Fairfield is still affordable — but less advantaged
Fairfield 2165 · Fairfield, Greater Sydney, NSW
Fairfield is still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $600 a week (DCJ, 2026-Q1) — about $180 below the Greater Sydney median; a train station within walking distance (Fairfield, about 500 m). The trade-offs: it is less advantaged than most of Australia (SEIFA decile 1 of 10); unemployment runs above the Sydney norm, at 12.1%.
Mostly apartments, with a median age of 40 and households on a median $1,087 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, NSW DCJ median rents, NSW DCJ median sale prices, NSW SES Georges River flood database, OpenStreetMap and ACARA Schools NSW / NSW Dept of Education · figures current to September 2026.
What it costs to buy
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2025-Q4Median sale price from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's recorded property sales. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
By dwelling type — 2025-Q4 quarter
| Type | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| House | $1,315,000n=82 |
| Unit / flat | $510,000n=38 |
The median sale price across all dwellings in Fairfield was $1,166,000, based on sales in postcode 2165, for the 2025-Q4 quarter. That is $34,000 below the Greater Sydney median. By type: a house $1,315,000 and a unit / flat $510,000.
This is the median price of properties recorded as sold this quarter — settlement can lag a purchase decision by weeks, so the most recent quarter can revise slightly as more sales are recorded.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median price | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-Q4 | $1,166,000 | — | $1,200,000 |
Sale price data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, based on sales in postcode 2165, December 2025 release. Figures are the median for properties sold in the quarter. DCJ suppresses a median where too few properties sold.
What it costs to rent
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2026-Q1Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
By dwelling type — 2026-Q1 quarter
| Type | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | $550low sample | $650n=38 | $900n=44 |
| Unit / flat | — | $390low sample | $513n=78 | $580low sample | — |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure marked low sample as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Fairfield was $600, based on new bonds lodged in postcode 2165, for the 2026-Q1 quarter. That is $180 a week below the Greater Sydney median. By type: a 3-bedroom house $650 and a 2-bedroom unit $513.
This is the median rent on new leases signed this quarter, not what existing tenants pay. It usually runs higher than the Census figure.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | $600 | — | $930 |
Rent data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, based on new bonds in postcode 2165, March 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. DCJ suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
Fairfield on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Fairfield, NSW.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Fairfield against the New South Wales average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Fairfield population grew from 18,435 in 2016 to 19,302 in 2025, a change of 4.7% over the period, against the New South Wales average.
Show the data table
| Year | Fairfield | New South Wales average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 18,435 | 7,732,858 |
| 2017 | 18,727 | 7,855,316 |
| 2018 | 19,012 | 7,954,476 |
| 2019 | 19,115 | 8,046,748 |
| 2020 | 18,888 | 8,110,610 |
| 2021 | 18,288 | 8,097,062 |
| 2022 | 17,999 | 8,182,098 |
| 2023 | 18,635 | 8,356,387 |
| 2024 | 19,062 | 8,492,050 |
| 2025 | 19,302 | 8,592,524 |
Where the growth is coming from
Fairfield gained 1,314 residents from internal migration and 857 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 2,017 people moved away — a net addition of 154 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+1,314
- Internal migration out+1,693
- Overseas migration in+857
- Natural increase+86
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,704 | 18,248 | +3.1% |
| Median age | 36 | 40 | +4 yrs |
| Median household income | $969/wk | $1,087/wk | +12% |
| Median weekly rent | $350/wk | $367/wk | +4.9% |
| Born overseas | 69.0% | 70.4% | +1.4 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 20.9%
- Mortgaged 17.8%
- Rented 58.1%
- Other / not stated 3.2%
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 1score 721
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 1score 828
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 1score 861
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 2score 891
Flood risk
NSW SES · Georges River catchment · updated September 2026How much of this suburb sits inside NSW SES's modelled flood extents for the Georges River catchment? These are predicted extents at different probability levels, not a record of floods that have actually happened here.
Modelled flood extents
NSW SES models three flood-extent scenarios for the Georges River catchment, from the standard flood-planning benchmark to a worst-case extent. None of these say a flood has actually occurred — they mark land that modelling puts inside each scenario’s reach.
- 1% AEP (1-in-100-year): the standard NSW flood-planning benchmark — a flood with a 1-in-100 chance of being reached or exceeded in any given year.
