Watsons Creek VIC 3097
Watsons Creek is a rural locality in Victoria, 39 km from Melbourne CBD, around 52 minutes by car. Population is 58; the median age is 35 and the median household income is $195,000 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 13.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $542 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,995. The area shows high bushfire risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 58. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Watsons Creek?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
…
Short-Stay Rentals
No active Airbnb listings.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Is Watsons Creek safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Watsons Creek sits in the high band, with 11 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 1000% on the prior year.
11 offences
1000.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Walkability
Watsons Creek is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Watsons Creek.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 19
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
Nillumbik: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Watsons Creek is home to 58 residents, with a median age of 35, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $195,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
58
Median Age
35
Median Household Income
$195,000/yr
Census Median Rent
$542/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,995/mo
Avg Household Size
3.4
Median Personal Income
$81,224/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
0.0%
Total Dwellings
21
Owner-Occupier Rate
100.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
14.5%
Mortgage Stress
18.4%
Work From Home
29.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 87.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 101.7%
- Employment Rate
- 71.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 55.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,696 a year through Nillumbik based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 88%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Parks and recreation 6%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Nillumbik
In the year to August 2026, 98 new dwellings were approved across Nillumbik. That mix is 65 houses and 33 units. Approvals are up 8.3% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 15.5 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2.
From the Mooroolbark monitoring station, 13.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Scoresby Research Institute, 23.2 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 112 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 33.9 km
- Annual rainfall
- 777 mm
- 105 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.9°C
- 10 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.3°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 3097, 22 of 1,400 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.1% (29 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3097, 281 rooftop-solar systems totalling 2.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 497 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 20 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
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3097 in 2025-26. The most was 5, in 2002-03.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Aaron Violi Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Aaron Violi | 47.1% | 52.9% | -1.5 |
| 2022 | Aaron Violi | 48.5% | 51.5% | -3.1 |
| 2019 | Tony Smith | 45.4% | 54.6% | +0.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Cindy McLeish Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cindy McLeish LP | 53.3% | 42.9% | 57.1% |
| 2018 | Cindy McLeish LP | 50.2% | 47.6% | 52.4% |
| 2014 | Cindy McLeish LP | 51.7% | 46.2% | 53.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Watsons Creek?
Every figure above is a locality 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 58 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.
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne 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. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Compare Watsons Creek to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Watsons Creek
Is Watsons Creek a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Watsons Creek is high (93/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Watsons Creek?
Watsons Creek has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Watsons Creek?
Watsons Creek, VIC had a population of 58 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Watsons Creek, VIC?
The postcode for Watsons Creek, VIC is 3097.
How far is Watsons Creek from Melbourne?
Watsons Creek is 39 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 52 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Watsons Creek?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Watsons Creek was $195,000 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 Watsons Creek?
There are too few current rental listings in Watsons Creek for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $542, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Watsons Creek?
The median age of residents in Watsons Creek was 35 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Watsons Creek at risk of bushfire?
Watsons Creek has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality 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.
Is Watsons Creek walkable?
Watsons Creek scores 10/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Watsons Creek?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Watsons Creek, Scoresby Research Institute (23.2 km away), summer days average 26.9°C, winter nights 6.3°C, 777 mm of rain a year over 105 rainy days, and 10 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Watsons Creek?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Watsons Creek belong to?
Watsons Creek sits within the Nillumbik local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Watsons Creek?
The average residential rates bill through Nillumbik is $2,696 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Watsons Creek?
Across Nillumbik, 98 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 8.3% 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 Watsons Creek in?
Watsons Creek sits within the federal Division of Casey, currently held by Aaron Violi (Liberal).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- 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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.