Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Fairfield
4 km²
Low typical incomes and a high rental rate mark the community of Fairfield. It is a diverse and crowded area where over 65% of people were born overseas, making it far more multicultural than the rest of Australia. While the population has grown to over 18,000 people, many residents face economic hurdles and a lack of home ownership. This is a densely populated hub where most people live in apartments or smaller homes and rely on walking or public transport to get around.
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The typical resident is 40 years old, which is slightly older than the national figure. The population has grown by about 1,398 people since 2011, though the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 16.9%.
Fairfield is an exceptionally diverse area, with 65.6% of people born overseas, a figure far above the national average of 27.7%. Vietnamese and Chinese ancestries are the most common, and Vietnam is the most frequent overseas birthplace.
Language diversity is very high, with 75.7% of residents using a language other than English at home. Arabic is the most common non-English language, and 28.7% of people speak little or no English, which is far above the national figure.
Many residents identify as Christian (57.2%), while Buddhism and Islam also have a presence. Only 11.8% of people report no religion, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%.
Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 12.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Far fewer people have completed Year 12 compared to the rest of the state.
Income is among the lowest for its level, with a typical weekly household earning $1,087, which is far below the state figure of $1,829. Only 9.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
A high proportion of people need help with daily activities (12.5%), which is well above the national average. However, the rate of long-term health and mental health conditions is actually lower than in most areas.
Participation in unpaid work is low, with only 4.7% of people volunteering, well below the national figure. Rates of unpaid childcare and housework are also among the lowest at this level.
The First Nations community is small, making up 0.6% of the population. While unemployment among First Nations people is very low (0.0%), typical personal incomes are much lower than in most areas.
Homes here are more crowded than usual, with 2.9 people per home. One-parent families are much more common here than in the rest of the state, making up 21.0% of households.
Renters make up a huge 58.1% of the community, far above the national figure. Detached houses are rare, as nearly half of all homes are flats or apartments, and many are small with fewer than three bedrooms.
Most people live in a very accessible area, with 19.5% of homes having no motor vehicle. While 22.1% work from home, public transport use is much higher than in most similar areas.
The area sees significant movement, with 20.3% of residents arriving recently from overseas. This is well above the national figure and helps explain the high levels of language diversity.
Employment is a challenge here, as only 32.6% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state average. The unemployment rate is 12.0%, well above the national figure.
Fairfield is ranked among the most disadvantaged areas in the country across all measures. This is consistent with the high unemployment rates and low typical incomes seen across the community.
The area receives 1,075mm of rain annually, which is far above the New South Wales average of 515mm. Temperatures are typical for the region.
This is a walker's paradise with a score of 8.0. Almost every home is within a 15-minute walk of a park, school, and groceries, with 98.4% of homes very close to public transport.