Located in Australian Capital Territory within the Unincorporated ACT local government area, Watson is a moderately sized suburb (postcode 2602). It is home to about 6,727 residents, with a mix of young professionals and families and a median age of 34. Households earn a median income of $126K per year, with an average household size of 2.4 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.3% year-on-year at the LGA level. ACT employment has moved -0.1% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. ACT also had 6 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 1 underway, and 7 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, managers, clerical & administrative. Employment in the area leans toward public admin & safety and professional services. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.
Median house prices in Watson stand at $1.1 million, having moved higher by 4.5% over the last twelve months. Units have a median price of $618,000. The median weekly rent is $437 (Census 2021). This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,067.
Watson is served by 2 schools, including 2 primary. The average ICSEA score is 1128, which is well above the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 40 bus stops. The crime rate in the Unincorporated ACT LGA is below average at 3,865 incidents per 100,000 population.
On the investment side, Gross rental yield sits at around 2.1% (low yield). Property prices are near the state median ($1.1M/$1.0M). The price-to-income ratio of 8.8x is considered moderate. House prices have moved +4.5% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.3% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.