# Blue Mountains vs Fairfield — 2021 Census comparison

Indigenous Area comparison · about 48 km apart

Blue Mountains and Fairfield are two distinct parts of Greater Sydney with very different layouts. Fairfield is a very walkable area where 90.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school and 76.8% are near groceries. In contrast, Blue Mountains is somewhat walkable, with only 60.7% of homes near a school and 52.9% near groceries. These differences are reflected in the landscape, as the average terrain slope is well higher in Blue Mountains at 10.8% compared to 4.2% in Fairfield.

Both areas have tracked similarly in some respects since 2011, such as the share of people who speak a First Nations language, which is about the same in both places. However, First Nations residents in Blue Mountains tend to have higher incomes and education levels than those in Fairfield; for example, the typical personal income is $718 in Blue Mountains compared to $511 in Fairfield, and Year 12 completion is far higher in Blue Mountains at 46.6%.

## First Nations

| Statistic | Blue Mountains | Fairfield | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 2,097 | 1,561 | 536 larger in Blue Mountains |  |
| Median age | 23 yrs | 25 yrs | 2 yrs older in Fairfield |  |
| Year 12 | 46.6% | 34.2% | 12.5 pts higher in Blue Mountains |  |
| Unemployment | 6.0% | 7.1% | 1.1 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Median income | $718 | $511 | $207 higher in Blue Mountains |  |
| Household income | $2,022 | $1,244 | $778 higher in Blue Mountains |  |
| Indigenous language | 7.1% | 6.5% | 0.6 pts higher in Blue Mountains |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Blue Mountains | Fairfield | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.5 | 6.8 | 1.2 higher in Fairfield |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.3 | 6.6 | 1.3 more in Fairfield |  |
| 15-min city | 60.2% | 85.3% | 25.1 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Walk to shops | 52.9% | 76.8% | 23.8 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Walk to transit | 86.5% | 97.5% | 11.0 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Walk to school | 60.7% | 90.2% | 29.5 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Walk to a park | 92.4% | 95.2% | 2.9 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Walk to health | 46.6% | 59.6% | 13.0 pts higher in Fairfield |  |
| Intersections/km² | 14 | 95 | 82 higher in Fairfield |  |
| Mean slope | 10.8% | 4.2% | 6.6 pts higher in Blue Mountains |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/iare/IARE107004/blue-mountains/vs/IARE107009/fairfield