Stratford is in central Taranaki, around 40 minutes south of New Plymouth on State Highway 3, directly east of Mount Taranaki, at the start of the Forgotten World Highway (SH43).

Why are Stratford's streets named after Shakespeare characters?

Stratford was named after Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, and the town committed fully, naming more than 60 streets after the playwright's characters, from Romeo and Juliet to Prospero.

What is the Stratford glockenspiel?

Stratford's clock tower houses New Zealand's first glockenspiel, performing scenes from Romeo and Juliet with moving figures several times daily on the main street.

What is the Forgotten World Highway?

The Forgotten World Highway (SH43) runs 150 km from Stratford to Taumarunui through remote hill country, past the self-declared Republic of Whangamōmona. Stratford is the western start and the last full supply stop.

How do I get from New Plymouth to Stratford?

By car, around 40 minutes south via State Highway 3 through Inglewood. InterCity buses stop at Stratford on routes toward Hāwera and Whanganui.

Which schools are in zone for Stratford?

Children living in Stratford are in zone for Midhirst School, Stratford Primary School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Stratford?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Stratford, Taranaki | Postcode, Population & Property Values

Living in Stratford

Stratford is a central Taranaki town of around 6,000 people, sitting directly east of the mountain with the most committed theme in New Zealand municipal history: every street is named after a Shakespeare character. All of them. Romeo, Juliet, Prospero, Macbeth, the lot, sixty-plus streets of the Bard's ensemble cast arranged around a dairy town under a volcano, and the town leans in further with New Zealand's first glockenspiel clock tower, which performs scenes from Romeo and Juliet to the main street on schedule, to audiences ranging from charmed tourists to entirely unmoved farm dogs.

Beneath the theming, Stratford is the practical heart of inland Taranaki: the saleyards, the farm services, and the closest town to the mountain's eastern side, with the road to the Stratford Plateau and the Manganui ski area climbing straight out of town.

Stratford is also kilometre zero of the Forgotten World Highway, the gloriously remote SH43 wandering off toward Whangamōmona, the self-declared republic up the road, which makes this the last reliable flat white before the wilderness.

Stratford High School anchors the schools, New Plymouth sits 40 minutes north, and the mountain fills every western window. Shakespeare on the street signs, Taranaki on the skyline. Genuinely all the world's a stage out here.

Is Stratford a good place to live?

Stratford is home to roughly 6,330 people across 35.9 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Stratford scores 66 out of 100, with a safety score of 62/100 and 3% green space.

Schools: Stratford has 7 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $505K, and weekly rent typically sits around $320.

Lifestyle: Stratford has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 2.6°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Stratford is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety62
Amenities100
Schools53
Housing Affordability74
Green space10
Community89
Transport10

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $505K
Median Weekly Rent: $320/wk
Median HH Income: $63K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +5.1%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Stratford District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Stratford?: Stratford is in central Taranaki, around 40 minutes south of New Plymouth on State Highway 3, directly east of Mount Taranaki, at the start of the Forgotten World Highway (SH43).
Why are Stratford's streets named after Shakespeare characters?: Stratford was named after Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, and the town committed fully, naming more than 60 streets after the playwright's characters, from Romeo and Juliet to Prospero.
What is the Stratford glockenspiel?: Stratford's clock tower houses New Zealand's first glockenspiel, performing scenes from Romeo and Juliet with moving figures several times daily on the main street.
What is the Forgotten World Highway?: The Forgotten World Highway (SH43) runs 150 km from Stratford to Taumarunui through remote hill country, past the self-declared Republic of Whangamōmona. Stratford is the western start and the last full supply stop.
How do I get from New Plymouth to Stratford?: By car, around 40 minutes south via State Highway 3 through Inglewood. InterCity buses stop at Stratford on routes toward Hāwera and Whanganui.
Which schools are in zone for Stratford?: Children living in Stratford are in zone for Midhirst School, Stratford Primary School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
How do I check my school zone in Stratford?: Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Stratford

