Watsons Bay crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales
NSW Police (figures published by BOCSAR) recorded 85 offences in Watsons Bay in 2025-26, including 10 violent offences and 3 break-ins. The rates and Crime Score below are for the whole Woollahra council area.
Watsons Bay is a suburb in the Woollahra council area of New South Wales (about 55,218 residents in the council). The council has a Crime Score 24 out of 100 (low), 319th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by homicide (46th percentile), sexual offences (36th percentile), robbery (29th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 22.
In 2025-26: violent 623 per 100,000 (+16% vs five years earlier); property 1,713 per 100,000 (-16% vs five years earlier); break-ins 154 per 100,000 (-17% vs five years earlier); theft 822 per 100,000 (+1% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 118th of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Woollahra council area is 3.3% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 0.4% of occupied homes (60 public and 35 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 345 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 64.3 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 35.9% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in England, South Africa, New Zealand. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 3.3% (confidence 83 of 100); social housing about 0.4% of homes; about 63.3 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 36.5% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
New South Wales publishes suburb-level counts: 85 offences were recorded in Watsons Bay in 2025-26. The rates and Crime Score above are for the whole Woollahra council area.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 623 | 344 | +16% |
| Property | 1,713 | 946 | -16% |
| Break-ins | 154 | 85 | -17% |
| Theft | 822 | 454 | +1% |
Woollahra council area: full statistics · Interactive map of every council.
Crime in postcode 2030: every suburb and council it covers.
Questions
Is Watsons Bay safe?
Police recorded 85 offences in Watsons Bay in 2025-26, including 10 violent offences and 3 break-ins. Watsons Bay is not ranked against other suburbs: with 883 residents a handful of incidents would move its rate a lot. The Woollahra council area as a whole recorded 623 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, about 46% lower than the New South Wales rate (1,150) and about 51% lower than the national rate (1,280). These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
What is the crime rate in Watsons Bay?
In 2025-26 police recorded 85 offences in Watsons Bay, including 10 violent offences and 3 break-ins.
Police news near Watsons Bay
- Two men charged following Sydney CBD ram raid investigation · Sydney, 27 Oct 2026 · 7 km away
- Man charged following alleged ferry assault - Sydney CBD · Sydney, 15 Oct 2026 · 7 km away
- Two charged following alleged assault - Double Bay · Double Bay, 24 Sept 2026 · 5 km away
- Man charged with domestic violence murder - Bondi Beach · Bondi Beach, 20 Sept 2026 · 6 km away
- Man arrested after woman dies - Bondi Beach · Bondi Beach, 19 Sept 2026 · 6 km away
Nearby suburbs
Bellevue Hill · Darling Point · Double Bay · Edgecliff · Himas Rushcutters · Paddington · Point Piper · Rose Bay · Vaucluse · Woollahra
australiancrimerate.com.au/suburb/nsw/watsons-bay/ · Australian Crime Map