City profile · Tennessee · Census ACS 2023

Watertown, TN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Watertown - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,511
Residents
$62,991
Median income
$228,400
Median home
$1,730
Median rent (state)

Watertown - the verdict

Watertown ranks in the 40th percentile for household income and the 48th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

40th
percentile, household income
50th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
48th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Watertown, TN

Watertown is a small town in Tennessee, home to 1,511 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Watertown brings in $62,991 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.4%. Typical homes in Watertown are valued around $228,400, and the median resident age is 41.2 years. Educational attainment runs 14.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Watertown (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Watertown reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1418.0 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Tennessee run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Tennessee at 91.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,730 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $218 across Tennessee, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 80.0 out of 100 (High).

Population

1,511 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Tennessee

Median Household Income

$62,991 /yr

Poverty 5.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

91.9 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Tennessee average

How does Watertown compare to other US cities?

Watertown measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 40% higher than other cities
Home value 50% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% pricier than other cities
Safety 48% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Tennessee alone, Watertown ranks #80 of 174 Tennessee cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Watertown's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Tennessee, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

40thIncome percentile
48thSafety percentile

40th percentile nationally for median household income · 48th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Watertown's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Watertown's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 43 Avg. percentile National median
Watertown's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Watertown's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$228,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 50% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Watertown $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Watertown, TN Watertown, TN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Watertown, TN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Watertown, TN median $62,991/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Watertown, TN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Watertown, TN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,511
Median Income
$62,991
Median Home Value
$228,400
Median Age
41.2
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Labor force participation
58.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1418.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
185.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1233.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,500 residents1,550 residents1,600 residents1,650 residents1,700 residents1,750 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,555 residents 1,691 residents ▲ +8.7%
Watertown's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2020.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
86.5%
Carpool
2.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
9.4%

Based on 682 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Tennessee - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$58
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$218
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Tennessee state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Tennessee state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Watertown sits in

Cost of Living Index
91.9
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,730/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
80.0 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Tennessee

Banner Hill
1,519 people
Rutledge
1,521 people
Spencer
1,494 people
Chapel Hill
1,531 people
Kenton
1,487 people
Tennessee Ridge
1,546 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Watertown's 1,511 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Rolling Hills, CA
1,511 people
Warsaw, IL
1,511 people
Franklin Furnace, OH
1,511 people
Powhatan Point, OH
1,511 people
Stamps, AR
1,510 people
North Granby, CT
1,510 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Watertown's $62,991 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Sidney, MT
$62,992 median income
Indianapolis city (balance), IN
$62,995 median income
Brookshire, TX
$62,987 median income
Green Valley, IL
$62,986 median income
Westfield, IL
$62,986 median income
Olivarez, TX
$62,985 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Watertown, TN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Watertown, TN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 82.6% 7.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0% White 82.6% Black or African American 7.9% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 4.9% Two or more races 4.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Watertown compares to nearby Tennessee cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Watertown (this city) 1,511 $62,991
Banner Hill 1,519 $66,270
Rutledge 1,521 $41,000
Spencer 1,494 $46,563
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TN FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Watertown, TN?

What is the population of Watertown, TN? +

The population of Watertown, TN stands at 1,511 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Watertown, TN? +

The median household income in Watertown is $62,991 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Watertown? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Watertown; the closest available measure is the Tennessee state average, a cost of living index of 91.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Tennessee vary by metro area.

Is Watertown, TN safe? +

Watertown has a total crime rate of 1418.0 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Watertown, TN? +

Homes in Watertown carry a median value of $228,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.