Wards River vs Stroud

Stroud is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 55 in Wards River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wards River, about half of households are people living alone. In Stroud, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Wards River: a median of $875,000, against $680,000 in Stroud, though rent is higher in Stroud. On these figures, Wards River tends to suit people living alone, while Stroud suits couples 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

Stroud

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 47%)
  • But Wards River carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Stroud

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 43%)
  • has cheaper houses ($680,000 vs $875,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Wards River has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $320/wk)
  • Stroud leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 34%)

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

Commuting to the city

Stroud

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (222.9 km vs 240.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (170 min vs 182 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wards River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Stroud

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.3% vs 0.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wards River Stroud
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.

Wards River Stroud
Walkability 6 / 10
Wards River — Walkability: 6/100 Stroud — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 53 / 32
Wards River — Safety: 53/100 Stroud — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 39 / 39
Wards River — Low fire risk: 39/100 Stroud — Low fire risk: 39/100

Demographics

Stroud has more residents (988 vs 178); Stroud has higher household incomes ($68,120 vs $40,716).

Wards River Stroud
Population 178 988
+455% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.0% +5.3%
Median age 55 48
Median household income $40,716/yr $68,120/yr
+67% vs other
Median weekly rent $270/wk $320/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wards River Stroud
0-4 2.2% / 5.5%
Wards River — 0-4: 2.2% Stroud — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 9.0% / 12.4%
Wards River — 5-14: 9.0% Stroud — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 2.8% / 5.2%
Wards River — 15-19: 2.8% Stroud — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 1.7% / 4.7%
Wards River — 20-24: 1.7% Stroud — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 7.9% / 9.8%
Wards River — 25-34: 7.9% Stroud — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 9.6% / 8.6%
Wards River — 35-44: 9.6% Stroud — 35-44: 8.6%
45-54 15.7% / 12.2%
Wards River — 45-54: 15.7% Stroud — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 19.1% / 14.9%
Wards River — 55-64: 19.1% Stroud — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 20.8% / 13.7%
Wards River — 65-74: 20.8% Stroud — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 9.0% / 8.9%
Wards River — 75-84: 9.0% Stroud — 75-84: 8.9%
85+ — / 3.7%
Wards River — 85+: not among its largest Stroud — 85+: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wards River 52.5% lone person
Wards River — Lone Person: 52.5% Wards River — Couple Families: 28.8% Wards River — One Parent Families: 18.6% Wards River — Other Families: 0.0% Wards River — Group Household: 0.0%
Stroud 37.9% lone person
Stroud — Lone Person: 37.9% Stroud — Couple Families: 46.8% Stroud — One Parent Families: 11.9% Stroud — Other Families: 2.1% Stroud — Group Household: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wards River 21.7% renting
Wards River — Owned Outright: 55.1% Wards River — Mortgage: 23.2% Wards River — Renting: 21.7%
Stroud 14.5% renting
Stroud — Owned Outright: 45.3% Stroud — Mortgage: 40.2% Stroud — Renting: 14.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Wards River Stroud
England 1.7% / 3.5%
Wards River — England: 1.7% Stroud — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 2.8% / 1.3%
Wards River — New Zealand: 2.8% Stroud — New Zealand: 1.3%
Canada — / 0.7%
Wards River — Canada: not among its largest Stroud — Canada: 0.7%
Scotland — / 0.4%
Wards River — Scotland: not among its largest Stroud — Scotland: 0.4%
Philippines — / 0.3%
Wards River — Philippines: not among its largest Stroud — Philippines: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

Qualifications

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

Wards River Stroud
Certificate III & IV 14.6% / 19.8%
Wards River — Certificate III & IV: 14.6% Stroud — Certificate III & IV: 19.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 8.2%
Wards River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Stroud — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.3% / 7.3%
Wards River — Bachelor Degree: 7.3% Stroud — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.6%
Wards River — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Stroud — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Wards River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Stroud — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wards River 100.0% houses
Wards River — Houses: 100.0% Wards River — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Wards River — Townhouses: 0.0%
Stroud 97.8% houses
Stroud — Houses: 97.8% Stroud — Flats / Apartments: 1.4% Stroud — Townhouses: 0.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Wards River Stroud
Median house price $875,000 $680,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $452,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 22 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Wards River Stroud
Rural and farming 100% 99%
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

Wards River Stroud
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Wards River Stroud
House price Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Income Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 31% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW

Liveability

Wards River Stroud
Grade — D
Score — 24/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Stroud carries more crime risk (68 vs 47).

Wards River Stroud
Bushfire Moderate
61/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
68/100
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
same for both

Schools

Wards River Stroud
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Wards River

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

Schools in Stroud

  • Stroud Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Wards River Stroud
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 1 5
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 38 28

Mobility

Wards River sits further from the CBD (240.5 km vs 222.9 km).

Wards River Stroud
Walkability score 6/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 240.5 km
+7% vs other
 222.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 182 min 170 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2422
 0.2%
postcode 2425
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 2422
 72
postcode 2425

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.

Wards River Stroud
Car (driver) 72.9% / 63.7%
Wards River — Car (driver): 72.9% Stroud — Car (driver): 63.7%
Worked from Home 27.1% / 27.0%
Wards River — Worked from Home: 27.1% Stroud — Worked from Home: 27.0%
Walked Only — / 4.9%
Wards River — Walked Only: not among its largest Stroud — Walked Only: 4.9%
Car (passenger) — / 4.4%
Wards River — Car (passenger): not among its largest Stroud — Car (passenger): 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.9%).

Setting

Wards River Stroud
Elevation 99 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 328 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 49.7 km 32.7 km

NBN connectivity

Wards River Stroud
Connectivity score 28/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
103 premises
 0%
478 premises

Climate

Wards River Stroud
Annual rainfall 1,327 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Wards River Stroud
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Wards River Stroud
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wards River Stroud
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wards River

Retirees River Rural

Stroud

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wards River

Wards River vs Stroud Road Wards River vs Craven Wards River vs Monkerai

Other comparisons with Stroud

Stroud vs Bulahdelah Stroud vs Booral Stroud vs Stroud Road Stroud vs Crawford River
Full data on Wards River Full data on Stroud
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or