WatertownFL
Population 3,068: a town settled in 1890. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
Is Watertown a good place to live?
Watertown’s lowest grade is for health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. Overall, Watertown earns a C, which places it 377th of 634 in Florida. On that grade it does better than 28% of U.S. towns. Schools are its strong suit — its public schools beat 75% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. It is strong on cost of living as well — a typical home costs about $114K, 1.9 years of the Lake City area’s $59K median household income. Incomes are weaker too (D): the median household income is $41K, and just over two in five residents live below the poverty line. The town has 1 place on the National Register. Only 72 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on hazard risk.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
What makes Watertown stand out
Where Watertown beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Watertown grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Watertown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Watertown: who provides what
Watertown is unincorporated, so Columbia County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Watertown.
Watertown pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Florida.
Watertown stands out in Florida and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
Among adults 18 to 64 in Watertown, 18% have no health insurance, where Florida’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 8.1%. In Watertown, 38% of adults get no exercise outside work. The town does better than the Florida average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 25.
| Watertown | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 20% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Watertown | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.9% | 14.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.2% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
For schools, Watertown earns an A−
That grade comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $114K.
Public schools: the Columbia school district. Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked. 655 students attend Watertown’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastside Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 655 | A− |
| First Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–10 | Grades K–10 | 19 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Watertown: mild winters and hot summers
The Lake City 2 E weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 273 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 89% of Florida places with climate records. January nights average 41.1°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 91% of Florida places with climate records; July afternoons average 91.8°.
Watertown’s peak summer temperature is 92°F. In Watertown, the January low is 41°F, below the Florida town median (51°F) but above the median of U.S. towns (22°F). Snow almost never falls.
| Watertown | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of residents in Watertown live below the poverty line than in the typical Florida or U.S. town
The average commute for its 1,162 working residents takes 18.1 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
The top destinations are Lake City (25%), Jacksonville (12%) and Gainesville (6%). Watertown’s average commute stands at 18 minutes. For most workers, Watertown is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. Employers in Watertown shed 185 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 936.
| Watertown | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 42% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Watertown: hurricanes
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Households in Watertown have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Watertown, 0.1% of the land is conserved
Just 1 of its 1,606 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Watertown itself; its outdoors grade is D.
Trails run 0.2 miles in 1 park or preserve.
| Watertown | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alligator Lake Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median home in Watertown sells for about $160K
Homes are within reach (B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 29 miles. At 1.9 years of the Lake City area’s $59K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 98% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
Watertown’s typical rent comes in at $851 a month. Among households in the town, 55% own their home.
| Watertown | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $851 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Watertown
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Watertown
About 4 of every 100 Watertown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About Watertown
CDP in Florida, United States
Watertown is a census-designated place (CDP) in Columbia County, Florida, United States. It had a population of 3,018 at the 2020 census, up from 2,829 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lake City, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 187 ft
- Area code
- 386
Watertown’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Watertown.
Watertown and Lake City report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Watertown with a neighbor →
Questions about Watertown
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Watertown, FL a good place to live?
Watertown grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #377 of 634 in Florida. It grades D− for health and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Watertown, FL expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $114,000, 70% below the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.