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Suburb profile ·Banyule LGA · VIC ·3087

Watsonia VIC 3087

Watsonia is in Banyule LGA, VIC, postcode 3087, with population 5,352.

The read

Growth-momentum

There are enough stretched or weaker signals here that you should assume trade-offs rather than a clean story. Use compare mode to see whether the downside is price, local quality, or weaker momentum before treating it as a target suburb.

$1.0M
+14.3% YoY
2014 → 2024 · 9 periods
ABS + state medians
$1.0M
$555K
2014 2024
Why it fits

Recent price movement shows visible market momentum. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal. Higher SEIFA context supports a stronger local-quality read.

What to check

Gross yield looks low for an income-first use case.

Median house
$1.0M
House median, latest period
14.3%YoY D6 vs AU
Median rent
$560/wk
Income-stretched rent market
D10 vs AU
Gross yield
2.9%
Low yield band
D9 vs AU
Population
5,352
5K local footprint
D9 vs AU
Schools
2
Matched school context
D8 vs AU
Drive to city
25 min
19.6 km to Melbourne CBD · free-flow
Transit to city
47 min
Public transport to Melbourne CBD · weekday 8am
Solar
953
62 added 12mo · 5MW

Price history

Rental vacancy rate

Rental vacancy rate · Greater Melbourne
2.5%
Balanced market

Official vacancy is published at the Greater Melbourne level, not per suburb. Shaded band marks a balanced market (2.5–3.5%).

Source: Homes Victoria Rental Report (DFFH) · Latest: Sep 2025

Trend & investor depth

Indicative cashflow-$565/wk (-$29,386/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Value vs advantage+11% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 7)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Fgrade · 19/100 · top 81% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 19% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth25
Rental yield19
Stability42
Volatility-11.0ppCycle-2.0Affordability-1.5

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Watsonia

Owner-occupied 70%Rented 30%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared9.2%
501 of 848 landlords
Avg rental loss$8,579/yr
Landlords (rental income)848
Reported capital gains559
The read

Mixed owner-renter market

68% of homes here are owner-occupied and 30% rented, with 9% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

A balanced 68% owner-occupier / 30% renter mix.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

60%
of household income to service a new loan
13.6 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $4,902/mo vs median rent $2,427/mo (+102% · +$571/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $3,914/mo (-988) · at 6.2% (current): $4,902/mo · at 8.2%: $5,985/mo (+1,083)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
10.2x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
30%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Manageable

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $2,019/mo, while renters pay about $2,427/mo — renting runs $408/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$1.00M
Household income · yr
$98K
Median rent · wk
$560
Owner mortgage · mo
$2,019
Gross yield
2.9%

Household income

$98K household · yr+19% vs VIC suburb median
Personal
$47K
Family
$127K
Household
$98K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)15% could service the median house
Under $300
73
$300-649
256
$650-999
209
$1,000-1,499
282
$1,500-1,999
210
$2,000-2,999
428
$3,000-3,999
272
$4,000+
238

Serviceability line: a household needs about $3,771/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 50% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,867/wk income).

Median taxable income trend (ATO, 2018-19 – 2022-23)$54K → $69K

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (2,105 households)5.5% social housing
Owned outright
33%
Owned with mortgage
36%
Rented
30%
Dwelling structure6.4% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
86%
Townhouse / semi
13%
Flat / apartment
1%

Getting to work: 55% drive, 6% public transport, 2% walk or cycle, 35% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total2
Avg ICSEA1041
Students1,506
Catholic1
Government1
  • Watsonia Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1027Zoned
  • Loyola CollegeSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1055

1 of 2 schools here operate published enrolment zones (catchments). Zone boundaries set eligibility — check the official source for the exact catchment. Not enrolment advice.

Livability

77/ 100 livability index

Top 23% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 77% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access89
Public transport (30 stops)68
Schools & hospitals56

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime Year ending Mar 2026
10,904
8,182 per 100k
D8 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k8,182
Total incidents10,904· Year ending Mar 2026
  • Assault64930%
  • Sexual Offences70132%
  • Robbery482%
  • Break And Enter79736%

Development screen

Could a secondary dwelling be worth investigating?

small second home screening context Medium broad constraint context

Policy position

Official source access limited

The official state policy page could not be reliably re-verified automatically in the latest review. Treat this screen as preliminary and confirm the current planning and building requirements with the state source and local council.

Rental use: Review against the official Planning Victoria guidance and local building requirements before use.

Open official policy source

Separate houses

80.5%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

Near the state median

State median 80.5% · 693 valid suburbs

Residential-zone context

0.0%

Broad suburb sampling only; the property zoning and overlays can differ.

