Living in Watertown
There were 78 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. Watertown had a population of 23,044 in July 2026. In July 2026, median household income was US$69,600 a year. The city had 9 schools in 2026.
Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Watertown?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Median gross rent was US$942 per month, while the median home value was US$229,400 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 65.3%, and the vacancy rate was 6.44% in July 2026. 35.9% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 47.89 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 1,265 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 42.98 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 108.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross rent | $942/month | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 35.89 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Housing vacancy rate (legacy series) | 6.44 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Property crime per 100,000 residents | 1,651 per 100,000 people | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 883.3 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)1Official |
| Median monthly rent | 828 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Recorded property crimes | 174 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)12Official |
Is Watertown a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
How international is the population?
1.3% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 305 of 23,736 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.Work and income
Watertown 1.8%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | 69,600 USD/year | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband | 73.04 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.26 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Households with internet but no subscription | 2.06 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Households without internet | 10.63 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Households with satellite internet | 1.12 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Median gross salary | 3,111 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)21Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,437 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | data.bls.gov8Official |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
What does a salary buy in Watertown?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €2,707 |
| Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31 | − €883 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€109 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650) · 2025-12-31 | − €109 |
| Internet€48 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650) · 2025-12-31 | − €48 |
| Mobile plan€43 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650) · 2025-12-31 | − €43 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €1,624 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Watertown. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
American Job Centers — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Watertown. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health provider ratio | 0 ratio | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio14Official |
| Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents | 78 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio14Official |
| Preventable hospitalizations | 3,307 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio14Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Watertown when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 1,328 offences per 100,000country median 1,586 | 31 Dec 2024 | FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting13Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 301.4 per 100,000 people | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area |
| Recorded violent crimes | 43 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)12Official |
Mobility and administration
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | 12.63 minutes | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Workers commuting by bicycle | 0.32 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Workers commuting by public transport | 0.61 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Workers walking to work | 1.07 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 2 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights18Official |
| Nearest airport | ATY | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports19Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 4 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports19Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Watertown. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course
U.S. Department of Education
For adult learners, adult English-language learners.
USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
For immigrants, future citizens.
Climate and air quality
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Watertown 7.5
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7.53 µg/m³country median 7.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202410Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan -5.89 · Feb -3.39 · Mar 3.67 · Apr 12.22 · May 19.39 · Jun 24.89 · Jul 27.78 · Aug 26.39 · Sep 22 · Oct 13.44 · Nov 4.33 · Dec -3.17 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00014946 (WATERTOWN RGNL AP)17Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -16.06 · Feb -14.06 · Mar -6.89 · Apr -0.278 · May 6.94 · Jun 13 · Jul 15.56 · Aug 14.17 · Sep 9.22 · Oct 1.78 · Nov -5.94 · Dec -12.61 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00014946 (WATERTOWN RGNL AP)17Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -11 · Feb -8.72 · Mar -1.61 · Apr 6 · May 13.17 · Jun 18.94 · Jul 21.67 · Aug 20.28 · Sep 15.61 · Oct 7.61 · Nov -0.778 · Dec -7.89 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information17Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 14.73 · Feb 16.51 · Mar 25.4 · Apr 52.32 · May 72.9 · Jun 97.79 · Jul 77.47 · Aug 73.41 · Sep 62.23 · Oct 49.53 · Nov 17.27 · Dec 17.27 mm | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00014946 (WATERTOWN RGNL AP)17Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5, highest monitored reading | 73.4 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5, annual mean | 9.62 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5 monitoring sites | 1 monitors | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| Annual precipitation | 500.8 mm | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Maximum July temperature | 20.86 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Average annual temperature | 7.28 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Minimum January temperature | -9.98 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
Similar climate. In United States: Fargo ±0.7 °C. Elsewhere: Gatineau (Canada) ±1.1 °C, Barrie (Canada) ±1.9 °C, Chatham-Kent (Canada) ±2.9 °C, Markham (Canada) ±3.8 °C, Mississauga (Canada) ±3.8 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 305 is not 0.5% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport98.7%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-resident share | 0.547 % | 31 Dec 2020 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)6Official |
| Foreign residents | 305 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Population density | 497 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau7Official |
| Population | 23,736 people | 31 Dec 2025 | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program20Official |
| Population covered by crime statistics | 23,699 people | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)12Official |
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | 229,400 USD | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.26 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Labour force participation rate | 67.5 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Residents born abroad | 1.32 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Naturalized citizens, share of residents | 0.78 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Non-citizens, share of residents | 0.55 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Flu vaccination coverage | 63.59 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage4Official |
| Mammography screening coverage | 80.6 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC mammography screening rate5Official |
| Residents without health insurance | 7 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher | 21.57 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Crime reporting agencies | 0 agencies | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area |
| Households with a vehicle available | 93.67 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent2Official |
| Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database | 1 agencies | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Transit passenger trips, 2022 | 171,342 trips | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Transit vehicles in peak service, 2022 | 50 vehicles | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Workers aged 16 and over | 12,314 workers | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Workers mainly working from home | 4.76 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
| Households using cellular data plans | 79.79 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population3Official |
Alternatives for people set on Watertown
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Plainfield as a Watertown alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 809 km, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 6.1% Plainfield vs 0.5% Watertown+1018%
- Unemployment: 3.8% Plainfield vs 1.8% Watertown+109%
- Median gross pay, city: €4,830 Plainfield vs €3,111 Watertown+55%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 741 Plainfield vs 1,328 Watertown−44%
- Nearest airport: 9.0 km Plainfield vs 4.0 km Watertown+125%
- Residents: 50,043 Plainfield vs 23,736 Watertown+111%
- Median gross pay, region: €4,043 Plainfield vs €3,437 Watertownno percentage
Alternative cities in United States
Other cities in United States to compare with Watertown, nearest in population first.
How does Watertown compare?
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Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the typical salary around Watertown?
The median gross salary is 3,437 EUR/month. Source: data.bls.gov.
What is the unemployment rate in Watertown?
The unemployment rate is 1.8 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.
Is the air quality good in Watertown?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.53 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.
How safe is Watertown?
Police recorded 1,328 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.
How many people live in Watertown?
The published population is 23,736 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.
How many foreign residents live in Watertown?
305 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.
Is Watertown a good place to live?
Watertown may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Watertown (South Dakota), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version d5b67f9de295f885c20d26264f7c93a5]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/watertown-sd/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_watertown-south-dakota-united-states-population-rent_65aacfc158bf,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Watertown (South Dakota), United States: population, rent},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {d5b67f9de295f885c20d26264f7c93a5},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/watertown-sd/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Watertown (South Dakota), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/watertown-sd/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version d5b67f9de295f885c20d26264f7c93a5; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- data.bls.gov data.bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
- EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
Show 13 more sources
- FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
- FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
- HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00014946 (WATERTOWN RGNL AP) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
- Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Numbeo - Cost of Living in Watertown (Wayback Machine capture 20250512060650) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.