Stratford (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Stratford lies in Gippsland's Shire of Wellington, about 232 kilometres east of Melbourne on the Princes Highway and just north of Sale, on the banks of the Avon River. The Brayakuloong people of the Gunaikurnai are the traditional owners of the Avon River country. The town's name is believed to honour Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, a link lent credence by its own Avon River. The township grew from the late 1850s and prospered during the 1860s gold rushes to Omeo and Dargo, leaving heritage buildings such as the 1868 Holy Trinity church. Dairying, grazing and horse breeding sustain the district today. Each year Stratford celebrates its namesake with the Shakespeare on the River festival, held since 1989, while Knob Reserve offers picnics and bushland nearby.
Less advantaged than the national average
Stratford (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 34% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 959, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Stratford (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,980
- Median age
- 39
- Median weekly household income
- $1,419
- SEIFA score
- 959
- Coordinates
- -37.9453, 147.1165
Stratford (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Stratford (Vic.) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 24%, 12% of homes are rented, and 8% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 595 | 20% |
| Youth (15–24) | 332 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 729 | 24% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 710 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 610 | 20% |
Share of the 2,976 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 453 | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 510 | 45% |
| Rented | 142 | 12% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,109 | 97% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 29 | 3% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,148 occupied private dwellings in Stratford (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $290
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,308
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,769
- Median weekly personal income
- $719
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 239 (8%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 56 (2%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 51 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 958 (42%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 4%
- Employed full-time
- 800
- Employed part-time
- 470
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Stratford (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Stratford (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 26.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 13.7°C). The area receives roughly 648 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.7°C | 14.6°C | 49 mm |
| Feb | 25.9°C | 14°C | 31 mm |
| Mar | 23.7°C | 13.2°C | 54 mm |
| Apr | 20.3°C | 10.2°C | 52 mm |
| May | 16.7°C | 7.7°C | 34 mm |
| Jun | 13.9°C | 5.5°C | 53 mm |
| Jul | 13.7°C | 5.2°C | 40 mm |
| Aug | 14.6°C | 5.5°C | 50 mm |
| Sep | 17.5°C | 6.7°C | 57 mm |
| Oct | 20.3°C | 8.8°C | 78 mm |
| Nov | 22.3°C | 10.5°C | 78 mm |
| Dec | 24.7°C | 12.5°C | 72 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Stratford (Vic.)
Where is Stratford (Vic.)?
Stratford (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Stratford (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Stratford (Vic.) had a population of about 2,980.
Is Stratford (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Stratford (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 959, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 34 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 34% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Stratford (Vic.)?
Stratford (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 20°C and overnight lows of about 9.5°C, with roughly 648 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Nearby suburbs in Victoria
More suburb guides in Victoria
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.