Forbesdale vs Stratford
Stratford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 54 in Forbesdale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forbesdale, about half of households are couple families. In Stratford, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Forbesdale: a median of $720,000, against $380,000 in Stratford, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Forbesdale tends to suit couples, while Stratford suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Forbesdale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 37%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Forbesdale leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)
- Stratford has cheaper houses ($380,000 vs $720,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Stratford
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $340/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Stratford
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 6/100)
- has a shorter drive in (194 min vs 203 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (253.3 km vs 262.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Stratford
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 6/100)
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 -5.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Forbesdale 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.
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.
Demographics
Forbesdale has higher household incomes ($69,316 vs $50,908); Forbesdale rents higher ($340/wk vs $250/wk).
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 170 +5% vs other | 161 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.6% | +11.0% |
| Median age | 54 | 47 |
| Median household income | $69,316/yr +27% vs other | $50,908/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $340/wk +26% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).
Property market
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $720,000 | $380,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Stratford has more rural and farming land (100% vs 66%); Forbesdale has more land zoned for conservation (31% vs 0%).
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 66% | 100% |
| Environmental | 31% | 0% |
| Residential | 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
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 27% of NSW | Higher than 10% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 33% of NSW | Higher than 12% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 51% of NSW | Higher than 64% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 61% of NSW | Higher than 82% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 59% of NSW |
Liveability
Stratford is more walkable (14 vs 6).
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 46/100 | Moderate 55/100 |
| Crime | Low 37/100 | 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
| Forbesdale | 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 Forbesdale
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
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 10 | 4 |
Mobility
Forbesdale sits further from the CBD (262.1 km vs 253.3 km).
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 6/100 | 14/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 262.1 km +3% vs other | 253.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 203 min | 194 min |
| Public transport score | 18/100 Bus | 22/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 2.2 7-9am + 5-7pm same for both | |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 1.5 min scheduled, not actual |
| 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (90.2%).
Setting
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 106 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 126 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 77 premises | 0% 88 premises |
Climate
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,327 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Forbesdale | Stratford | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Forbesdale
Other comparisons with Stratford
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.