Moving to Fairfield VIC 3078
What the official numbers say about living in Fairfield — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,625,000 for a median house or $635,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 72% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $369 a week, against a median household income of $1,967 a week.
About 57% of homes are owner-occupied and 42% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Fairfield grew 10% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (5,946 → 6,535 people).
Around 57% of households are families, averaging 2.2 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, Greece, Italy; most spoken languages besides English: Greek, Italian, Mandarin.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Fairfield sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (36% of workers), while 51% work from home.
Nearest train station: Fairfield, 450 m south-west.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 32: Mitchell Street, 1.9 km west.
Nearest bus interchange: Northland Shopping Centre, 4 km north.
Nearest ferry wharf: Berth 5, 6.5 km south-west.
Nearest airport: Essendon Fields Airport, 11.9 km north-west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 7 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 93 schools · 185 cafes & restaurants · 15 supermarkets · 80 parks · 1 beach — see them all on the Fairfield profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Fairfield Primary School 350 m · St Anthony's School 500 m · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1.1 km · Westgarth Primary School 1.2 km · Alphington Primary School 1.4 km · Alphington Grammar School 1.6 km · Santa Maria College 1.6 km · Victorian School of Languages 1.7 km
Groceries: Cardamones Food and Wine 100 m · IGA 100 m · Oasis 300 m · Bivihome 1.4 km · Coles 1.8 km · ALDI 1.9 km · IGA 1.9 km · Woolworths 2 km
Parks and reserves: Breavington Reserve 300 m · Rubie Thomson Reserve 550 m · Broomfield Reserve 800 m · McDonell Park 800 m · Pitcher Park 800 m · Susan Walsh Reserve 850 m · Johnson Park 900 m · McAdam Reserve 900 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Fairfield, most often seen first: Common Myna · Rainbow Lorikeet · Noisy Miner · Red Wattlebird · Little Raven · Magpie-lark.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Fairfield, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield here | 6,535 | $1,625,000 | 10/10 | 18% |
| Alphington | 5,702 | $2,080,000 | 10/10 | 18% |
| Northcote | 25,276 | $1,600,000 | 10/10 | 9% |
| Thornbury | 19,005 | $1,430,000 | 10/10 | 7% |
| Ivanhoe | 13,374 | $1,850,000 | 10/10 | 19% |
| Clifton Hill | 6,606 | $1,505,000 | 10/10 | 11% |
| Bellfield | 1,996 | $951,000 | 6/10 | 7% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Darebin — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Cooper — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3078 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Fairfield profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Fairfield has a median sale price of $1,625,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $635,000. Renters pay a median $369 a week, and about 42% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 10% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 5,946 people to 6,535. It sits about 7 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Fairfield station is roughly 0.5 km away. Local government is Darebin council, and the federal seat is Cooper.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Fairfield vs Alphington · Fairfield vs Thornbury.
Nearby guides: Alphington · Northcote · Thornbury · Ivanhoe · Clifton Hill · Bellfield.
Keep an eye on Fairfield
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