Near the state median

State median 0.0% · 690 valid suburbs

Rental households

29.9%

Demand context only; it does not establish permission to rent a secondary dwelling.

7.7 pp above the state median

State median 22.2% · 693 valid suburbs

Mapped hazards

No mapped bushfire exposure · No mapped flood exposure

The staged suburb layer shows no mapped exposure; this is not a property-level clearance. The staged suburb layer shows no mapped exposure; this is not a property-level clearance.

Approval pathway

Four checks, each with a different evidence threshold.

This is an investigation sequence, not a guarantee that every step applies or that approval will be granted.

  1. 01 Verify current source

    State policy position

    The current small second home position needs direct confirmation before relying on this screen.

  2. 02 Property dependent

    Planning pathway

    Confirm zoning, lot controls, overlays, setbacks, site coverage and whether planning approval is required.

  3. 03 Design dependent

    Building approval

    Confirm the building approval route after the design, site classifications, services and construction requirements are known.

  4. 04 Check separately

    Intended use

    Confirm long-term rental, short-stay or family-use rules separately from permission to construct the dwelling.

Property due diligence

Turn the suburb screen into a property checklist.

Every check starts unconfirmed. Progress stays in this browser and suburb evidence never clears an address-level requirement.

0evidence acquired
0evidence missing
0reviews due
0consultant questions

Active record: Watsonia unnamed property

0/14checked
0issues found

Site controls

Lot area and dimensions

Confirm title dimensions, usable site area and any minimum lot threshold.

Status for Lot area and dimensions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Setbacks and site coverage

Test setbacks, private open space, landscaping and maximum site coverage against a concept plan.

Status for Setbacks and site coverage
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Slope and ground conditions

Check survey levels, soil classification, retaining needs and likely earthworks.

Status for Slope and ground conditions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title and planning

Zoning and overlays

Obtain current property-level zoning, overlays and applicable planning controls.

Status for Zoning and overlays
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title, easements and covenants

Review the title for easements, covenants, restrictions and common property.

Status for Title, easements and covenants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Services and access

Sewer and stormwater

Locate assets and connection points, then confirm capacity, clearances and discharge requirements.

Status for Sewer and stormwater
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Power, water and metering

Confirm service routes, upgrade needs and whether separate metering is permitted or practical.

Status for Power, water and metering
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Vehicle access and parking

Test driveway width, gradients, turning, parking and emergency access requirements.

Status for Vehicle access and parking
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Construction constraints

Bushfire exposure

Order an address-level bushfire assessment and determine any BAL construction response.

Status for Bushfire exposure
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Flood and overland flow

Obtain property flood information and check floor levels, flow paths and drainage constraints.

Status for Flood and overland flow
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Wind, corrosion and termite

Confirm site classifications that affect structural design, materials and durability.

Status for Wind, corrosion and termite
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Approval and use

Planning approval pathway

Confirm exemption, complying pathway or permit requirements with the responsible authority.

Status for Planning approval pathway
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Building approval and consultants

Identify required survey, design, engineering, energy, certification and inspection evidence.

Status for Building approval and consultants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Rental and intended use

Confirm occupation, rental, short-stay and family-use rules plus insurance and tax implications.

Status for Rental and intended use
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Watsonia, VIC 3087 · Local browser record

Investigation aid only. Confirm current planning, building, title, service and hazard requirements with qualified professionals and responsible authorities.

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone designation

No mapped bushfire exposure

About 0.0% of the suburb is within Victoria's mapped Bushfire Prone Area.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Flood and moisture context

No mapped flood exposure

About 0.0% of the suburb intersects VIC LSIO.

May affect: Floor levels and drainage · Water-resistant assemblies · Material durability

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire-prone area

Not designated ~0.0%
~0.0% of the suburb is within Victoria's designated Bushfire Prone Area

Share of the suburb within Victoria's gazetted Bushfire Prone Area (Vicmap, CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. A Bushfire Prone Area is a planning designation that triggers the building code's bushfire construction provisions — it is not a graduated hazard rating or a property-level Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Flood exposure

No mapped exposure ~0.0%
~0.0% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood-hazard area

Estimated exposure to the official flood-hazard layer (VIC LSIO), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within mapped flood-planning areas — it is not a property-level flood certificate. Areas without a completed flood study may be unmapped. Check the local council's flood maps for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone General Residential (GRZ)
Residential 80% Public / Open space 18% Commercial / Mixed 2%
Residential density: Standard

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against Vicmap Planning scheme-zone polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Growth outlook · Banyule LGA

Dwellings
+19.2%
53,030 → 63,200
+10,170 dwellings
Population
+16.9%
127,370 → 148,860
Households
+19.5%
50,110 → 59,890

LGA-level official projection (Victoria in Future 2023, DTP). Indicative of the wider council area, not a suburb-level forecast.

