Watertown is home to 28,767 people. That puts it in the top 7% of US metro areas for household income. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. The foreign-born share is 1%. The average commute runs 14 minutes. There are 42 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $72,727, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 62%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Watertown
What changed most since 1990
White share97.3% → 90.4%(−7.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree12.9% → 21.4%(+8.4 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Hispanic share0.1% → 3.3%(+3.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Among the 11 metro and micro areas based in South Dakota
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.1%(365)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)26.9%(426)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.2%(494)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(81)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.1%(33)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,581 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Watertown, decade by decade
Watertown population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
22,698
$52,360
$120,003
12.9%
6.5
2000
25,897
$66,048
$146,461
18.8%
8.9
2010
27,227
$62,254
$188,453
22.7%
13.0
2020
28,325
$70,159
$221,076
20.0%
20.7
2024
28,767
$72,727
$237,700
21.4%
22.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
