About
Watchem (VIC 3482): population 124, median age 56, median household income $1,031/week, SEIFA IRSD decile 7. Victorian suburb guide with housing, jobs and community insights.
Watchem is a small locality in Buloke, Victoria (postcode 3482), located in the Grampians region. At the ABS Census 2021 it had a population of 124 people.
At a glance
Age distribution
Housing tenure
Key statistics
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Postcode | 3482 |
| Population (2021) | 124 |
| Males | 72 (58.1%) |
| Females | 46 (37.1%) |
| Median age | 56 years |
| Average household size | 2.1 |
| Median weekly household income | $1,031 |
| Median weekly family income | $1,231 |
| Median weekly rent | $175 |
| Median monthly mortgage | $477 |
| Labour force | 33 |
| Unemployment rate | 0% |
| Participation rate | 37.1% |
| Born overseas | 6.5% |
| Separate houses | 62.3% |
| Worked at home | 40.0% |
| SEIFA IRSD decile | 7 of 10 |
| Bachelor degree or higher | 25.0% |
| Residents needing assistance with core activities | 12.1% |
| Households with 2+ vehicles | 66.7% |
| Distance from Melbourne CBD | 262.0 km (straight line) |
Age profile
Median age: 56 years. Residents under 15: 11.3%. Residents aged 65 and over: 25.8%.
| Age group | People | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 4 | 3.2% |
| 5-14 | 10 | 8.1% |
| 15-19 | 8 | 6.5% |
| 20-24 | 5 | 4.0% |
| 25-34 | 4 | 3.2% |
| 35-44 | 5 | 4.0% |
| 45-54 | 19 | 15.3% |
| 55-64 | 32 | 25.8% |
| 65-74 | 18 | 14.5% |
| 75-84 | 11 | 8.9% |
| 85 and over | 3 | 2.4% |
Households and families
| Household type | Count | Share of households |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 50 | |
| Average household size | 2.1 | |
| One person | 18 | 36.0% |
| Two persons | 15 | 30.0% |
| Three persons | 12 | 24.0% |
| Four persons | 5 | 10.0% |
| Five persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Six or more persons | 0 | 0.0% |
| Family type | Count | Share of families |
|---|---|---|
| Total families | 31 | |
| Couples with children | 3 | 9.7% |
| Couples without children | 12 | 38.7% |
| One-parent families | 4 | 12.9% |
| Other families | 4 | 12.9% |
Housing
| Dwellings | Count | Share of dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings | 69 | |
| Occupied | 50 | 72.5% |
| Unoccupied | 25 | 36.2% |
| Dwelling structure | Count | Share of dwellings |
|---|---|---|
| Separate house | 43 | 62.3% |
| Semi-detached or townhouse | 0 | 0.0% |
| Flat or apartment | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other dwelling | 0 | 0.0% |
| Tenure | Count | Share of households |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 26 | 52.0% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 11 | 22.0% |
| Rented | 6 | 12.0% |
| Other tenure | 0 | 0.0% |
Employment
| Labour force status | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 33 | |
| Employed | 30 | 90.9% |
| Unemployed | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not in the labour force | 56 | |
| Unemployment rate | 0% | |
| Participation rate | 37.1% |
Household income
Household incomes in Watchem are distributed across the following weekly bands.
| Weekly household income | Share of households |
|---|---|
| Under $650 | 39.0% |
| $650 to $1,499 | 51.2% |
| $1,500 to $2,999 | 9.8% |
| $3,000 or more | 0.0% |
For residents aged 15 and over, personal weekly income is distributed as follows.
| Weekly personal income | Share of residents 15+ |
|---|---|
| Under $500 | 61.2% |
| $500 to $999 | 20.0% |
| $1,000 to $1,999 | 18.8% |
| $2,000 or more | 0.0% |
Travel to work
| Method | Count | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Car driver | 15 | 50.0% |
| Car passenger | 0 | 0.0% |
| Train | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bus | 0 | 0.0% |
| Tram | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bicycle | 0 | 0.0% |
| Walked only | 4 | 13.3% |
| Worked at home | 12 | 40.0% |
Religious affiliation
| Religion | Count | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 51 | 41.1% |
| No religion | 42 | 33.9% |
| Islam | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hinduism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other or not stated | 31 | 25.0% |
Socio-economic profile (SEIFA 2021)
SEIFA deciles run from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (least disadvantaged) nationally.
| Index | Score | Decile | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRSD (disadvantage) | 1040 | 7 | 67 |
| IRSAD (advantage and disadvantage) | 1023 | 8 | |
| IER (economic resources) | 1028 | 6 | |
| IEO (education and occupation) | 1052 | 9 |
Where residents were born
94.5% of residents were born in Australia and 5.5% were born overseas. The most common overseas birthplaces in Watchem are listed below.
