Urban Centre · Area profile
Stroud
3 km²
Daily life in Stroud is centered on a quiet, older community where most people live in detached houses and rely on their own cars. The typical resident is 49, making the area far older than the national figure. Since 2011, the population has shrunk by 26%, and there is a notable presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who make up 6.8% of the community. It is a place of modest incomes and high home ownership, where the pace of life is slower than in the city.
Explore Stroud by topic
The community is far older than the state average, with 27.8% of people aged 65 and over. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.8% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia (85.4%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents than the state. English, Scottish, and Irish are the most common ancestries after Australian.
English is the primary language for almost everyone, with only 1.9% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 39.7% report having no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen by 26 points since 2011.
Qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 9.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 rose by 13 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household incomes are $1,255, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Personal incomes are also much lower than most areas, with nearly half of residents earning under $650 a week.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than elsewhere, affecting 34.8% of people. About 7.7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national average.
Unpaid housework is a significant part of local life, with 27.3% of people doing 15 or more hours a week. The area also has a higher proportion of Defence Force veterans than most similar areas.
Most homes are occupied by couples with children (53.8%) or couples without children (33.2%). About 28.5% of people live alone, which is well above the state average.
The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 97.5% of all homes. A large number of residents own their homes outright (42.6%), far above the national figure of 31%.
Cars are essential here, as 0% of people commute using public transport. Interestingly, 17.2% of the workforce now works from home, a significant increase from 3.6% in 2011.
About 34.3% of residents moved in the last five years, though this is well below the national trend. There were no recent arrivals from overseas recorded in the latest census.
About 51.7% of adults are working or looking for work, which is well below the national figure of 61.1%. Common local industries include health care, construction, and retail.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 80.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries. Health services are also very accessible, though only 62.2% of homes are near public transport.