Bulahdelah - Stroud
Statistical Area - sa2

Bulahdelah - Stroud has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bulahdelah - Stroud's population is around 5479 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 244 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 5235 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5396 in June 2024 and an additional 58 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2.3 persons per square kilometer. Bulahdelah - Stroud's growth rate of 4.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's 1.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 83.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections were used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth is anticipated for Australia's regional areas. Bulahdelah - Stroud is expected to expand by 61 persons by 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a decrease of 0.4% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bulahdelah - Stroud when compared nationally

Bulahdelah-Stroud averaged approximately 23 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 118 homes. As of FY-26, 5 approvals have been recorded. This area has seen an average of 3.3 new residents per year for every home built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a significant gap between demand and supply that may influence property prices. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $433,000, aligning with broader regional development trends.

In FY-26, $1.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's residential focus. Compared to Rest of NSW, Bulahdelah-Stroud has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 55th percentile nationally. The area maintains a traditional low-density character with 95% detached dwellings and 5% attached dwellings, appealing to those seeking space for families.

With approximately 283 people per approval, Bulahdelah-Stroud reflects its low-density status. Population projections indicate stability or decline, which may reduce housing demand pressures and benefit potential buyers in the area.

Bulahdelah - Stroud has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that may impact the region. Notable projects include the Port Stephens Housing Delivery Program, Stratford Renewable Energy Hub, Port of Newcastle Clean Energy Precinct, and Port Stephens Local Environmental Plan (LEP) & Development Control Plan (DCP). The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Bulahdelah - Stroud has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Bulahdelah-Stroud has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector is prominent, with an unemployment rate of 3.4% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 0.5%. The area's residents have an unemployment rate of 0.2% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, but workforce participation is lower at 50.3%. Key employment sectors include construction, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and health care & social assistance. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has a particularly high representation, with an employment share 2.3 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance has a limited presence with 12.2% employment compared to the regional average of 16.9%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.5% while labour force grew by 0.6%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 3.4%. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1% with a labour force growth of 0.3%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Bulahdelah-Stroud. National employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Bulahdelah-Stroud's employment mix indicates local growth of approximately 5.6% over five years and 12.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2022 shows Bulahdelah - Stroud had a median income among taxpayers of $40,416 and an average of $51,385. This is lower than the national average. Rest of NSW's median was $49,459 with an average of $62,998 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since June 2022, current estimates would be approximately $45,512 (median) and $57,865 (average) as of September 2025. Census data indicates household, family and personal incomes in Bulahdelah - Stroud fall between the 9th and 13th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 26.8% of residents (1,468 people) earn within the $400 - $799 bracket, differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 29.9%. After housing costs, 85.6% of income remains, which ranks at the 15th percentile nationally.

Bulahdelah - Stroud is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Bulahdelah-Stroud, as recorded in the latest Census, 97.9% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 2.1% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 73.0% houses and 27.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bulahdelah-Stroud was at 49.2%, with mortgaged properties at 34.5% and rented ones at 16.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,538, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $300, lower than Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Bulahdelah-Stroud's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bulahdelah - Stroud has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 70.5% of all households, including 24.8% couples with children, 34.4% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 29.5%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households making up 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.1.

Bulahdelah - Stroud faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 13.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 43.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.0%) and certificates (33.2%).

Educational participation is high at 27.4%, including primary education (10.8%), secondary education (8.3%), and tertiary education (2.5%). Bulahdelah-Stroud's five schools have a combined enrollment of 528 students, with varied educational conditions across the area. The educational mix includes four primary schools and one K-12 school.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Bulahdelah - Stroud area has 189 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of trains and buses, with 44 individual routes operating in total. Together, these routes facilitate 375 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as moderate, with residents on average being located 570 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 53 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Bulahdelah - Stroud is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Bulahdelah - Stroud, with high prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 46% (~2,542 people) have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (12.0%) and mental health issues (8.9%), with 61.1% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 56.6% in Rest of NSW. The area has 26.8% (1,467 people) aged 65 and over, lower than the 36.0% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Bulahdelah - Stroud placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bulahdelah-Stroud had a cultural diversity score below average, with 89.0% of its population being citizens, 90.5% born in Australia, and 97.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Bulahdelah-Stroud, comprising 57.8%, compared to 58.5% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.4%), English (33.5%), and Irish (8.3%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 4.8% in Bulahdelah-Stroud than the regional average of 4.3%. Maltese representation was also slightly higher at 0.6%, compared to 0.5% regionally. Scottish representation was notably lower at 7.7%, compared to 8.0% regionally.

Bulahdelah - Stroud ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Bulahdelah - Stroud's median age is 51 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and considerably older than the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented at 17.5% locally, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 6.5%. This concentration in the 55-64 age group is well above the national average of 11.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has grown from 8.7% to 10.7%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 8.8% to 10.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 14.4% to 12.3%, and the 25-34 group dropped from 8.3% to 6.5%. By 2041, Bulahdelah - Stroud is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading this demographic shift, the 75-84 group will grow by 16 people, reaching 497 from 428. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 58% of projected growth. Conversely, both the 65-74 and 45-54 age groups are expected to have reduced numbers.