| Country of birth | People | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| England | 5 | 5.5% |
Ancestry
Residents of Watchem most commonly report the following ancestries.
| Ancestry | Responses | Share of responses |
|---|---|---|
| Australian | 56 | 41.8% |
| English | 43 | 32.1% |
| Irish | 23 | 17.2% |
| Welsh | 6 | 4.5% |
| Scottish | 3 | 2.2% |
| Chinese | 3 | 2.2% |
Work and industry
The largest employment sectors for Watchem residents are listed below.
| Industry of employment | Workers | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 15 | 51.7% |
| Construction | 6 | 20.7% |
| Retail Trade | 5 | 17.2% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 10.3% |
The most common occupations among Watchem residents are listed below.
| Occupation | Workers | Share of workers |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 17 | 58.6% |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 5 | 17.2% |
| Sales Workers | 4 | 13.8% |
| Labourers | 3 | 10.3% |
Education
The most common fields of study among Watchem residents with qualifications are listed below.
| Field of study | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Society and Culture | 8 | 33.3% |
| Engineering and Related Technologies | 5 | 20.8% |
| Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies | 4 | 16.7% |
| Health | 4 | 16.7% |
| Management and Commerce | 3 | 12.5% |
| Creative Arts | 0 | 0.0% |
Long-term health conditions
25.9% of residents report no long-term health condition. The most commonly reported conditions in Watchem are listed below.
| Health condition | People | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis | 27 | 18.9% |
| Asthma | 18 | 12.6% |
| Mental health condition (including depression or anxiety) | 17 | 11.9% |
| Heart disease (including heart attack or angina) | 12 | 8.4% |
| Diabetes (excluding gestational diabetes) | 10 | 7.0% |
| Cancer (including remission) | 7 | 4.9% |
| Lung condition (including COPD or emphysema) | 4 | 2.8% |
| Stroke | 3 | 2.1% |
| Dementia (including Alzheimer's) | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kidney disease | 0 | 0.0% |
Community and care
How residents of Watchem contribute to their community (share of residents aged 15 and over).
| Community activity | Share |
|---|---|
| Volunteers for an organisation or group | 23.9% |
| Provides unpaid assistance to a person with a disability or health condition | 8.8% |
| Provides unpaid child care | 29.2% |
| Does 15 or more hours of unpaid domestic work | 15.0% |
| Has served or is serving in the Australian Defence Force | 6.2% |
Moving and stability
| Mobility | Share of residents |
|---|---|
| Same address 1 year ago | 90.7% |
| Moved within Victoria in the last year | 5.2% |
| Moved interstate in the last year | 0.0% |
| Moved from overseas in the last year | 0.0% |
| Same address 5 years ago | 77.2% |
| Moved within Victoria in the last 5 years | 14.1% |
| Moved interstate in the last 5 years | 5.4% |
| Moved from overseas in the last 5 years | 0.0% |
Photo: Watchem, Victoria. Credit: Mattinbgn / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Crime and safety
Watchem recorded fewer than 10 offences in the 12 months to March 2026. Counts at this volume are not shown in detail.
Population too small for a reliable rate.
For context, the Buloke local government area recorded 5,505 offences per 100,000 residents in the same period. That figure is the official Crime Statistics Agency rate for the LGA.
Five-year trend
13
13
13
14
9
Recorded offences count crimes reported to Victoria Police in this locality, not crimes committed by or against its residents. Areas with shopping centres, transport hubs, hospitals or entertainment precincts record more offences regardless of how safe they are for people who live there. Counts are revised as investigations progress.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, Data tables - Recorded offences, Year ending March 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates per 1,000 residents are calculations by My Victoria AU using ABS Census 2021 population and are not CSA figures. View the source dataset.
Location
<iframe src="https://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=142.8622%2C-36.1584%2C142.8862%2C-36.1404&layer=mapnik&marker=-36.149369%2C142.874176" width="100%" height="320" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;max-width:100%;" loading="lazy" title="Map of Watchem, Victoria"></iframe>Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby suburbs
- Massey (8.0 km)
- Morton Plains (8.9 km)
- Warmur (13.2 km)
- Corack (14.2 km)
- Watchem West (14.8 km)
Browse more suburbs in Buloke, or explore the wider Grampians region of Victoria.
Data disclaimer: The statistics on this page are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census of Population and Housing 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (ASGS Edition 3), and are used under the ABS CC BY 4.0 licence. This directory is an independent community resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ABS.
