Villawood vs Fairfield East

Villawood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 37 in Fairfield East. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Villawood, most households rent. In Fairfield East, about half of households rent and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Villawood tends to suit renters.

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

Villawood

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • But Fairfield East carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 87/100)

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

First-home buyers

Fairfield East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($402,500 vs $587,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (36% vs 53%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Villawood

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($210/wk vs $300/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (61% vs 46%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Fairfield East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Villawood

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (16.9% vs -1.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.3% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Villawood 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.

Villawood 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.

Villawood Fairfield East
Walkability 81 / 76
Villawood — Walkability: 81/100 Fairfield East — Walkability: 76/100
Safety 13 / 38
Villawood — Safety: 13/100 Fairfield East — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Villawood — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fairfield East — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fairfield East rents higher ($300/wk vs $210/wk); Villawood has more residents (7,051 vs 5,198).

Villawood Fairfield East
Population 7,051
+26% vs other
 5,198
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.9% -1.4%
Median age 34 37
Median household income $49,452/yr $63,024/yr
+27% vs other
Median weekly rent $210/wk $300/wk
+43% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Villawood Fairfield East
0-4 6.9% / 5.8%
Villawood — 0-4: 6.9% Fairfield East — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 13.5% / 13.7%
Villawood — 5-14: 13.5% Fairfield East — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 7.3% / 7.6%
Villawood — 15-19: 7.3% Fairfield East — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 7.7% / 7.0%
Villawood — 20-24: 7.7% Fairfield East — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 15.4% / 12.5%
Villawood — 25-34: 15.4% Fairfield East — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 13.2% / 12.4%
Villawood — 35-44: 13.2% Fairfield East — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 12.3% / 13.4%
Villawood — 45-54: 12.3% Fairfield East — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 11.1% / 11.7%
Villawood — 55-64: 11.1% Fairfield East — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 8.2% / 9.1%
Villawood — 65-74: 8.2% Fairfield East — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 2.9% / 4.4%
Villawood — 75-84: 2.9% Fairfield East — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 1.4% / 2.4%
Villawood — 85+: 1.4% Fairfield East — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Villawood 40.0% couple families
Villawood — Couple Families: 40.0% Villawood — Lone Person: 31.9% Villawood — One Parent Families: 23.4% Villawood — Group Household: 2.7% Villawood — Other Families: 1.9%
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.

Villawood 60.9% renting
Villawood — Owned Outright: 16.6% Villawood — Mortgage: 22.4% Villawood — Renting: 60.9%
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.

Villawood Fairfield East
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 8.5%
Villawood — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Fairfield East — Bachelor Degree: 8.5%
Certificate III & IV 6.1% / 7.4%
Villawood — Certificate III & IV: 6.1% Fairfield East — Certificate III & IV: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 5.3%
Villawood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Fairfield East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 1.5%
Villawood — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Fairfield East — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 0.5%
Villawood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Fairfield East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.5%).

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.

Villawood Fairfield East
Vietnam 12.7% / 18.9%
Villawood — Vietnam: 12.7% Fairfield East — Vietnam: 18.9%
Lebanon 7.3% / 3.0%
Villawood — Lebanon: 7.3% Fairfield East — Lebanon: 3.0%
Iraq 2.2% / 7.2%
Villawood — Iraq: 2.2% Fairfield East — Iraq: 7.2%
China 3.4% / 2.7%
Villawood — China: 3.4% Fairfield East — China: 2.7%
Afghanistan 2.5% / —
Villawood — Afghanistan: 2.5% Fairfield East — Afghanistan: not among its largest
Philippines — / 1.7%
Villawood — Philippines: not among its largest Fairfield East — Philippines: 1.7%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Villawood 72.9% houses
Villawood — Houses: 72.9% Villawood — Flats / Apartments: 20.0% Villawood — Townhouses: 7.2%
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

Villawood Fairfield East
Median house price $1,210,000 $1,300,000
Median unit price $587,000 $402,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 23 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.

Villawood Fairfield East
3 bed $1.12M / $1.04M
Villawood — 3 bed: $1.12M (19 sales) Fairfield East — 3 bed: $1.04M (14 sales)

19 vs 14 sales

4 bed $1.2M / $1.32M
Villawood — 4 bed: $1.2M (15 sales) Fairfield East — 4 bed: $1.32M (11 sales)

15 vs 11 sales

5 bed $1.34M / $1.32M
Villawood — 5 bed: $1.34M (13 sales) Fairfield East — 5 bed: $1.32M (7 sales)

13 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Villawood Fairfield East
Residential 41% 60%
Industrial 42% 33%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 2%
Parks and recreation 5% 2%
Environmental 0% 2%
Commercial 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

Villawood 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.

Villawood Fairfield East
Houses 4.3%
$920/wk on $1.1M
 3.3%
$800/wk on $1.26M
Units 6.1%
$685/wk on $585K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Villawood Fairfield East
House price Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Schools Higher than 89% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 96% of NSW —

Liveability

Villawood scores higher overall (56 vs 50).

Villawood Fairfield East
Grade B
same for both
Score 56/100 50/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Villawood carries more crime risk (87 vs 62).

Villawood Fairfield East
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
87/100
 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 8
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Villawood Fairfield East
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Western Sydney University - Bankstown City, 6.1 km
 3
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 7.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 3.4%

Schools in Villawood

  • Carramar Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Villawood East Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Fairfield East

  • Villawood North Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Villawood Fairfield East
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Parks & reserves 9 10
Childcare 4 1
GPs 2 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Villawood Fairfield East
Walkability score 81/100 76/100
Distance to Sydney 29.8 km
+1% vs other
 29.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 38 min 37 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 212.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 91.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2163
 0.4%
postcode 2165
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 2163
 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.

Villawood Fairfield East
Car (driver) 61.4% / 59.8%
Villawood — Car (driver): 61.4% Fairfield East — Car (driver): 59.8%
Worked from Home 25.8% / 27.2%
Villawood — Worked from Home: 25.8% Fairfield East — Worked from Home: 27.2%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 6.0%
Villawood — Car (passenger): 5.3% Fairfield East — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Train 4.0% / 3.9%
Villawood — Train: 4.0% Fairfield East — Train: 3.9%
Walked Only 1.6% / 1.8%
Villawood — Walked Only: 1.6% Fairfield East — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.4%).

Setting

Villawood Fairfield East
Elevation 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 18.2 km
2.8 km to a named beach
 19.5 km
3.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Villawood Fairfield East
Connectivity score 75/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 13%
2,676 premises
 9%
1,915 premises

Climate

Villawood 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)

Villawood 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Villawood

Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Transport Hub

Fairfield East

Multicultural Outer Parks River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Villawood

Villawood vs Chester Hill Villawood vs Bass Hill Villawood vs Carramar

Other comparisons with Fairfield East

Fairfield East vs Fairfield Fairfield East vs Chester Hill Fairfield East vs Carramar Fairfield East vs Old Guildford Fairfield East vs Yennora
Full data on Villawood 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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or