West
Supermarkets 3 2
Cafes & restaurants 5 0
Parks & reserves 8 15
Childcare 13 2
GPs 22 1
Pharmacies 9 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 5 0

Mobility

Fairfield West sits further from the CBD (33.8 km vs 31.2 km).

Fairfield Fairfield West
Walkability score 94/100 80/100
Distance to Sydney 31.2 km 33.8 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 38 min 35 min
Public transport score 91/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 336.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 198.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2165
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 27
postcode 2165
same for both

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.

Fairfield Fairfield West
Car (driver) 54.9% / 62.1%
Fairfield — Car (driver): 54.9% Fairfield West — Car (driver): 62.1%
Worked from Home 27.8% / 28.4%
Fairfield — Worked from Home: 27.8% Fairfield West — Worked from Home: 28.4%
Train 7.4% / 3.3%
Fairfield — Train: 7.4% Fairfield West — Train: 3.3%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / 4.7%
Fairfield — Car (passenger): 5.8% Fairfield West — Car (passenger): 4.7%
Walked Only 2.5% / 0.7%
Fairfield — Walked Only: 2.5% Fairfield West — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.1%).

Setting

Fairfield Fairfield West
Elevation 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.3 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 23.7 km
4.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Fairfield Fairfield West
Connectivity score 67/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 6%
8,391 premises
 6%
3,821 premises

Climate

Fairfield Fairfield West
Annual rainfall 909 mm 931 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C 28.9°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.4°C 6.9°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Fairfield Fairfield West
PM2.5 6.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.72 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Fairfield Fairfield West
Average residential rate $990/yr
same for both
Council Fairfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Fairfield Fairfield West
Division Mcmahon
same for both
Member Chris Bowen
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Fairfield

Affordable Apartments Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Transport Hub Urban

Fairfield West

Multicultural Outer Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fairfield

Fairfield vs Smithfield Fairfield vs Canley Vale Fairfield vs Fairfield Heights Fairfield vs Fairfield East Fairfield vs Carramar Fairfield vs Yennora

Other comparisons with Fairfield West

Fairfield West vs Smithfield Fairfield West vs Canley Heights Fairfield West vs Canley Vale Fairfield West vs Fairfield Heights Fairfield West vs Wakeley Fairfield West vs Prairiewood
Full data on Fairfield Full data on Fairfield West
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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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