Median house price
—
No data available
ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council
Watson, 2602
Est. population · Jun 2025
7,477
Growth (1 yr)
+1.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+13.8%
Median age
34
Median income
$2,414/wk
Employment rate
73.1%
Languages at home
20.4%non-English
Most common: Mandarin, Nepali, Spanish
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
- Education hub
- Heritage area
Suburb profile
In Unincorporated ACT, Watson is a settled mid-sized suburb with a familiar suburban feel and good links to the wider city. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with family life visible on every street. Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips.
Green space punches above what many metro suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Daily life works well on foot, with buses also serving the suburb. Housing is expensive relative to much of the state.
Reported crime has been falling recently. A growing community is gradually adding fresh energy without losing its local identity.
Desirability rates good overall, led by stronger community and employment, plus growth momentum compared with similar metro suburbs.
At a glance
Watson snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
7,477
+1.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
6.5%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#8
among Metro Canberra · Growth area
Safety
64th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
83rd
percentile in ACT
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
91st
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 64.5/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 27% of Australian Capital Territory's suburbs
- National rank
- 594th in Australia
- State rank
- 29th in ACT
- Peer rank
- #8 among Metro Canberra · Growth area suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #29 among Metro Canberra suburbs
- Data confidence
- 82%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
7,477(June 2025)
+1.9% annual · +13.8% over 5 years · 83th percentile in ACT
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.9%
- 5-year growth
- +13.8%
- Change in 1 year
- +138
- Change in 5 years
- +905
- Growth rank in ACT
- 83th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~8,400), extrapolated at +2.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 6,727
- Median age
- 34
- Median household income / week
- $2,414
- Dwelling vacancy
- 6.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 186 of 2,841
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,067
- Employment rate
- 73.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,539 / 784 / 327
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 162
- Against the person
- 27
- Against property
- 81
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 21.7
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 249 residents
- State safety percentile
- 63.7th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -53.9%
Most common offence types
- Assault - Fv8
- Burglary Other7
- Other Offences54
- Property Damage26
- Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)41
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- ACT crime statistics by suburb (quarterly) — ACT Policing / dataACT · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Quarterly XLSX release
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 4
- Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
- 1,128
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 91th
School list
- Majura Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1135 · 92th percentile · LBOTE 29% · 675 students · Top SEA quarter 58% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Rosary Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1121 · 90th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 369 students · Top SEA quarter 50% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
- Dickson CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1101 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 39% · 899 students · Top SEA quarter 46% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
- Blue Gum Community SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1164 · 97th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 167 students · Top SEA quarter 69% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Majura Primary School - Watson Preschoolkindergarten
- Nipperville Early Learning Centrekindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Amenities
220 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 2 places of worship · 10 playgrounds · 2 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 26 parks mapped in suburb, 10 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 36 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 13 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 76/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.15
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.45
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 3.87
Food & drink(3)
- The Knox made in WatsonCafe
Knox Street
- Lolo and LolaRestaurant
Unit 2 1 Watson Place
- Watson TakeawayRestaurant
Shopping(3)
- BP ShopConvenience store
110 Federal Highway, Watson
- SupaBarn ExpressSupermarket
Community(6)
- Majura Mountain Scouts HallCommunity centre
- The Fair Community CentreCommunity centre
- Majura Primary School - Watson PreschoolKindergarten
- Nipperville Early Learning CentreKindergarten
- Majura Primary SchoolSchool
- Rosary Primary SchoolSchool
Health & services(2)
- Watson General PracticeMedical clinic
- Watson ChemistPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(38)
- Billabong ParkPark
- Justice Robert Hope ParkPark
- Maliyan ParkPark
- Park (21)
- Watson Micro-forestPark
- Dowling Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Harding Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Mary Kitson Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Playground (5)
- Simpson Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Wade Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (2)
Entertainment(1)
- Canberra Potter's SocietyArts centre
Transport(36)
36 bus stops
Other(35)
