City safety & data profile

WatertownWI

Watertown, WI is a 24K-resident city in Jefferson County with a median household income of $70,107.

Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Watertown, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Watertown has a population larger than 53% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $222,100, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

24K
Population
Top 47%
By size
$70,107
Median income
$222,100
Median home
9.9%
Poverty rate

The read on Watertown

Watertown posts a median household income higher than 37% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Watertown area.

Top 63%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Watertown

Where Watertown income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$70,107 Bottom 37% higher than 37% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WI $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Watertown, WI beyond the headline numbers

Watertown sits inside Jefferson County, Wisconsin, at roughly 43.19°N, -88.73°W. Population 23,819, $70,107 median household income. Median home value $222,100, median rent $1,052. Poverty rate 9.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Watertown's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 42.4%, then short sleep duration at 33.5%. 1 hospital in/around Watertown, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Watertown from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
23,819
Watertown
Median Income
$70,107
+3% vs avg
Median Home Value
$222,100
Near average
Median Age
40.6
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Jefferson County) - Watertown's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
86K+2%
Median Income
$83,750+57%
Median Home Value
$274,100+55%
Poverty Rate
8.1%-28%
Unemployment
3.5%-51%

Economics

Economics indicators for Watertown, WI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,052/mo
Poverty Rate
9.9% -30% vs avg
Unemployment 5.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 18.2%
Work From Home 6.9%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 86.9%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
42.4%
Short Sleep Duration
33.5%
High Blood Pressure
32.6%
Physical Inactivity
30.3%
Binge Drinking
18.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.5%
Current Smoking
15.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.1%
Diabetes
11.4%
Current Asthma
11.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 66%
Annual Checkup 77%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
7%
Stroke
3.5%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
WATERTOWN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
WATERTOWN · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Watertown, WI? ▼
Watertown, WI has a population of 23,819 people, located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
What is the median household income in Watertown? ▼
The median household income in Watertown, WI is $70,107 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 9.9%.
What is the median home value in Watertown? ▼
The median home value in Watertown, WI is $222,100. Median rent is $1,052/month.
What are the top health concerns in Watertown? ▼
The top health indicators in Watertown include Obesity (42.4%), Short Sleep Duration (33.5%), High Blood Pressure (32.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Watertown? ▼
Watertown has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Watertown? ▼
The median age in Watertown, WI is 40.6 years. 18.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Watertown, WI is located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. With a population of 24K and a $70,107 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Watertown area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Wisconsin

Real-time AQI for every monitored Wisconsin location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Oconomowoc, WI 16K Beaver Dam, WI 17K Fort Atkinson, WI 12K Whitewater, WI 15K Hartford, WI 14K Waupun, WI 11K Sun Prairie, WI 32K Sussex, WI 11K
All cities in Wisconsin → Compare Watertown vs Oconomowoc → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Watertown's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Watertown area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Watertown against Wisconsin peers on any ranking lens. Explore Wisconsin

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Jefferson County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.