Fairfield vs Northcote
House prices, rent and lifestyle, side by side. Every figure shows its period and source.
Bars scale each row to its largest figure.
| Suburb | FairfieldYarra | NorthcoteDarebin |
|---|---|---|
| Price & rent | ||
| Median house priceValuer-General Victoria | $1,825,000 (calendar year 2025) | $1,697,500 (calendar year 2025) |
| Median unit price | $530,000 (calendar year 2025) | $630,000 (calendar year 2025) |
| Median weekly rentDFFH / Census 2021 | $550/wk | $640/wk |
| Gross rental yieldweekly rent x 52 / house price, before costs | 1.57% | 1.96% |
| People | ||
| PopulationABS Census 2021 | 6,535 | 25,276 |
| SEIFA advantage decile | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Housing | ||
| Houses | 44% | 49% |
| Townhouses | 21% | 27% |
| Apartments/units | 35% | 23% |
| Transport | ||
| Distance to Melbourne CBD | 5.7 km | 5.6 km |
| Train stations | 16 | 40 |
| Tram stops | 0 | 29 |
| Planning & risk | ||
| Flood overlayVicmap Planning | 19% | 10% |
| Bushfire overlayVicmap Planning | 0% | 0% |
| Heritage overlayVicmap Planning | 43% | 29% |
| Schools (zoned government) | ||
| Primary | Abbotsford Primary School, Fairfield Primary School, Ivanhoe Primary School, Kew Primary School, Spensley Street Primary School, Wales Street Primary School, Yarra Primary School | Brunswick East Primary School, Fairfield Primary School, Fitzroy North Primary School, Merri Creek Primary School, Northcote Primary School, Spensley Street Primary School, Thornbury Primary School, Wales Street Primary School, Westgarth Primary School |
| Secondary | Collingwood College, Fitzroy High School, Melbourne Girls College, Northcote High School, Richmond High School, Thornbury High School | Fitzroy High School, Northcote High School, Thornbury High School |
| Safety | ||
| Recorded crime (council area)Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, council-wide | Higher than most areas | Higher than most areas |
Key differences
- Northcote is higher on median unit price (by about 19%).
- Northcote is higher on median weekly rent (by about 16%).
- Northcote is higher on population (by about 287%).
- Fairfield is higher on flood overlay share (by about 9 percentage points).
- Fairfield is higher on heritage overlay share (by about 14 percentage points).
- Fairfield is higher on recorded crime rate (council area) (by about 23%).
Median house price over time
FairfieldNorthcote
The median house price in Fairfield was $1,825,000 in calendar year 2025 (Valuer-General Victoria); the median unit price was $530,000 in calendar year 2025. The median house price in Northcote was $1,697,500 in calendar year 2025 (Valuer-General Victoria); the median unit price was $630,000 in calendar year 2025.