Population outlook

9,248 people · 20228,966 by 2032 (-3.0%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Watsonia SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Watsonia VIC — Property Data and Demographics

Watsonia is a mid-sized suburb in Victoria within the Banyule local government area (postcode 3087). With a population of 5,352, the suburb has an established demographic with a median age of 38. Households earn a median income of $98K per year, with an average household size of 2.5 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.0% year-on-year at the LGA level. VIC employment has moved +0.8% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. VIC also had 41 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 18 underway, and 24 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, clerical & administrative, technicians & trades. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and education. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Irish.

Watsonia has a median house price of $1.0 million, which has jumped by 14.3% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $758,000 (+0.4% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $560. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,019.

Watsonia is served by 2 schools, including 1 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 1041, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 5 rail stations, 25 bus stops. The crime rate in the Banyule LGA is higher than average at 8,182 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, Gross rental yield sits at around 2.9% (low yield). Property prices are near the state median ($1.0M/$850K). The price-to-income ratio of 10.2x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +14.3% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.0% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield2.9% Low Yield
Price vs State$1.0M/$850K· Near Median
Affordability10.2x Stretched
Price Momentum+14.3% Rising
Pop. Growth+1.0%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentVIC
Mortgage · mth$2,019
Rent · wk(Census)$385
Market rent · wk(Sep 2025)$560
Gross yield2.0%
Price / income10.2x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)23
Population growth · Banyule LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)132,770
5-year growth+0.4% CAGR
YoY change+1%
20012025
Development · Banyule LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)978
Houses 21%Units 79%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Banyule LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.2%
YoY change+0.3pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 3087ATO
Negatively geared9.2%
501 of filers
Avg rental loss$8,579/yr
Landlords (rental income)848
Reported capital gains559
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population5,352
Median age38
Household size2.5
HH income · wk$1,883
Personal income · wk$900
Persons / bedroom0.8
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$68,568
Mean income$76,810
Earners5,957
YoY change+10%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)7/10
Education (IEO)8/10
Economic (IER)4/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)8/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,448 → $1,883
Change+30%
vs VIC median+6.5 pp
Median rent+16.3%
stablevs VIC 2016–21
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets2
Pharmacies3
GP / clinics3
Fuel stations1
Cafes & dining18
iga2
TransportGTFS
Rail stations5
Bus stops25
Watsonia Station
Watsonia Station/Grace St
Watsonia Station/Greensborough Hwy
Watsonia Station/Morwell Ave
Hospitals · Banyule LGAAIHW
Public3
Private3
Austin Hospital [Heidelberg]public
Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital [Heidelberg West]public
Mercy Hospital for Womenpublic
Greensborough Day Surgeryprivate
North Eastern Rehabilitation Centreprivate
Warringal Private Hospitalprivate
Aged care · Banyule LGAGEN
Facilities14
Residential places1,300
Ivanhoe Grand Care Community180 places
Assisi Centre Aged Care150 places
Baptcare - Strathalan Community124 places
Trinity Manor Greensborough112 places
The Views at Heidelberg103 places
Calvary Rosanna Views96 places
+8 more in Banyule LGA
Childcare · Banyule LGAACECQA
Services104
Approved places7,503
Exceeding NQS28
Apollo Parkways P.S. OSHC180 places
Viewbank PS TheirCare180 places
North-Eastern Montessori School155 places
Ivanhoe Primary Out of School Hours Care Program150 places
Heidelberg Primary School - School Age Care Program140 places
Grimshaw Street Early Learning Centre132 places
+98 more in Banyule LGA
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Watsonia carries enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
Manual release files still matter here.

DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
VIC Property Sales Report · 2025-Q4 · DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.
medium stability · mixed acquisition · every update · quarterly
Available
Market rent
Homes Victoria · Sep 2025 · State market dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Available
Crime
VIC Crime Statistics Agency · Year ending Mar 2026 · Area-level release dataset
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 2 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 30 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Watsonia FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Watsonia in?

    Watsonia is in the Banyule Local Government Area, VIC, postcode 3087. Council-level context for Banyule LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Watsonia?

    The current median house price in Watsonia, VIC is $1.0M, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Watsonia?

    The median weekly rent in Watsonia is $560/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Watsonia?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 42% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Watsonia a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Watsonia show: Low Yield, Near Median, Stretched. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Watsonia?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Watsonia data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.