Craven vs Stratford

Stratford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 54 in Craven. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Craven, about half of households rent and about half of households are couple families. In Stratford, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Craven tends to suit renters, share households, and couples, while Stratford suits people living alone and families with children.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Craven

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 37%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Craven

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (49% vs 22%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Stratford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Craven has more residents already 65 and over (36% vs 26%)
  • Stratford is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Stratford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.0% vs -9.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Craven and Stratford drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Craven Stratford
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Craven Stratford
Walkability 0 / 14
Craven — Walkability: 0/100 Stratford — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 53 / 61
Craven — Safety: 53/100 Stratford — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 47 / 45
Craven — Low fire risk: 47/100 Stratford — Low fire risk: 45/100

Demographics

Stratford has more residents (161 vs 104); Craven skews older (54 vs 47).

Craven Stratford
Population 104 161
+55% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -9.6% +11.0%
Median age 54 47
Median household income $54,600/yr
+7% vs other
 $50,908/yr
Median weekly rent $265/wk
+6% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Craven Stratford
0-4 5.8% / 5.0%
Craven — 0-4: 5.8% Stratford — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 7.7% / 13.0%
Craven — 5-14: 7.7% Stratford — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 6.7% / 4.3%
Craven — 15-19: 6.7% Stratford — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 3.8% / 3.1%
Craven — 20-24: 3.8% Stratford — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 13.5% / 7.5%
Craven — 25-34: 13.5% Stratford — 25-34: 7.5%
35-44 5.8% / 10.6%
Craven — 35-44: 5.8% Stratford — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 17.3% / 11.8%
Craven — 45-54: 17.3% Stratford — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 11.5% / 16.1%
Craven — 55-64: 11.5% Stratford — 55-64: 16.1%
65-74 21.2% / 17.4%
Craven — 65-74: 21.2% Stratford — 65-74: 17.4%
75-84 10.6% / 6.8%
Craven — 75-84: 10.6% Stratford — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 3.8% / 1.9%
Craven — 85+: 3.8% Stratford — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Craven 28.6% lone person
Craven — Lone Person: 28.6% Craven — Couple Families: 53.6% Craven — Group Household: 17.9% Craven — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Stratford 53.7% lone person
Stratford — Lone Person: 53.7% Stratford — Couple Families: 25.9% Stratford — Group Household: 9.3% Stratford — One Parent Families: 11.1%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Craven 48.9% renting
Craven — Owned Outright: 44.4% Craven — Mortgage: 6.7% Craven — Renting: 48.9%
Stratford 22.2% renting
Stratford — Owned Outright: 41.3% Stratford — Mortgage: 36.5% Stratford — Renting: 22.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Craven 100.0% houses
Craven — Houses: 100.0%
Stratford 100.0% houses
Stratford — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Craven Stratford
Certificate III & IV 23.1% / 23.6%
Craven — Certificate III & IV: 23.1% Stratford — Certificate III & IV: 23.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.6% / 5.6%
Craven — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6% Stratford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Bachelor Degree 4.8% / 3.1%
Craven — Bachelor Degree: 4.8% Stratford — Bachelor Degree: 3.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.8% / 2.5%
Craven — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8% Stratford — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

Property market

Craven Stratford
Median house price — $380,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $825,000 —

Zoning mix

Stratford has more rural and farming land (100% vs 86%); Craven has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 0%).

Craven Stratford
Rural and farming 86% 100%
Environmental 12% 0%
Industrial 2% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Craven Stratford
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Craven Stratford
House price — Higher than 10% of NSW
Income Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 82% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 41% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW

Liveability

Stratford is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Craven Stratford
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Craven Stratford
Bushfire Moderate
53/100
 Moderate
55/100
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Low
39/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Craven Stratford
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Craven

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Stratford

  • Stratford Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Craven Stratford
Parks & reserves 2 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 22 4

Mobility

Craven Stratford
Walkability score 0/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 251.6 km 253.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 196 min 194 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2422
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 2422
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Craven Stratford
Car (driver) 60.0% / 90.2%
Craven — Car (driver): 60.0% Stratford — Car (driver): 90.2%
Worked from Home 22.5% / 9.8%
Craven — Worked from Home: 22.5% Stratford — Worked from Home: 9.8%
Car (passenger) 10.0% / —
Craven — Car (passenger): 10.0% Stratford — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 7.5% / —
Craven — Walked Only: 7.5% Stratford — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (90.2%).

Setting

Craven Stratford
Elevation 179 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 126 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Craven Stratford
Connectivity score 28/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
71 premises
 0%
88 premises

Climate

Craven Stratford
Annual rainfall 1,327 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Craven Stratford
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Craven Stratford
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Craven Stratford
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Craven

Retirees Rural

Stratford

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Craven

Craven vs Wards River Craven vs Waukivory Craven vs Faulkland Craven vs Monkerai

Other comparisons with Stratford

Stratford vs Forbesdale Stratford vs Waukivory Stratford vs Faulkland
Full data on Craven Full data on Stratford
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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