What is the rental vacancy rate in Watertown, MA?

Name: Vacancy rate in Watertown, MA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Watertown, MA is 3.8% (±1.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.7% (±0.9 points).

835 (±244) homes, 4.9% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 3.8% (±1.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.7% (±0.9 points)
Vacant homes: 835 (±244)

Vacancy in Watertown against Middlesex County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Watertown	Middlesex County	Massachusetts	United States
Rental vacancy rate	3.8% (±1.5 points)	3.4% (±0.3 points)	3.5% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.7% (±0.9 points)	0.6% (±0.1 points)	0.6% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	835 (±244)	30,052 (±1,649)	245,364 (±5,351)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Watertown, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Middlesex County (3.4%).

It is not measurably different from Massachusetts (3.5%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Watertown

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Watertown
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Watertown	—	3.8% (±1.5 points)	—
Belmont (community)	1.8 mi	1.3% (±1.2 points)	Lower
Belmont	1.8 mi	1.3% (±1.2 points)	Lower
Newton	3.0 mi	4.5% (±1.9 points)	Not measurably different
Cambridge	3.1 mi	4.5% (±1.0 points)	Not measurably different
Arlington (community)	3.5 mi	2.3% (±1.6 points)	Not measurably different
Arlington	3.5 mi	2.3% (±1.6 points)	Not measurably different
Waltham	3.5 mi	2.5% (±1.3 points)	Not measurably different
Brookline (community)	3.6 mi	2.5% (±1.1 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Belmont (community), MA (1.3%), Belmont, MA (1.3%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Middlesex County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
11 (tie)	Concord	4.8% (±4.9 points)
13	Ashland	4.7% (±4.1 points)
14 (tie)	Cambridge	4.5% (±1.0 points)
14 (tie)	Newton	4.5% (±1.9 points)
16	Dracut	4.4% (±5.2 points)
17	Pepperell	4.2% (±6.2 points)
18	Watertown	3.8% (±1.5 points)
19	Tewksbury	3.6% (±5.6 points)
20	Woburn	3.5% (±2.1 points)
21 (tie)	Framingham	3.4% (±1.7 points)
21 (tie)	Lowell	3.4% (±0.9 points)
23 (tie)	Everett	3.2% (±1.7 points)
23 (tie)	Medford	3.2% (±1.7 points)

Showing 13 of 54 places in Middlesex County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Watertown

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Watertown, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Watertown beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Watertown, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Watertown

Is it hard to find a rental in Watertown?

The rental vacancy rate in Watertown, MA is 3.8% (±1.5 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

How many homes are vacant in Watertown?

An estimated 835 (±244) housing units, 4.9% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Watertown city, Massachusetts (place:73405, in state:25).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.