Schools in zone for Stratford

Children living in Stratford have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

Midhirst School
Full Primary · roll 129 · decile 6
Stratford Primary School
Full Primary · roll 425 · decile 5

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Stratford. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Stratford that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Stratford High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 711 · decile 1 · 1.0 km away
Stratford High School Teen Parent Unit
Teen Parent Unit · decile 1 · 1.1 km away
St Joseph's School (Stratford)
Full Primary · roll 151 · decile 6 · 2.2 km away
Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 101 · 2.3 km away
Avon School
Full Primary · roll 60 · decile 1 · 2.6 km away

Explore Stratford

Things to do(13)

Percy Thomson Gallery

Stratford Showgrounds

Stratford Netball Courts

King Edward Park

Stratford Avon Bowling Club

Functional Fitness Barn

Tet Multisports Centre, Stadium Restaurant & Bar

Stratford Speedway

Stratford Eltham Rugby & Sports Club

Swansea Park, Stratford

Victoria Park

Te Kapua Park Race Course

Stratford Squash Club

Parks & green spaces(5)

Stratford Showgrounds

King Edward Park

Swansea Park, Stratford

Victoria Park

Te Kapua Park Race Course

Healthcare(2)

Stratford Medical

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.59	13.03	4.61	10.89
☀️ Feb	20.05	12.88	8.69	9.97
🍂 Mar	18.05	10.7	3.07	9.68
🍂 Apr	16.68	9.84	4.32	8.26
🍂 May	14	8.36	5.15	6.73
❄️ Jun	12.23	6.66	3.61	6.88
❄️ Jul	11.4	6.25	5.49	6.02
❄️ Aug	11.57	5.31	7.33	6.69
🌸 Sep	13.1	6.77	5.36	8.3
🌸 Oct	14.5	7.56	4.48	9.02
🌸 Nov	16.39	9.72	5.15	9.82
☀️ Dec	19.02	12.08	5.02	10.33

Living in Stratford

Is Stratford a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Stratford

Schools in zone for Stratford

Midhirst School

Stratford Primary School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Stratford High School

Stratford High School Teen Parent Unit

St Joseph's School (Stratford)

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls

Avon School

Explore Stratford

🎯Things to do(13)

Percy Thomson Gallery

Stratford Showgrounds

Stratford Netball Courts

King Edward Park

Stratford Avon Bowling Club

Functional Fitness Barn

Tet Multisports Centre, Stadium Restaurant & Bar

Stratford Speedway

Stratford Eltham Rugby & Sports Club

Swansea Park, Stratford

Victoria Park

Te Kapua Park Race Course

Stratford Squash Club

🌳Parks & green spaces(5)

Stratford Showgrounds

King Edward Park

Swansea Park, Stratford

Victoria Park

Te Kapua Park Race Course

🏥Healthcare(2)

Stratford Medical

Avon Medical Centre

Eat & Drink in Stratford

🍽️Places to eat & drink(32)

Colonel Malones

Nelsons Cafe

Casa Pequena Cafe and Bakery

TET Stadium Bar and Bistro

Pizza Hut

A Love of Cakes

The Balcony Restaurant

Royale Establishment

Masala Bay Indian Restaurant

The Groper

43 Brewing

Sgt Peppers

Subway

Sergeant Peppers Cafe

Ourr Place

Milk & Beans

Forgotten 43 Brewing

Broadway Fast Food

Rimi Sushi Stratford

The Baking company

Stadium Stratford

Inkpot Cafe

Broadway Bakery

Stadium Restaurant & Bar

TET MultiSports Centre

Stratford Cafe And Bakery

The Bridge on Fenton

Sahara Kebabs and Grill

New Commercial

Colonel Malone's Restaurant & Bar

Fenton Street Art Collective and Distillery

The Farmer's Grill

Tradies & Services in Stratford

🔧Tradies & services(45)

Things to do(13)

Parks & green spaces(5)

Healthcare(2)

Places to eat & drink(32)

Tradies & services(45)

Shops(22)