Federal Electorate · Area profile
Watson
48 km²
A diverse and youthful population defines Watson, where nearly half of all residents were born overseas. The community has grown quickly, adding about 49,712 people since 2011. It is a place of young families and high cultural variety, with the typical resident aged just 36. This mix of backgrounds and ages creates a busy, high-density area where people live in closer quarters than in most of the state.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
49 schools within reach make Watson convenient for families.
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The area is noticeably younger than the national figure, with 19% of people being children under 15. It is a large community of 183,154 people, and the proportion of seniors has fallen since 2011.
People born overseas make up 48.8% of the population, which is far above the national figure. This diversity is reflected in the ancestry data, with Chinese, English, and Greek being among the most common backgrounds.
Language diversity is very high, as 62.8% of people use a language other than English at home—a figure that rose 51 points since 2011. Arabic is the most common non-English language, and 13.8% of residents speak little or no English.
Religious affiliation is common here, with 40% identifying as Christian and 25.1% as Muslim. Far fewer people report having no religion compared to the typical Australian area.
Residents are well-qualified, with 64.3% having completed Year 12 and 26.6% holding a bachelor degree or higher. Many qualifications are in management, commerce, and society and culture.
Typical incomes are lower than in most areas, with the usual family earning $1,745 a week. While personal incomes are among the lowest at this level, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose since 2011.
While 20.8% of people have a long-term health condition—well below the national figure—about 6.8% of residents need help with daily activities, which is much higher than most areas.
Community participation is low, with only 8% of people volunteering, a figure that fell since 2011. Similarly, the proportion of people providing unpaid care or doing housework is lower than in most areas.
Homes are more crowded than usual, with 2.9 people per home. This is consistent with a high percentage of families with children (65%) and a lower number of people living alone.
Renters are common, making up 40.6% of households, while detached houses are much less frequent than in the rest of the state. The typical weekly rent is $400, and homes tend to be smaller, with only 54.5% having three or more bedrooms.
The area is very connected, with 31.6% of people working from home and 13.2% of homes having no car. Public transport use is much higher than most areas, supported by 821 stops.
Recent overseas arrivals have increased to 14.9% since 2011. However, people are less likely to have moved house in the last five years compared to most other areas.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work here than in most areas, at 48.7%. The unemployment rate is 7.7%, which is a little above the national figure.
Watson is very walkable, with 98.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a 'city' setting. Almost every home is within a short walk of public transport, parks, and schools.