Stickybeak

Watsons Bay 2030 suburb insights

Postcode 2030 covers Watsons Bay, a residential suburb within the Woollahra local government area of New South Wales. Stickybeak analyses Watsons Bay across four dimensions that matter to buyers: affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, and first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle quality (school catchments, childcare, walkability, and CBD commute times), risk factors (flood zone mapping, bushfire prone land, air quality, and traffic volume), and suburb momentum (development pipeline, price trajectory over time, and ABS demographic data). The section navigation at the top of the page lets you jump directly to any part of the analysis. All figures are sourced from NSW government and federal datasets and refreshed as new data is published.

Last refreshed May 2026 (most cards). Per-card sources show exact dates.

All data has limits. See our data caveats.

Affordability

Can I afford Watsons Bay?

Can I afford Watsons Bay?

Serviceability check

What would a typical mortgage look like in Watsons Bay? Based on the suburb median of $3,850,000 (units) and the local median household income.


Monthly repayment
$19,004/mo

6.3% variable · Apr 2026

Repayment-to-income
150.0%

Stretch

Loan assumptions
$3,080,000 loan
20% deposit ($770,000)
30-year P&I

At today's rate, repayments here would eat 150% of the typical local household's gross income. That is out of reach for most buyers.


Repayment burden vs Sydney median income
Watsons Bay150.0%
Sydney median income211.9%
30% stress line

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year P&I owner-occupier loan at the current Sydney variable rate. Your actual rate, deposit, and income will differ.

Nearby suburbs with lower medians

Still looking? These suburbs are closer to reach.

Based on median prices and a 20% deposit at 6.27% variable.
Can I afford Watsons Bay?

Rental market in Watsons Bay

Median weekly rent from lodged bonds. Sep 2025. Based on 52 new bond lodgements this quarter.

Rents here are at the higher end for Sydney. Higher holding costs for investors; higher savings pressure for renters.


Median weekly rent · Unit · 2 bed
$900per week
Sep 2025 · 52 bonds lodged

Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Dec 22: $778 per week (38 bonds)Mar 23: $880 per week (35 bonds)Jun 23: $800 per week (46 bonds)Sep 23: $800 per week (50 bonds)Dec 23: $920 per week (33 bonds)Mar 24: $900 per week (45 bonds)Jun 24: $900 per week (47 bonds)Sep 24: $900 per week (40 bonds)Dec 24: $920 per week (41 bonds)Mar 25: $940 per week (44 bonds)Jun 25: $930 per week (41 bonds)Sep 25: $900 per week (52 bonds)Dec 22Jun 24Sep 25


Nearby suburbs · same combination

Rose Bay2029
$900
2.1 km away
Bellevue Hill2023
$930$30
3.0 km away
Edgecliff2027
$1,100$200
3.4 km away
Bondi2026
$1,000$100
3.6 km away
NSW DCJ Rental Bond Board · Sep 2025 · CC BY. Cells with 10 or fewer bond lodgements are suppressed; cells with 30 or fewer have the bond count suppressed but rent published. Figures are transacted rents, not asking rents.

Lifestyle

Watsons Bay Lifestyle

Dealbreakers

Any dealbreakers?

Any dealbreakers?

Air quality in Watsons Bay

34
FairAQI · NSW DCCEEW
05:24 AEST
Cook and Phillip station · 6.0 km from centroid
12-month median: AQI 27 · Good

Air quality is acceptable but sensitive groups may notice effects.


Pollutants
nearest station
PM2.5i
4.9µg/m³
24-hr avg
PM10i
17.2µg/m³
24-hr avg
NO₂i
0.6pphm
1hr reading

AQI · last 12 months · daily mean
Cook and Phillip station · 365 daily points
Source: NSW DCCEEW Air Quality API (CC BY 4.0). Historical data updated weekly; live readings cached 60 minutes.

Change

How might Watsons Bay change?

DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE · NSW PLANNING PORTAL · 2030

What’s in the pipeline

NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2030. Expected back by Q3 2026.

NSW PLANNING PORTAL
How might Watsons Bay change?

Investor activity in Watsons Bay

2030 · ATO Taxation Statistics · ~18-month lag

Source: ATO Taxation Statistics (CC BY 2.5 AU).

What to do next

Three steps to move from research to action.

1
Get pre-approved

Know your budget before you inspect. A pre-approval letter strengthens your offer.

Read our guides
2
Set a listings alert

See new listings in Watsons Bay under the median ($5,600,000).

Search on Domain
3
Join the contract-review waitlist

Have your Section 66W reviewed before you sign.

Join the waitlist

Track Watsons Bay.

Get one email when Watsons Bay's prices, FHB eligibility, or strata health change. No newsletter, no upsell, unsubscribe with one click.

Compare Watsons Bay with another suburb

Also in Woollahra

Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other Woollahra postcodes, or explore the full Woollahra suburb index.

Bellevue Hill 2023Double Bay 2028Edgecliff 2027Rose Bay 2029

Frequently asked questions

What suburb is postcode 2030?
Watsons Bay is the primary suburb with postcode 2030 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Watsons Bay is the main locality.
Which local government area is Watsons Bay in?
Watsons Bay (2030) is located in the Woollahra local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Watsons Bay?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Watsons Bay (2030) covering affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle (schools, childcare, walkability, commute times), risk factors (flood zones, bushfire prone land, air quality, traffic volume), and suburb growth signals (development pipeline, price trajectory, demographics).
Is Watsons Bay flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Watsons Bay. Check the Dealbreakers section on this page for the latest NSW flood zone mapping sourced from official state government data. Always verify at the property level with a Section 10.7 certificate before purchasing.
What are the best schools near Watsons Bay?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Watsons Bay (2030), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Watsons Bay (2030) eligible for the First Home Buyer scheme?
The First Home Buyer eligibility card on this page shows which NSW and federal government schemes — including the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty exemptions, and the First Home Super Saver scheme — apply to purchases in Watsons Bay (2030). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Watsons Bay changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Watsons Bay (2030) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.

Explore Watsons Bay in depth

Dig deeper into specific topics for Watsons Bay 2030: see flood risk, schools, walkability, and rental market as standalone pages. Or browse the full Woollahra suburb index to compare nearby options.