Watsonia North, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Watsonia North VIC is 3,799 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Watsonia North is $830 per week ($43,160 per year). Median rent in Watsonia North is $401 per week ($1,738 per month). Watsonia North has a median age of 41 years, older than the national median of 38. Watsonia North has a population density of 2,619 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Watsonia North is China. The most common religion is No religion (37.9% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Italian. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Watsonia North is $2,050.

There were 150 recorded offences in Watsonia North in 2025-25, a rate of 39 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (50 offences).

Population
3,799
Census 2021
Median income
$830/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$401/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
41years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Watsonia North vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Watsonia North is $830 a week, 8% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 430th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $401 a week, $85 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 19.4% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 41, 2 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureWatsonia NorthTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$830/wk$767/wk +8%$766/wk
Household income$2,069/wk$1,687/wk +23%$1,637/wk
Rent$401/wk$316/wk +27%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,050/mo$1,723/mo +19%$1,733/mo
Median age4143 −2 yrs42
Rent share of household income19.4%19.1% +0.3 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Watsonia North, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Watsonia North Population

3,799 residents at the 2021 Census.

Watsonia North Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$830/wk
$43,160 per year
Ranked 3,098 of 14,663
Median Rent
$401/wk
$1,738 per month
Ranked 1,844 of 14,663
Median Age
41years
3 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,050/mo
Avg household size: 2.7 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Watsonia North Rent Prices & Affordability

19% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,069/wk
Median rent $401/wk
Rent to income 19.4%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Watsonia North against your income

About $8,966 a month
Median rent $401/wk
Left after rent $1,668/wk
Rent share 19.4%

Watsonia North Schools

23
schools nearby
16
government
1062
avg ICSEA score
11,372
total students
St Mary's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 524 students
1109
ICSEA
Watsonia Heights Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 522 students
1104
ICSEA
Apollo Parkways Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 675 students
1103
ICSEA
Montmorency Secondary College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,085 students
1083
ICSEA
Mastery Schools Victoria Independent
Combined · 4-9 · 62 students
1082
ICSEA
St Damian's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 378 students
1080
ICSEA
Watsonia North Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 541 students
1080
ICSEA
Parade College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,968 students
1077
ICSEA
Macleod College Government
Combined · Prep-12 · 545 students
1073
ICSEA
Mill Park Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 529 students
1065
ICSEA
Plenty Parklands Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 737 students
1064
ICSEA
Bundoora Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 306 students
1063
ICSEA
Greensborough Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 159 students
1058
ICSEA
Streeton Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 144 students
1055
ICSEA
Loyola College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,443 students
1055
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 23 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Watsonia North, with a map

Watsonia North Map

Watsonia North, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Watsonia North

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.0% (1,863) Female 51.0% (1,942)

Population Density

2,619
people per km²
3,799 people · 1.5 km²

Households

2.7
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,370
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

China
2.5%
Italy
2.3%
England
1.9%
Greece
1.7%
India
1.6%
New Zealand
1.1%
Malaysia
0.9%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Italian
3.5%
Mandarin
2.8%
Greek
2.7%
Macedonian
1.3%
Cantonese
1.2%
Hindi
0.8%
Persian (excluding Dari)
0.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
30.7%
English
28.3%
Italian
14.3%
Irish
12.6%
Scottish
8.9%
Greek
6.3%
Chinese
5.7%
German
2.8%
Macedonian
2.3%
Indian
2.3%
Croatian
1.5%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
37.9%
Catholic
33.2%
Anglican
6.8%
Eastern Orthodox
5.9%
Not stated
3.1%
Christian (other)
2.4%
Uniting Church
1.8%
Hinduism
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
54.4% 1,689
Separated
2.1% 64
Divorced
5.9% 183
Widowed
4.7% 146
Never married
32.9% 1,023

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
39.9%
Couple: no children
26.1%
Couple: no children under 15
22.6%
One parent: no children under 15
6.9%
One parent: children under 15
4.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
17.6%
2 persons
35.1%
3 persons
16.6%
4 persons
23.1%
5 persons
5.5%
6+ persons
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Watsonia North

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,368 occupied private dwellings in Watsonia North at the 2021 Census, 12.4% were rented, 45.7% owned outright and 40.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
0.7% 9 dwellings
Owned outright
45.7% 625 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
40.6% 555 dwellings
Rented
12.4% 170 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.2% 17 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
98.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
1.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
0.2%
2 bedrooms
4.3%
3 bedrooms
56.6%
4 bedrooms
32.6%
5 bedrooms
5.4%
6+ bedrooms
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.9%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.6%
$600-$799/mo
3.5%
$800-$999/mo
5.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
10.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
13.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
26.1%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
17.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
15.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
4.6%
1 vehicle
28.3%
2 vehicles
45.6%
3 vehicles
13.8%
4+ vehicles
7.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Watsonia North

