SuburbCheck

Watson

ACT 2602 · Unincorporated ACT

6,727 (2021)7,399 est. (2025) · High Growth

67
Overall score

Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.

6,727
Population
Limited sales data
Median price
56
Safety score
53
Transport score

Watson is a high growth suburb in Unincorporated ACT, ACT 2602, about 6km from Canberra CBD. Recent property sales in Watson are too limited to report a reliable median price. The suburb has 2 schools, a transport score of 53/100, and is about 106km inland. Watson has an overall score of 67/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 56/100.

5.8 km
To Canberra CBD
106.2 km
To coast
Data not available
Median rent (house)

Demographics

6,727
Population
34
Median age
2.4
Avg household

Age distribution

Housing tenure

  • Owned
  • Mortgage
  • Rented

Commute to work

  • Car
  • Public transport
  • Walk/cycle
  • Work from home
Median household income (weekly)$2,414
vs NSW median+30.5%
Bachelor degree or higher71.5%
Born in Australia70.7%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse1,539 / 327 / 784

Top countries of birth: England (2.84%), India (1.96%), China (1.65%), New Zealand (1.4%), USA (1.1%)

Top languages: Mandarin (2.19%), Vietnamese (1.26%), Spanish (1.09%), Nepali (1.06%), German (0.86%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Residential Safety

56
Residential

Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:

19
Break & enter dwelling282/100k
Steal from dwellingNot reported
19
Motor vehicle theft282/100k
14
Domestic assault208/100k
1
Robbery15/100k

Residential incidents over time

Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 279 (all categories, latest year)4,148 per 100,000 residents2-yr

An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.

Source: ACT Policing (suburb-level) · Updated 2024

Schools

7
Within 10km2 in suburb
1
Govt (suburb)
1
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1123 (above the national average of 1000).

In suburb

  • Majura Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1126
  • Rosary Primary SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 1123

Nearby (within 10km)

  • Dickson CollegeSecondary · Government · 1.6kmICSEA 1106
  • Blue Gum Community SchoolCombined · Independent · 1.8kmICSEA 1109
  • North Ainslie Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.6kmICSEA 1140
  • Emmaus Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · 2.6kmICSEA 1138
  • Daramalan CollegeSecondary · Independent · 2.8kmICSEA 1118
  • Lyneham High SchoolSecondary · Government · 3.3kmICSEA 1141
  • Brindabella Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · 3.3kmICSEA 1146
  • Lyneham Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.6kmICSEA 1134
  • Merici CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 4.1kmICSEA 1124
  • St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 4.1kmICSEA 1130
  • Harrison SchoolCombined · Government · 4.2kmICSEA 1065
  • Kaleen Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.3kmICSEA 1101

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

53
33Bus
CBD commute (est.)29 min (bus)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Liveability

28.0°C
Summer max
11.5°C
Winter max
620mm
Rainfall/yr
7.5h
Sun/day

Amenities within 2–3km

Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.

71 in suburbSupermarkets
53 in suburbCafes/Rest.
4326 in suburbParks
1810 in suburbPlaygrounds
512 in suburbPools
120 in suburbGyms
0Dog parks
10 in suburbGPs
30 in suburbPharmacies
52 in suburbChildcare
30 in suburbLibraries
11110 in suburbSports fields
1Vets
Nearest beachData not available
Nearest hospitalNorth Canberra Hospital (6.6 km)
Nearest vet2.1 km
Nearest airportCanberra (8.7 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Population & Growth

High Growth
Annual growth rate2.41%
Projected population 20418,851
Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Unincorporated ACT

Compare Watson with another suburb

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Watson

Frequently asked questions about Watson

Is Watson safe?

Watson has a residential safety score of 56/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 4,148 per 100,000 across all categories.

How far is Watson from Canberra CBD?

Watson is about 5.8 km from Canberra CBD, an estimated 29 minutes by public transport.

What schools are in Watson?

Watson has 2 schools, with an average ICSEA of 1125 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Watson?

Watson has a transport score of 53/100 and 33 bus stops.

Data sources: ABS Census 2021 & ERP, NSW Valuer General, BOCSAR, TfNSW, ACARA, Bureau of Meteorology, OpenStreetMap, NSW DPHI. Data refreshed quarterly.

Data shown is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. How we calculate scores.