Smithfield vs Prairiewood

Smithfield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 43 in Prairiewood. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Smithfield is closer to the city centre: 32.1 km, against 35.8 km.

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

Smithfield

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (17 vs 3)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 9)

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

First-home buyers

Prairiewood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($750,000 vs $1,190,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Smithfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $433/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Smithfield

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (34 min vs 41 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (32.1 km vs 35.8 km)
  • But Prairiewood is more walkable (88/100 vs 73/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Smithfield carries lower crime risk (65/100 vs 79/100)
  • Prairiewood is more walkable (88/100 vs 73/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Smithfield Prairiewood
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.

Smithfield Prairiewood
Walkability 73 / 88
Smithfield — Walkability: 73/100 Prairiewood — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 35 / 21
Smithfield — Safety: 35/100 Prairiewood — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Smithfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Prairiewood — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Smithfield has more residents (13,160 vs 3,457); Prairiewood has higher household incomes ($76,856 vs $67,600).

Smithfield Prairiewood
Population 13,160
+74% vs other
 3,457
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.9% +6.5%
Median age 38 43
Median household income $67,600/yr $76,856/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk $433/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Smithfield Prairiewood
0-4 6.3% / 4.5%
Smithfield — 0-4: 6.3% Prairiewood — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 13.3% / 11.9%
Smithfield — 5-14: 13.3% Prairiewood — 5-14: 11.9%
15-19 6.7% / 6.7%
Smithfield — 15-19: 6.7% Prairiewood — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 6.6% / 5.9%
Smithfield — 20-24: 6.6% Prairiewood — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 13.3% / 11.5%
Smithfield — 25-34: 13.3% Prairiewood — 25-34: 11.5%
35-44 11.8% / 11.5%
Smithfield — 35-44: 11.8% Prairiewood — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 12.4% / 12.7%
Smithfield — 45-54: 12.4% Prairiewood — 45-54: 12.7%
55-64 11.9% / 13.1%
Smithfield — 55-64: 11.9% Prairiewood — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 9.0% / 12.3%
Smithfield — 65-74: 9.0% Prairiewood — 65-74: 12.3%
75-84 5.8% / 7.8%
Smithfield — 75-84: 5.8% Prairiewood — 75-84: 7.8%
85+ 2.8% / 2.2%
Smithfield — 85+: 2.8% Prairiewood — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Smithfield 48.1% couple families
Smithfield — Couple Families: 48.1% Smithfield — Lone Person: 26.7% Smithfield — One Parent Families: 21.1% Smithfield — Group Household: 2.3% Smithfield — Other Families: 1.8%
Prairiewood 53.9% couple families
Prairiewood — Couple Families: 53.9% Prairiewood — Lone Person: 20.9% Prairiewood — One Parent Families: 21.6% Prairiewood — Group Household: 1.9% Prairiewood — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Smithfield 44.5% renting
Smithfield — Owned Outright: 28.3% Smithfield — Mortgage: 27.3% Smithfield — Renting: 44.5%
Prairiewood 33.9% renting
Prairiewood — Owned Outright: 39.6% Prairiewood — Mortgage: 26.4% Prairiewood — Renting: 33.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Smithfield Prairiewood
Certificate III & IV 9.6% / 10.8%
Smithfield — Certificate III & IV: 9.6% Prairiewood — Certificate III & IV: 10.8%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 10.2%
Smithfield — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Prairiewood — Bachelor Degree: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 6.5%
Smithfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Prairiewood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 1.8%
Smithfield — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Prairiewood — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.5% / 0.6%
Smithfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5% Prairiewood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.8%).

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.

Smithfield Prairiewood
Iraq 18.1% / 15.5%
Smithfield — Iraq: 18.1% Prairiewood — Iraq: 15.5%
Vietnam 6.9% / 6.7%
Smithfield — Vietnam: 6.9% Prairiewood — Vietnam: 6.7%
Italy 2.3% / 3.2%
Smithfield — Italy: 2.3% Prairiewood — Italy: 3.2%
Lebanon 2.2% / 1.4%
Smithfield — Lebanon: 2.2% Prairiewood — Lebanon: 1.4%
China 1.0% / 1.3%
Smithfield — China: 1.0% Prairiewood — China: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Smithfield — New Zealand: 1.2% Prairiewood — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Smithfield 77.3% houses
Smithfield — Houses: 77.3% Smithfield — Townhouses: 10.7% Smithfield — Flats / Apartments: 12.0%
Prairiewood 75.6% houses
Prairiewood — Houses: 75.6% Prairiewood — Townhouses: 13.9% Prairiewood — Flats / Apartments: 10.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Smithfield Prairiewood
Median house price $1,325,000 $1,400,500
Median unit price $1,190,500 $750,000
Median land price $1,180,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 107 sales
 25 days
from 16 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.

