City · Minnesota
Watertown, Minnesota
Watertown, city, in Carver County, Minnesota. Watertown had 4,789 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,659 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,790 (±20). GEOID 2768548.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,789
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,659 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,790 ±20
Median household income
$99,671
±$9,686 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$337,200
±$20,126 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$927
±$203 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Watertown and what county is it in?
Watertown is a city in Carver County, Minnesota. It covers 2.6 square miles of land, 1,774 residents per square mile in 2020.
Watertown is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 15 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Watertown, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,789 people lived in Watertown on July 1, 2025, up 2.5% since 2020, in line with Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 4,659 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,790 (±20).
| Measure | Watertown | Carver County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,790 ±20 | 110,041 | +382 |
| Households | 1,741 ±188 | 41,175 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.72 ±0.29 | 2.65 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,815 ±201 | 42,270 | no clear change |
Watertown's population since 2000
From 3,029 in 2000 to 4,789 in 2025: up 58.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Watertown as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Watertown?
The median resident of Watertown is 33.3 years old; 24.2% are under 18 and 11.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.8%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.1%.
| Measure | Watertown | Carver County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.3 ±4.6 | 39.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.2% ±3.6 pts | 25.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.3% ±2.4 pts | 14.5% | – |
| Male | 49.6% ±4.3 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.4% ±2.4 pts | 5.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.8% ±3.8 pts | 85.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 3.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±3.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±1.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.7% ±3.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| With a disability | 11.8% ±3.4 pts | 8.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.6% ±2.2 pts | 2.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.9% ±2.7 pts | 97.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.5% ±5.0 pts | 50.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.9% ±2.5 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.7% ±4.8 pts | 90.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Watertown earn?
Half of Watertown's 1,741 households earn less than $99,671 a year (±$9,686), against $125,946 in Carver County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $102,815 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Watertown | Carver County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $99,671 ±$9,686 | $125,946 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $114,968 ±$10,672 | $159,987 | – |
| Per capita income | $42,480 ±$4,720 | $60,893 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.7% ±3.1 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.7% ±6.2 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.2% ±2.4 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.6% ±2.5 pts | 97.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.1% ±3.5 pts | 94.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Watertown?
Owners occupy 82.9% of Watertown's occupied homes and renters 17.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $337,200 by its owner (±$20,126). The median renter pays $927 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Watertown | Carver County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $337,200 ±$20,126 | $453,600 | +$80,846 |
| Median gross rent | $927 ±$203 | $1,514 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 11.1% ±10.2 pts | 31.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,964 ±$204 | $2,504 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.9% ±7.4 pts | 81.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.1% ±7.4 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,815 ±201 | 42,270 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 12.6% ±19.7 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 72.8% ±7.8 pts | 71.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.2% ±3.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.9% ±2.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 13.2% ±6.1 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.2% ±6.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.2% ±2.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Watertown building?
Builders took permits for 6 new housing units in Watertown in 2025 (6 in single-family houses), 1.3 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Watertown work and get to work?
72.7% of Watertown's workers drive alone and 18.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.2 minutes.
| Measure | Watertown | Carver County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 75.0% ±3.9 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.7% ±7.4 pts | 67.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.4% ±2.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 3.8% ±2.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.4% ±7.2 pts | 23.5% | +11.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.2 min ±2.7 | 25.6 min | −8.3 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Watertown?
1 census tract lies mostly in Watertown, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 901.02Carver County | 3,295 | $89,293 |
| Tract 901.01Carver County | 2,833 | $119,000 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Watertown) · Census block assignment files
How does Watertown compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Watertown is the 5,020th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 162nd-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Watertown ranks 209th of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 162nd | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 224th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 90th | 562 |
| Median household income | 209th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 292nd | 562 |
| Median home value | 236th | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 305th | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 228th | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 408th | 559 |
| Median age | 519th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 297th | 561 |
| Work from home | 127th | 525 |
| Travel time to work | 185th | 562 |
Watertown's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Watertown with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Watertown?
20 of the 57 figures for Watertown on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Watertown are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Watertown.