How long do people stay in their homes in Watertown, WI?

Name: How long people stay in Watertown, WI, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

20.6% (±3.1 points) of households in Watertown, WI moved into their current home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

19.3% have lived in it since before 2000.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Moved in 2020 or later: 20.6% (±3.1 points)
Since before 2000: 19.3%

When households in Watertown moved in

Occupied housing units by year the householder moved in, 2020–2024
Moved in	Watertown	Jefferson County	Wisconsin	United States
2023 or later	3.5% (±1.5 points)	2.6%	4.1%	4.6%
2020 to 2022	17.1% (±2.7 points)	14.9%	19.0%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	42.4% (±3.5 points)	39.9%	38.0%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.8% (±3.1 points)	17.6%	17.1%	16.4%
1990 to 1999	8.4% (±1.8 points)	12.3%	10.7%	9.6%
1989 or earlier	10.9% (±2.3 points)	12.7%	11.1%	9.5%

A high share of recent movers usually means more renting households and more turnover; a high share of long-time residents usually means more owners who have stayed.

In Watertown, the share of households that moved in since 2020 is not measurably different from Jefferson County (17.5%).

It is not measurably different from Wisconsin (23.1%).

It is lower than the national figure (24.8%).

Households that moved in since 2020 in places near Watertown

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Watertown
Place	Distance	Households that moved in since 2020	Compared with this place
Watertown	—	20.6% (±3.1 points)	—
Town of Watertown	2.7 mi	10.2% (±4.0 points)	Lower
Town of Emmet (Dodge County)	3.5 mi	14.6% (±5.4 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Shields (Dodge County)	5.4 mi	7.7% (±5.3 points)	Lower
Town of Milford	5.8 mi	12.1% (±7.6 points)	Lower
Town of Ixonia	6.6 mi	14.2% (±6.0 points)	Not measurably different
Town of Lebanon (Dodge County)	7.4 mi	18.7% (±6.4 points)	Not measurably different
Ixonia	7.6 mi	14.9% (±8.8 points)	Not measurably different
Johnson Creek	7.9 mi	19.1% (±6.2 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Town of Watertown, WI (10.2%), Town of Shields (Dodge County), WI (7.7%), Town of Milford, WI (12.1%).

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

Households that moved in since 2020 across Jefferson County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that moved in since 2020
1	Sullivan	26.2% (±10.0 points)
2	Lake Mills	24.3% (±7.1 points)
3	Watertown	20.6% (±3.1 points)
4	Palmyra	20.5% (±8.2 points)
5	Jefferson	19.8% (±4.9 points)
6	Johnson Creek	19.1% (±6.2 points)
7	Fort Atkinson	18.3% (±3.6 points)
8	Waterloo	18.2% (±10.2 points)
9	Town of Lake Mills	14.4% (±5.2 points)

Showing 9 of 24 places in Jefferson County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

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

How often do people move in Watertown?

20.6% of households in Watertown, WI moved into their home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many long-time residents does Watertown have?

19.3% of households in Watertown have lived in their home since 1999 or earlier.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watertown city, Wisconsin

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0051PE, DP04_0051PM, DP04_0052PE, DP04_0052PM, DP04_0053PE, DP04_0053PM, DP04_0054PE, DP04_0054PM, DP04_0055PE, DP04_0055PM, DP04_0056PE, DP04_0056PM

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.