- Flood potential: a broader strategic extent of land that could be affected under any of the modelled flood scenarios.
- Probable Maximum Flood: the most severe flood NSW SES models as physically possible for this catchment — rare, but the outer limit of what's possible.
NSW SES's Georges River flood modelling puts about 22% of Fairfield inside the 1% AEP (1-in-100-year) flood extent — the standard NSW flood-planning benchmark. In NSW SES's worst-case Probable Maximum Flood scenario, that grows to about 83% of the suburb.
This data only covers the Georges River catchment (southern and south-western Sydney) — NSW SES hasn’t published an equivalent modelled-extent map for Sydney’s other catchments, and a suburb rollup can’t tell you about an individual property. Explore the mapped extents on NSW SES’s Georges River flood map →
Show the data table
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| 1% AEP (1-in-100-year) | 22% of the suburb |
| Flood potential | 83% of the suburb |
| Probable Maximum Flood | 83% of the suburb |
Flood data: NSW State Emergency Service – Geospatial Intelligence (Georges River flood database), used for attribution as published, updated September 2026. Covers the Georges River catchment only. This is a modelling tool, not a substitute for professional flood advice on a specific address.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Fairfield SA2, OpenStreetMap records 4 schools, 2 childcare and kindergarten centres, 4 GP or clinic locations, 3 supermarkets and 14 green spaces. For families: 1 library and 7 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 4 cafés, 3 restaurants and 4 pubs and bars. Staying active: 1 gym and 18 sports fields. Also 3 shopping centres. The nearest train station, Fairfield, is about 500 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 60 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Fairfield Public School
- Our Lady of the Rosary School
- Fairfield High School
- Fairvale Public School
Childcare & kindergartens
- Fairfield Nursery School
- Brighter Beginnings Early Education
Libraries
- Fairfield Library and Cafe
Gyms & fitness
- 24/7 Gym
Shopping centres
- Fairfield Forum
- Kmart
- Neeta City Shopping Centre
GPs & clinics
- MP Medical Centre
- MyHealth Medical Centre
- PsychOrium Forensic & Clinical Psychology
- Fairfield Medical Centre
Supermarkets
- Coles
- Woolworths
- Aldi
Green spaces
- Nelson Park
- Barbara Street Children's Playground
- Crescent Park
- Fairfield Park
- Kinta Park
- Ace Reserve
- Hamilton Park
- Fairfield Road Park
Train stations
- Fairfield
Schools
Every open NSW school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Fairfield SA2 contains 6 schools — 4 primary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 special school, of which 4 are government and 2 non-government. Its schools with a published ICSEA average 915 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Fairfield sits in decile 2 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 52% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Fairfield Heights Public School (primary), Fairfield High School (secondary).
Parts of this SA2 also fall in the catchment of Guildford West Public School (primary), Fairvale Public School (primary), Fairfield Public School (primary), Chester Hill High School (secondary), Canley Vale High School (secondary), Fairvale High School (secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Want another suburb? Search the catchment finder.
Show school list
- Fairfield Heights Public School · State
- Fairfield Public School · State
- Fairvale Public School · State
- Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School · Non-Government
- Fairfield High School · State
- Warakirri College · Non-Government
School list: NSW Government open data — ACARA Schools NSW, via the NSW data portal, CC BY 4.0. Catchments: NSW Department of Education “School intake zones” dataset, CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Fairfield
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereFairfield+1.3%
- 01Smithfield - Wetherill Park+1.4%
- 02Fairfield - West+0.9%
- 03St Johns Park - Wakeley+0.4%
- 04Edensor Park+0.2%
- 05Canley Vale - Canley Heights+0.1%
- 06Wetherill Park Industrial+0.0%
- 07Cabramatta West - Mount Pritchard-0.3%
- 08Greenfield Park - Prairiewood-0.4%
- 09Bossley Park - Abbotsbury-0.5%
- 10Bonnyrigg Heights - Bonnyrigg-0.5%
- 11Cabramatta - Lansvale-0.6%
- 12Horsley Park - Kemps Creek-1.2%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Fairfield: common questions
Is Fairfield a good place to live?
How much does it cost to rent in Fairfield?
Is Fairfield at risk of flooding?
What schools are in Fairfield?
What amenities and public transport does Fairfield have?
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Is Fairfield an advantaged area?
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