Watson ACT 2602
Watson is a suburb in Australian Capital Territory, 8 km from Canberra CBD, around 15 minutes by car. Population is 6,727; the median age is 34 and the median household income is $125,528 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 14.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $437 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,067. The area shows high crime risk. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Watson a good suburb?
Watson scores a B (63/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community.
Mixed results
2 schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 68/100 · 7.9 km · 15 min drive to Canberra
Median available
Median $1.17M
Moderate crime risk
Fire 36/100 · Crime 64/100 · Flood 19/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 34 · 6,727 residents
Liveability Rating
63 / 100 · Ranked #27 in ACTEach bar is Watson's rank among ACT suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Watson?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
63 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataWatson's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.17 million, 0.4% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,172,500
In line with its 4 neighbours (median $1,190,000)
Based on 104 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 74 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 11 sales $680K
- 3 bed 47 sales $1.1M
- 4 bed 34 sales $1.27M
- 5 bed 5 sales $1.34M
Units
$472,000
19% below its 3 neighbours (median $580,000)
Based on 68 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 40 days — median across 36 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 15 sales $350K
- 2 bed 48 sales $482K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Watson are currently listed at around $925,000 on average. Based on 37 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$925K
37 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$462K
37 units listed in the last 6 months.
74 of the suburb's 2,658 dwellings (2.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Watson rent for around $740 a week on average, based on 24 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$740/wk
4% above its 4 neighbours (median $710/wk)
24 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$550/wk
39 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
63 rentals advertised against an estimated 901 rented homes (7.0%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025128 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 23% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2602.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$740/week ($38,000 a year) on a $925,000 median
$550/week ($29,000 a year) on a $462,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Watson safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Watson sits in the moderate band, with 56 incidents recorded in 2025 — down about 2% on the prior year.
56 offences
1.8% since 2024Crime Trend
Schools
Two schools serve Watson, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 1,044 students across 2 schools (avg 522)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1121-1135, median 1128 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Majura Primary School (675 students)
Primary
Universities nearby
- 6.1 kmAustralian National UniversityAustralian National University · 420 courses
- 6.3 kmUC - Canberra, BruceUniversity of Canberra · 192 courses
- 8.2 kmUNSW CanberraUniversity of New South Wales · 52 courses
3.0% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Watson is somewhat walkable on foot — at 68/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 1 supermarket, 8 parks and 3 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Watson.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 113.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 98.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 53.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 17.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Watson.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 55%
- Premises covered
- 3,269
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 16 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Watson is home to about 6,700 residents, with a median age of 34, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $126,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
6,727
Median Age
34
Median Household Income
$125,528/yr
Census Median Rent
$437/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,067/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$70,408/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.0%
Total Dwellings
2,658
Owner-Occupier Rate
66.1%
Houses
57.9%
Rental Stress
18.1%
Mortgage Stress
19.8%
Work From Home
15.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
136 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 10 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 887 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 70.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 76.7%
- Employment Rate
- 73.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 64.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
412 residents (6.1%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 6,287 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
47% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,856 of 3,940), an area that takes in all or part of this suburb, so many of them work close to home.
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 1,041 people work here; 3,940 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.3 jobs per working resident. At least 74% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $3,105 a year through Unincorporated ACT based on 2026 figures.
Building Approvals: Unincorporated ACT
In the year to August 2026, 3,750 new dwellings were approved across Unincorporated ACT. That mix is 813 houses and 2,937 units. Approvals are down 47.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.4 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 14.1 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 3 · ozone 0.
From the Civic monitoring station, 6.2 km away. ACT Health publishes these readings unverified, so they may still be revised.
Climate & Setting
from Canberra Airport, 9.1 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, frosty winters.
- Elevation
- 600 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Near high-voltage lines
- 1.7% of addresses
- 62 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 622 mm
- 69 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.5°C
- 10 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 0.8°C
- 61 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
3 facilities within 5 km- 2.2 kmLaundry and Dry-Cleaning ServicesTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 2.9 km
- 3.5 km
EV adoption
In postcode 2602, 913 of 21,381 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.9% (1,042 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 9.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2602, 4,420 rooftop-solar systems totalling 32.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 14,775 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 340 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27No First Home Owner Grant is available in this state — the scheme has been replaced with a separate stamp-duty concession.
The Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) instead provides a stamp-duty reduction of up to ~$34,000 for eligible buyers under the income threshold.
Mortgage repayments
11 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2602.
Conveyance duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with ACT Revenue Office
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Alicia Payne Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alicia Payne | 76.4% | 23.6% | +4.0 |
| 2022 | Alicia Payne | 72.5% | 27.5% | -5.4 |
| 2019 | Alicia Payne | 67.1% | 32.9% | -4.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Elected at the 2024 election:
- Andrew Barr ACT Labor
- Elizabeth Lee Canberra Liberals
- Rachel Stephen-Smith ACT Labor
- Shane Rattenbury The ACT Greens
- Thomas Emerson Independents for Canberra
Next election: 21 October 2028.
| Year | Seats won |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 ACT Labor · 1 Canberra Liberals · 1 The ACT Greens · 1 Independents for Canberra |
| 2020 | 2 Australian Labor Party · 2 ACT Greens · 1 Canberra Liberals |
A vacancy here is filled by a recount of the original votes, not a by-election, so a member listed may since have been replaced. Boundaries were last redrawn in 2023. Results: Elections ACT.
Looking at a specific address in Watson?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 6,727 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #4 in Canberra suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #8 in Highest-yielding Canberra suburbs (units)
- #9 in Canberra suburbs with the largest Jewish community
- #9 in Canberra suburbs with the largest non-religious population
- #10 in Canberra suburbs where the most people cycle to work
- #10 in Best Canberra suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #15 in Canberra suburbs that added the most residents, 2016-2021
- #15 in Canberra suburbs with the most rooftop solar
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Canberra There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Canberra suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Compare Watson to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other ACT suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Watson
Is Watson a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Watson is moderate (64/100, ranked against other ACT suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Watson?
Watson has a low recorded bushfire history (36/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (19/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Watson a good place to live?
Watson has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (63/100), ranked against other ACT suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Watson?
Watson, ACT had a population of 6,727 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Watson, ACT?
The postcode for Watson, ACT is 2602.
How far is Watson from Canberra?
Watson is 8 km from Canberra CBD by road, about 15 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Watson?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Watson was $125,528 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Watson?
The median advertised rent in Watson is $740 a week for houses (24 listings) and $550 a week for units (39 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Watson?
The median age of residents in Watson was 34 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Watson at risk of bushfire?
Watson has a low recorded bushfire history (36/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Watson?
There are 2 schools inside the Watson boundary: 2 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Watson walkable?
Watson scores 68/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Watson?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Watson (Civic) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.4 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.1 µg/m³. That puts Watson below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Watson?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Watson, Canberra Airport (9.1 km away), summer days average 28.5°C, winter nights 0.8°C, 622 mm of rain a year over 69 rainy days, and 10 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
What first-home buyer assistance is available in Watson?
ACT does not have a First Home Owner Grant — the scheme was replaced with the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, a stamp-duty reduction for eligible first-home buyers under the income threshold. Confirm eligibility with the ACT Revenue Office before signing a contract.
What council does Watson belong to?
Watson sits within the Unincorporated ACT local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Watson?
The average residential rates bill through Unincorporated ACT is $3,105 a year (2026). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Watson?
Across Unincorporated ACT, 3,750 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 47.7% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Watson in?
Watson sits within the federal Division of Canberra, currently held by Alicia Payne (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2026–27
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.