Watermans Bay
At 49 years, Watermans Bay has a resident age profile 9 years above the national figure, while 48.0% hold a university qualification, 17.9 percentage points higher than nationally. The 1,369-person coastal suburb also has household income in the 83.4th percentile, supporting a more affluent profile than the national midpoint. Compared with nearby North Beach or Marmion, its 1.22 sq km footprint and 1,369 residents present a tightly bounded market. Ownership is substantial, with 47.3% owning outright and 31.3% holding a mortgage. That mix, alongside an 11.1% vacancy rate and 18.3% working from home, points to an established, older resident base with some flexible or investor-held stock.
Local council: Stirling
Population
1,369
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,190/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Watermans Bay suits buyers who value established housing and a mature coastal setting, but price discovery is less straightforward because a current median house price is not available. The cost signals are still meaningful: mortgage repayments are $2,934 per month, and mortgage stress reaches 30.9% of household income, compared with rent at $410 per week and rent-to-income of 18.7%. Separate houses account for 67.5% of dwellings, while semi-detached homes make up 29.6%, so the choice is broader than a detached-only market. Four-plus-bedroom homes represent 42.5%, above the 37.3% share of three-bedroom homes. Outright ownership at 47.3% may support a settled feel, but buyers should test borrowing capacity because repayment pressure varies by debt size and household structure.
For Buyers
Watermans Bay suits buyers who value established housing and a mature coastal setting, but price discovery is less straightforward because a current median house price is not available. The cost signals are still meaningful: mortgage repayments are $2,934 per month, and mortgage stress reaches 30.9% of household income, compared with rent at $410 per week and rent-to-income of 18.7%. Separate houses account for 67.5% of dwellings, while semi-detached homes make up 29.6%, so the choice is broader than a detached-only market. Four-plus-bedroom homes represent 42.5%, above the 37.3% share of three-bedroom homes. Outright ownership at 47.3% may support a settled feel, but buyers should test borrowing capacity because repayment pressure varies by debt size and household structure.
For Investors
Investors get mixed signals. Renting is 19.7% of occupied tenure, below outright ownership at 47.3% and mortgages at 31.3%, while vacancy is 11.1%. That can mean more leasing competition and a less reliable occupancy buffer. Weekly rent is $410, while rent growth across the wider area reached 22.7%, so yield should be tested against the purchase price rather than assumed. Fourteen development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing small-scale activity, but sampled building-plan applications involve 1 dwelling, not evidence of a major apartment pipeline. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, although the Aging trajectory and median age of 49 temper the case for a purely growth-led strategy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
16
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Watermans Bay's 1,369 residents form an older, highly educated profile. Median age is 49, 9 years above the national level, and university attainment is 48.0%, 17.9 percentage points higher than nationally. Overseas-born residents account for 25.5%, 3.9 points above the national share, while English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 678, 180 and 148. Christianity is recorded for 703 people and no religion for 576, so the two largest responses are closer than a single-faith profile would suggest. Average household size is 2.4, only 0.1 below the national figure, and couples without children make up 52.0% of families, higher than couples with children at 41.1%. The 81.2% stayed rate suggests more residential continuity than turnover at 18.8%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
67.5%
Houses
29.6%
Townhouse
2.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Watermans Bay's tenure pattern is more owner-oriented than rental-led: 47.3% of homes are owned outright, 31.3% carry a mortgage and 19.7% are rented. That structure can support stability, but mortgage holders face a 30.9% mortgage-to-income ratio, above the 18.7% rent-to-income ratio reported for renters. Separate houses account for 67.5%, semi-detached homes 29.6% and apartments 2.9%, making the stock more family-house focused than apartment based. Four-plus-bedroom dwellings comprise 42.5%, compared with 37.3% for three-bedroom homes and 14.4% for two-bedroom homes. The $2,934 monthly mortgage indicator should be assessed alongside household income of $2,190 per week, because repayment capacity varies sharply by debt size and household structure. With no current median price, buyers should compare recent comparable sales rather than use a suburb-wide benchmark.