Smithfield Prairiewood
3 bed $1.21M / $1.23M
Smithfield — 3 bed: $1.21M (82 sales) Prairiewood — 3 bed: $1.23M (13 sales)

82 vs 13 sales

4 bed $1.3M / $1.44M
Smithfield — 4 bed: $1.3M (34 sales) Prairiewood — 4 bed: $1.44M (25 sales)

34 vs 25 sales

Zoning mix

Smithfield has more industrially zoned land (47% vs 0%).

Smithfield Prairiewood
Residential 37% 54%
Industrial 47% 0%
Parks and recreation 7% 32%
Environmental 4% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 7%
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

Smithfield Prairiewood
New dwellings approved 1,756
across Cumberland
 1,095
across Fairfield
Approvals change year on year -28% +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.

Smithfield Prairiewood
Houses 3.0%
$720/wk on $1.24M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Smithfield Prairiewood
House price Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Income Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Schools Higher than 55% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of NSW —

Liveability

Prairiewood is more walkable (88 vs 73).

Smithfield Prairiewood
Grade B
same for both
Score 50/100 54/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Prairiewood carries more crime risk (79 vs 65).

Smithfield Prairiewood
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
65/100
 High
79/100
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 22
within 5 km
 20
within 5 km

Schools

Smithfield Prairiewood
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 7.4 km
 1
50 Scott Street Liverpool, 6.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 2.5%

Schools in Smithfield

  • St Gertrude's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Smithfield Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Smithfield West Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Aspect Western Sydney School, Smithfield Independent · Primary · Special school

Schools in Prairiewood

  • Prairiewood High School Government · Secondary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Smithfield Prairiewood
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 21 9
Childcare 17 3
GPs 3 4
Pharmacies 2 3
Hospitals 0 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 5
Fuel stations 6 2
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Prairiewood sits further from the CBD (35.8 km vs 32.1 km).

Smithfield Prairiewood
Walkability score 73/100 88/100
Distance to Sydney 32.1 km 35.8 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 34 min 41 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 319.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 88.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2164
 0.6%
postcode 2176
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 2164
 44
postcode 2176

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.

Smithfield Prairiewood
Car (driver) 60.8% / 54.1%
Smithfield — Car (driver): 60.8% Prairiewood — Car (driver): 54.1%
Worked from Home 29.6% / 37.3%
Smithfield — Worked from Home: 29.6% Prairiewood — Worked from Home: 37.3%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 5.3%
Smithfield — Car (passenger): 5.0% Prairiewood — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Train 2.1% / 1.5%
Smithfield — Train: 2.1% Prairiewood — Train: 1.5%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.4%
Smithfield — Walked Only: 1.3% Prairiewood — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.8%).

Setting

Smithfield Prairiewood
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.7 km 25.6 km

NBN connectivity

Smithfield Prairiewood
Connectivity score 72/100 71/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 21%
6,055 premises
 24%
1,587 premises

Climate

Smithfield Prairiewood
Annual rainfall 931 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Smithfield Prairiewood
PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³ 6.8 µg/m³
PM10 17.6 µg/m³ 18.2 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.88 pphm 0.72 pphm

Council rates

Smithfield Prairiewood
Average residential rate $1,038/yr $990/yr
Council Cumberland Fairfield

Federal electorate

Smithfield Prairiewood
Division Mcmahon Fowler
Member Chris Bowen Dai Le
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

Smithfield Prairiewood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Smithfield

Multicultural Outer Parks River

Prairiewood

Multicultural Outer Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Smithfield

Smithfield vs Greystanes Smithfield vs Fairfield Smithfield vs Fairfield West Smithfield vs Fairfield Heights Smithfield vs Merrylands West Smithfield vs Wetherill Park

Other comparisons with Prairiewood

Prairiewood vs Bossley Park Prairiewood vs Fairfield West Prairiewood vs Wetherill Park Prairiewood vs St Johns Park Prairiewood vs Greenfield Park Prairiewood vs Wakeley
Full data on Smithfield Full data on Prairiewood
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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