Employment

Employed full-time
38.4% 1,120 people
Employed part-time
22.5% 655 people
Unemployed
2.5% 74 people
Not in labour force
36.6% 1,066 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
36.2%
Technicians & Trade Workers
15.1%
Managers
13.6%
Clerical & Administrative
12.3%
Community & Personal Service
11.3%
Sales Workers
4.9%
Labourers
3.3%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.9%
$1-$149/wk
0.2%
$150-$299/wk
1.6%
$300-$399/wk
1.2%
$400-$499/wk
4.9%
$500-$649/wk
2.7%
$650-$799/wk
5.3%
$800-$999/wk
5.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.6%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.6%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
9.9%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
6.5%
$4,000+/wk
15.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
11.0%
$1-$149/wk
4.4%
$150-$299/wk
6.0%
$300-$399/wk
3.7%
$400-$499/wk
3.4%
$500-$649/wk
3.4%
$650-$799/wk
8.4%
$800-$999/wk
8.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
12.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.2%
$3,500+/wk
2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
69.5%
Did not go to work
19.0%
Car (passenger)
3.6%
Train
2.7%
Taxi/Rideshare
1.4%
Walked only
1.1%
Bus
0.8%
Truck
0.6%
Other
0.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%
Bicycle
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
69.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
13.0%
Year 10 or equivalent
12.5%
Year 9 or equivalent
4.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
33.6%
Certificate III/IV
28.1%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
18.1%
Postgraduate Degree
12.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.4%
Certificate I/II
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
21.9%
Society & Culture
14.1%
Engineering
13.7%
Health
13.2%
Education
10.0%
Architecture & Building
7.5%
Natural & Physical Sciences
5.0%
Information Technology
4.9%
Creative Arts
4.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.9%
Agriculture & Environment
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
30.4%
Secondary: Government
16.9%
Primary: Catholic
14.4%
Secondary: Catholic
13.7%
Pre-school
12.8%
Vocational Education
8.0%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
92.1%
Has need for assistance
6.3%
Need for assistance not stated
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
330
Asthma
164
Arthritis
130
Heart disease
103
Diabetes
98
Lung condition
57
Cancer
50
Stroke
36
Kidney disease
35
Dementia
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
17.5% 533
Did not provide
82.5% 2,520

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
14.7% 448
Not a volunteer
85.3% 2,608

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
2.2% 67
Never served
97.8% 2,994

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
30.4%
1 child
12.0%
2 children
36.6%
3 children
15.4%
4 children
5.0%
5+ children
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
12
1951: 1960
90
1961: 1970
167
1971: 1980
64
1981: 1990
96
1991: 2000
103
2001: 2010
177
2011: 2015
75
2016
16
2017
12
2018
6
2019
14
2020
6
2021
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

7.0%
moved in the last year
22.8%
moved in the last 5 years
3.9%
unemployment rate (Census)
64.1%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
3,433
Moved from VIC
207
Moved: same area (SA2)
19
Moved from overseas
12
Moved from NSW
8
Moved from QLD
7

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.5%
5: 14 hours
30.6%
15: 29 hours
14.8%
30+ hours
9.8%
Did not do domestic work
23.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
93.7%
Step family: no other children
3.4%
Blended family: no other children
2.4%
Intact family: other children present
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Watsonia North Crime Statistics

150 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
50
Justice Procedures
30
Break & Enter
25
Assault
22
Property Damage
9
Drug Offences
6
Robbery
4
Fraud
3
Public Order
1

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Watsonia North

The closest suburb to Watsonia North is Greensborough, 1.6 km away.

Greensborough
1.6 km away · income $903/wk · rent $404/wk
Watsonia
1.6 km away · income $900/wk · rent $385/wk
Bundoora (Vic.)
2.0 km away · income $690/wk · rent $381/wk
Macleod (Vic.)
2.9 km away · income $908/wk · rent $396/wk
Briar Hill
3.4 km away · income $940/wk · rent $411/wk
Yallambie
3.6 km away · income $1,021/wk · rent $340/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Watsonia North

What is the population of Watsonia North VIC?

The population of Watsonia North VIC is 3,799 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,619 people per km². Watsonia North is ranked #2,003 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Watsonia North?

The median personal income in Watsonia North VIC is $830 per week, or $43,160 per year. The median household income is $2,069 per week. Family income is $2,370 per week. Watsonia North is ranked #3,098 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Watsonia North?

Median rent in Watsonia North VIC is $401 per week ($1,738 per month). Rent represents 19.4% of household income, which is considered affordable. Watsonia North ranks #1,844 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Watsonia North?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Watsonia North VIC is $2,050. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Watsonia North?

The median age in Watsonia North VIC is 41 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Watsonia North a good suburb to live in?

Watsonia North is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 3,799. The median income is $830/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22722. All dollar figures in AUD.