Mortgage / mo
$2,934
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$410
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,085
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.1%
Unoccupied
68
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.9% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.1%
Couples with children
52.0%
Couples, no children
7.9%
Single parent
404
Total families
Economy & Employment
Watermans Bay has an educated, service-led employment base. Education is the largest listed industry at 17.3% and 79 workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 13.8% and 63, Healthcare at 13.3% and 61, Construction at 10.7% and 49, and Mining at 7.0% and 32. Professionals number 238 and managers 122, together exceeding clerical/admin at 88 and trades at 58, which points to a higher-skilled occupational mix than a trade-only profile. The unemployment rate is 3.2% among a labour force of 685, while participation is 59.3% and full-time employment is 53.7%. Household income sits in the 83.4th percentile, above the national midpoint, but 433 people are outside the labour force, consistent with an older age structure and 49 median age.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
685
Unemployed
22
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.7%
Part-time
41.0%
Participation
59.3%
Employed
663
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.0%
Postgraduate
11.2%
Born Overseas
25.5%
Dwellings
544
Transport to Work
Watermans Bay is compact at 1.22 sq km and relatively dense at 1,125.4 people per sq km, which can make daily trips shorter than in lower-density areas, but car dependence remains clear. A total of 74.2% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.6% using public transport and 0.7% walking or cycling; 18.3% work from home, supporting a more home-based routine. School decisions should focus on nearby options, sector and type, and the exact enrolment zone rather than assuming the suburb boundary defines access. The 2.4-person average household and 47.3% outright ownership may suit quieter established living, while the median age of 49 is higher than the national figure by 9 years. Volunteering reaches 22.2% and need for assistance is 3.6%. For safety, inspect street lighting, traffic and recent incidents at the exact address.
Drive
74.2%
Public Transport
2.6%
Walk / Cycle
0.7%
Work from Home
18.3%
Growth Outlook
Watermans Bay is an established market with growth running at 0.99% a year across the wider area, driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is explicitly Aging: the senior share has risen 6.1 percentage points while the working share has fallen 5.5 points, helping explain why demand may favour downsizers, accessible homes and low-maintenance stock more than rapid family expansion. Population change across the wider area is 15.0% over 10 years, while the gentrification score is 22 and the stage is Early signs. Rent growth of 22.7% has outpaced real income growth of 5.9%, although affordability improved from 39.9% in 2011 to 37.6% in 2021. Compared with a high-growth redevelopment market, this points to measured change rather than a sudden supply shock.
Population trend: Stirling council area
Watermans Bay sits in the Stirling council area. These are the council area's residents, not Watermans Bay's.
Residents 2025
254,821
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.9%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.6%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Watermans Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Watermans Bay a good suburb to live in?
It can suit residents seeking an established coastal setting, a mature population and relatively strong incomes. Median age is 49, household income ranks at the 83.4th percentile, and 18.3% work from home. Car dependence is high at 74.2%, so lifestyle fit depends on access to a vehicle and preferred services.
What is the median house price in Watermans Bay?
A current median house price is not available. Buyers can still use the $2,934 monthly mortgage indicator, $410 weekly rent and the 67.5% separate-house share to frame affordability, then compare recent comparable sales and assess repayments against household income of $2,190 per week.
What schools are in Watermans Bay?
School access should be checked by exact address, including nearby government and non-government options, sector, type and enrolment zone. The suburb covers 1.22 sq km, but that boundary does not determine every school entitlement. Families should confirm current catchments before signing a contract or lease.
Is Watermans Bay safe?
A suburb-wide crime rate is not available, so safety should be assessed at the exact street and property. Inspect lighting, traffic conditions, walking routes and recent local incidents at different times. The compact 1.22 sq km area and population of 1,369 make property-level inspection practical.
Is Watermans Bay good for property investment?
It has a $410 weekly rent and 22.7% rent growth across the wider area, but the 11.1% vacancy rate can increase leasing risk. Renting is 19.7% of tenure, and 14 development applications were recorded over 12 months. With no current median price, calculate yield from comparable purchases rather than assuming strong returns.
How is Watermans Bay's population changing?
Growth across the wider area is running at 0.99% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.1 percentage points and the working share down 5.5 points. Ten-year population change is 15.0%, while the gentrification score is 22 and classified as Early signs.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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