- Apartment
70 Federal Highway
- Artwork (2)
- The Big GalahsArtwork
- ATM
- Gallery of Small ThingsAttraction
Wade Street
- Taglietti House 03 Mckeown HouseAttraction
109 Irvine Street
- Beautiful YouBeauty salon
- Bench (9)
- Bicycle Parking (5)
- Parks ACTBicycle Parking
- Bicycle Repair Station
- BPCar wash
- Drinking water
- Fountain GardenGarden
- Garden (3)
- Rose GardenGarden
- Coco's HairHairdresser
Windeyer Street
- Ibis Budget CanberraHotel
15 Tay Street, Watson
- Canberra Carotel MotelMotel
- Red Cedars MotelMotel
- Justice Robert Hope Park Nature ReserveNature Reserve
- Parking (28)
- Parking Space (50)
- BP WatsonPetrol station
110 Federal Highway, Watson
- Picnic Table (2)
- C3 Church WatsonPlace of worship
Aspinall Street
- Holy Rosary ChurchPlace of worship
- Post Box
- Public toilets
- Shelter (4)
- Prime Media Group Broadcast CentreStudio
Antill
- TelstraTelephone
- Little Watson Dirt JumpsTrack
- Australian Catholic University - Signadou CampusUniversity
- Waste Basket (3)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Billabong ParkPark
- Justice Robert Hope ParkPark
- Justice Robert Hope Park Nature ReserveNature reserve
- Maliyan ParkPark
- Valour ParkPark
- Watson Micro-forestPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 29
- Parks (OSM)
- 26
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- C3 Church Watson
Aspinall Street
- Holy Rosary Church
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 1
- Nearest hospital
- Calvary Bruce Private Hospital (6.5 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Watson General PracticeDoctor
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 183
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 24.5
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 171 mm · ~21 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 7°
- Rainfall
- 169 mm · ~21 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 12° / 1°
- Rainfall
- 183 mm · ~23 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 212 mm · ~26 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from ACT planning register.
2026· 6 proposals
August 2026
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
June 2026
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
April 2026
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
February 2026
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
2025· 11 proposals
December 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
November 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
October 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
June 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
May 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
April 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
February 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
January 2025
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2024· 9 proposals
October 2024
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
July 2024
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
June 2024
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
May 2024
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
February 2024
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2023· 16 proposals
December 2023
- SUBCWATSON · MAJURACompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
November 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
October 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
September 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
July 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
June 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
April 2023
- SUBCWATSON · MAJURACompleted
March 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
February 2023
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCWATSON · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · 2026 · Updated
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- Watson Section 76 Block 2Mary Kitson Street (both directions): between Aspinall Street and Mabel Miller Lane.18 Nov 2025 – 31 Aug 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Heritage
10 heritage places
- Aboriginal Places in all DistrictsCF23 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in all DistrictsIF13 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal RecordingsNW14 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
- Aboriginal RecordingsNWST14 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
- McKeown House109 Irvine St3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Signadou and Blackfriars Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Signadou and Blackfriars Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Signadou and Blackfriars Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Starlight Drive-In Theatre Sign 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Starlight Drive-In Theatre Sign 3 - Registered Places or Objects
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via ACT Bushfire Prone Area (SBMP) mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Canberra
- Member of Parliament
- Alicia PAYNE (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 102,942
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.7%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +4.0 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 23.6%Labor 76.4%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.1 km away).
Coalition 15.5%Labor 84.5%
8.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.6 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- WatsonLabor 85.1% · Coalition 14.9% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
- Dickson EastLabor 80.1% · Coalition 19.9% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
- DownerLabor 84.0% · Coalition 16.0% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
- DicksonLabor 79.3% · Coalition 20.7% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
- Ainslie NorthLabor 87.2% · Coalition 12.8% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
This suburb ranks highly for
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Unincorporated ACT Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in Australian Capital Territory or interstate.