Fairfield lies in rolling hill country, close to the slopes of Saddle Hill and Scroggs Hill. The name Fairfield was originally given as a descriptive name by early European settler William Martin to his farm property, located close to where the town now stands.[5]
As of the 2013 New Zealand census (delayed from 2011 due to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake), Fairfield had a population of 2,379 – an increase of 5.0% from the population of 2,275 in the 2006 census.[6] Fairfield accounts for 2.0% of the total Dunedin City territorial authority population.[6]
Fairfield had a population of 2,511 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 96 people (4.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 243 people (10.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 933 households, comprising 1,263 males and 1,248 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female. The median age was 44.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 462 people (18.4%) aged under 15 years, 402 (16.0%) aged 15 to 29, 1,227 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 423 (16.8%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 93.0% European/Pākehā, 6.8% Māori, 1.1% Pasifika, 4.1% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 11.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.3% had no religion, 36.0% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.1% were Buddhist and 1.2% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 378 (18.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 339 (16.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 426 people (20.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,104 (53.9%) people were employed full-time, 360 (17.6%) were part-time, and 42 (2.0%) were unemployed.[7]
Education
Fairfield School is a full primary serving years 1 to 8[8] with a roll of 492 students. It was established in 1872 as Waldron School. A fire destroyed the school in 1951, and it was rebuilt on the current site in 1963.[9]
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti is a composite school serving years 1 to 13[10] with a roll of 68 students. The school was founded in 1994, and teaches entirely in the Māori language.[11]
Both schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of July 2025.[12]
Walton Park
The suburb of Walton Park, which developed from a 2000s subdivision, is located to the south of Fairfield, on the opposite side of the Dunedin Southern Motorway (part of SH 1). It sits on a rise on a minor road leading towards Waldronville and Brighton. Waldronville and the nearby Kaikorai Lagoon can be seen from the park which gives the suburb its name, a sports ground surrounded by reclaimed bush.
The area around Walton Park was previously the 360-acre property of solicitor James Howorth, who lived on the site in the late 19th century. Part of the area was mined for coal and clay, both used by a nearby brickworks. The coal mine was served by a spur of the South Island Main Trunk rail line, the Walton Park Branch.
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Fairfield
