Living in Watertown

In Watertown (Massachusetts), unemployment is 5.3% (2024).

Watertown had a population of 35,985 at the end of 2024. At the end of 2024, unemployment in Watertown reached 5.33%. At the end of 2024, the foreign population in Watertown numbered 9,120.

Last checked 2026-10-0727 sources

Population35,985people31 Dec 2024Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program

Median gross salary6,073EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables

Median rent2,312EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records

Unemployment rate5.33%country median 4.6% — 17% aboveOfficial source · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)

Recorded crime2,012offences per 100,000country median 1,586 — 27% aboveOfficial source · FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting

PM2.5, annual mean5.91µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData

Higher unemployment than 63% of American cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 63% of American cities that publish it and cleaner air than 80% of American cities that publish it.

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.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Watertown.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	60.38 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Verizon 300 Mbps home internet¹⁴Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.57 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Visible unlimited mobile plan¹⁵Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	2,279 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)³Official
Median monthly rent	2,312 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records²Official
Recorded property crimes	574 offenses/year	31 Dec 2025	FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)⁷Official

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.

Try your profile

Remote worker31%strong on work, weak on safety · range 22–40%

Skilled employee40%strong on work, weak on education · range 31–49%

Student31%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 21–41%

Family25%strong on family, weak on education · range 16–34%

Retirement29%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 18–40%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

25.3% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 9,120 of 35,985 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Watertown is 5.3%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

1,250

778

0–55–1010–1515–2020–2525–30

Watertown 5.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	6,073 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables¹Official
Unemployment rate	5.33 %country median 4.6%	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official

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.

Left over each month€2,139of €4,500 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left 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.	€4,500
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	− €2,279
Internet€60 · official · Verizon 300 Mbps home internet · 2026-09-30	− €60
Mobile plan€22 · official · Visible unlimited mobile plan · 2026-09-30	− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€2,139

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Watertown Salary needed to live in Watertown

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.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Open official service

Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Watertown. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Physicians per 100,000 residents	576.1 per 100,000	31 Dec 2023	Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release⁴Official · county

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 guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesWatertown highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Philadelphia5,457

Houston5,442

San Antonio5,218

Chicago4,012

Dallas4,010

Austin3,709

Fort Worth3,158

Phoenix3,125

New York City3,039

Los Angeles2,212

San Diego2,082

Watertown2,012

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	2,012 offences per 100,000country median 1,586	31 Dec 2024	FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting⁸Official
Recorded violent crimes	49 offenses/year	31 Dec 2025	FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)⁷Official

Mobility and administration

Watertown was 14 km from its nearest major airport.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Distance to the nearest major airport	14 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁹Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	BED	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁹Official

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.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies

Open official information

Open the full United States section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Watertown.

Find courses near Watertown

Climate and air quality

At the end of 2024, annual PM2.5 reached 5.9 µg/m³. Monthly mean temperatures were −2.5°C in January and 23.1°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 73.6 mm in January and 89.3 mm in July.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

3°-8°

4°-7°

9°-3°

16°3°

21°8°

26°13°

30°17°

29°16°

24°11°

18°5°

11°0°

6°-4°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

108

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.55.9WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Watertown is 5.9 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

135

261

252

124

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–16

Watertown 5.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	5.91 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData¹³Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 2.7 · Feb 4.1 · Mar 8.6 · Apr 15.5 · May 21.3 · Jun 26.4 · Jul 29.5 · Aug 28.7 · Sep 24.3 · Oct 17.6 · Nov 11.3 · Dec 5.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -7.7 · Feb -7 · Mar -2.7 · Apr 2.8 · May 8.2 · Jun 13.4 · Jul 16.7 · Aug 15.7 · Sep 11 · Oct 4.9 · Nov 0.2 · Dec -4.4 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan -2.5 · Feb -1.5 · Mar 3 · Apr 9.2 · May 14.8 · Jun 19.9 · Jul 23.1 · Aug 22.2 · Sep 17.6 · Oct 11.2 · Nov 5.8 · Dec 0.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 73.6 · Feb 68.3 · Mar 97.7 · Apr 97.4 · May 85.3 · Jun 94.4 · Jul 89.3 · Aug 88 · Sep 90 · Oct 107.7 · Nov 94.4 · Dec 95.4 mm	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁹Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, highest monitored reading	16.9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹³Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, annual mean	5.91 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹³Official · nearest-station reading
Annual precipitation	1,082 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁹Official · nearest-station reading
Maximum July temperature	29.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average annual temperature	10.3 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Minimum January temperature	-7.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁷Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In United States: Springfield ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Chatham-Kent (Canada) ±1.5 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±2.3 °C, Markham (Canada) ±2.3 °C, Mississauga (Canada) ±2.3 °C, Richmond Hill (Canada) ±2.3 °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

The total area of Watertown was 10.4 km² at the end of 2025. Population density was 3,476.8 people per km² at the end of 2024.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport74.7%
Foreign residents25.3%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	10.35 km²	31 Dec 2025	U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service)¹⁰Official
Foreign-resident share	25.66 %	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official
Foreign residents	9,120 people	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official
Population density	3,477 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	U.S. Census Bureau (Population Estimates Program)¹²Official
Population	35,985 people	31 Dec 2024	U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program¹²Official
Population covered by crime statistics	35,871 people	31 Dec 2025	FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)⁷Official

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.

Belmont as a Watertown alternative in the same region

2 km away, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 755 Belmont vs 2,012 Watertown−62%
Median gross pay, city: €7,464 Belmont vs €6,073 Watertown+23%
Unemployment: 4.3% Belmont vs 5.3% Watertown−19%
Foreign residents: 26.2% Belmont vs 25.7% Watertownsame level
Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ Belmont vs 5.9 µg/m³ Watertownsame level

Full comparison More about Belmont

North Bethesda as a Watertown alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 623 km, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Unemployment: 3.6% North Bethesda vs 5.3% Watertown−32%
Foreign residents: 34.1% North Bethesda vs 25.7% Watertown+33%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,458 (2025) North Bethesda vs 2,012 (2024) Watertownno percentage
Median gross pay, city: €6,119 North Bethesda vs €6,073 Watertownsame level
Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ North Bethesda vs 5.9 µg/m³ Watertownsame level

Full comparison More about North Bethesda

Cities near Watertown

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Belmont 2.4 km away

Rent: 2,335 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 7,464 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Watertown, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

Gahanna35,986 residents Chillum36,039 residents Land O' Lakes35,929 residents Norristown36,075 residents Upper Arlington35,893 residents Richmond West35,884 residents

How does Watertown compare?

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Put Watertown's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the unemployment rate in Watertown?

The unemployment rate is 5.33 %. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

Is the air quality good in Watertown?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.91 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: U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData.

How safe is Watertown?

Police recorded 2,012 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 35,985 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Watertown?

9,120 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

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.

Which cities are near Watertown?

Newton Corner, Bemis, Nonantum, Belmont, Newtonville are near Watertown. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

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 (Massachusetts), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 5bdbcee538b1f6a399e89d1aa5c11d0d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/watertown/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_watertown-massachusetts-united-states-population-rent_13b2b9c92e85,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Watertown (Massachusetts), United States: population, rent},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {5bdbcee538b1f6a399e89d1aa5c11d0d},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/watertown/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Watertown (Massachusetts), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/watertown/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 5bdbcee538b1f6a399e89d1aa5c11d0d; 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

JSON Markdown

2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
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
Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-10-04
Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
download.geonames.org recorded crime data download.geonames.org · checked 2026-08-28
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
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03

Show 17 more sources

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey api.census.gov · checked 2026-08-07
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-05
U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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