Housing data for Watertown, WI
Watertown, WI has an estimated 22,774 residents and 9,478 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Jefferson County.
38.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,052 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 22,774 (±30)
- Housing units
- 9,478 (±432)
- Households that rent
- 38.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,052
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.6%
What stands out in Watertown
Households that rent: 38.0% (±3.3 points) in Watertown, higher than in Jefferson County (26.9%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 20.1% (±3.0 points) in Watertown, higher than in Jefferson County (14.2%).
Households without a vehicle: 8.5% (±1.9 points) in Watertown, higher than in Jefferson County (4.6%).
Working from home: 6.9% (±1.5 points) in Watertown, lower than in Jefferson County (10.5%).
Housing in Watertown at a glance
- Median rent: $1,052 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,093 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 40.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 38.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $70,107 median household income
- Home values: $222,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,511 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,706 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 20.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 57.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 66.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.1% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 74.9% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 24.6 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 169 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Watertown against Jefferson County, its state and the nation
| Watertown | Jefferson County | Wisconsin | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 22,774 (±30) | 86,003 (exact) | 5,914,872 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 9,478 (±432) | 36,890 (±83) | 2,778,572 (±1,533) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 38.0% (±3.3 points) | 26.9% (±1.5 points) | 32.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,052 (±$48) | $1,035 (±$34) | $1,087 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $70,107 (±$5,618) | $83,750 (±$2,615) | $77,485 (±$455) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $222,100 (±$9,182) | $274,100 (±$7,416) | $266,500 (±$1,051) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,706 (±$185) | $4,005 (±$96) | $3,792 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 66.4% (±5.5 points) | 59.0% (±2.6 points) | 57.0% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 24.6 minutes (±1.7) | 24.8 minutes (±0.7) | 22.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 89.8% (±2.1 points) | 90.6% (±1.2 points) | 90.3% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 40.6 years (±1.5) | 41.5 years (±0.4) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watertown covers 12.1 square miles of land, about 1,888 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watertown has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 23,633 (±80) | 22,774 (±30) | −3.6% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 9,787 (±270) | 9,478 (±432) | −3.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $860 (±$26) | $1,052 (±$48) | +22.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $153,100 (±$6,255) | $222,100 (±$9,182) | +45.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $51,534 (±$3,987) | $70,107 (±$5,618) | +36.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,339 (±$52) | $1,511 (±$69) | +12.8% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,216 (±$124) | $3,706 (±$185) | +15.2% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 41.9% (±3.3 points) | 38.0% (±3.3 points) | −3.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.7% (±1.3 points) | 4.1% (±3.2 points) | +2.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Watertown
In 2025, the Watertown Police Department reported 169 violent and 559 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Places near Watertown
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Watertown | 2.7 mi | $1,167 | $348,900 | 6.2% |
| Town of Emmet (Dodge County) | 3.5 mi | $1,177 | $362,900 | 12.0% |
| Town of Shields (Dodge County) | 5.4 mi | $1,274 | $284,000 | 21.0% |
| Town of Milford | 5.8 mi | $872 | $388,000 | 17.8% |
| Town of Ixonia | 6.6 mi | $1,187 | $335,400 | 15.1% |
| Town of Lebanon (Dodge County) | 7.4 mi | $938 | $320,600 | 16.6% |
| Ixonia | 7.6 mi | $1,167 | $345,300 | 17.0% |
| Johnson Creek | 7.9 mi | $1,231 | $314,200 | 20.8% |
Places in Wisconsin most like Watertown
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | $1,186 | $225,200 | $71,239 | 41.3% |
| Edgerton | $961 | $266,900 | $72,489 | 37.6% |
| Portage | $1,008 | $204,900 | $64,722 | 41.4% |
| Jefferson | $1,071 | $225,600 | $79,006 | 33.2% |
| Sharon | $1,072 | $186,700 | $67,500 | 38.0% |
| Janesville | $1,054 | $223,400 | $73,446 | 32.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Wisconsin.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Watertown, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $842 | $958 | $1,209 | $1,635 | $1,652 |
HUD income limits for Watertown, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,450 | $39,100 | $62,550 |
| 2 people | $26,800 | $44,700 | $71,500 |
| 3 people | $30,150 | $50,300 | $80,450 |
| 4 people | $33,500 | $55,850 | $89,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $60,350 | $96,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $64,800 | $103,650 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $69,300 | $110,800 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $73,750 | $117,950 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Jefferson County, WI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $111,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Watertown
What is the average rent in Watertown, WI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Watertown is $1,052 (±$48) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Watertown?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Watertown, WI is $850 (±$36) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Watertown rent-burdened?
40.4% of renting households in Watertown pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Watertown?
Watertown has an estimated 3,493 (±313) renting households, 38.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Watertown?
The median household income in Watertown is $70,107 (±$5,618) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Watertown, WI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $222,100 (±$9,182) for owner-occupied homes in Watertown (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Watertown growing?
In Watertown, the number of residents went from 23,633 in 2015–2019 to 22,774 in 2020–2024 (−3.6%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Jefferson County, WI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Jefferson County, WI
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Watertown Police Department (ORI WI0280300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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, Wisconsin (place:83975, in state:55).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .