2009-0713-Watertown-CH, 2009
Watertown’s story
170 years in pictures
Census counts: 316 in 1880, 4,659 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
- 1856Watertown is settled
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Population
4,789
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$376K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$100K
median
Median age
33.3
years
Jobs based here
528
A commuter town
TownGrade
A+
#21 of 271 in MN
Why does Watertown grade so well?
Watertown is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 21st of 271 graded towns in Minnesota. The median household earns $100K, a typical home costs about $376K, 3.8 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income, and its schools rank ahead of 76% of Minnesota towns. The exception is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 11% of residents are 65 or older in Watertown, below both the Minnesota town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%).
What makes Watertown stand out
Where Watertown beats most towns.
Typical home value
Watertown$376K
Minnesota$349K
Cost of livingA−
More affordable than 76% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Watertown-Mayer Public School Dist
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Watertown-Mayer Elementary School | K–4 | 482 |
| Christ Community Lutheran School | PK–8 | 173 |
| Watertown-Mayer Middle | 5–8 | 418 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A growing town
Watertown has grown 14% since 2010
4,205 counted in 2010 and 4,659 in 2020; an estimated 4,789 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Watertown grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Watertown is from typical.
Jobs & incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →HealthRidgeview Medical Center 8.5 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 3.2% of households have no car; 3.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailA−Open →History5 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market17 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.3; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Watertown: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Watertown, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy17.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWatertownNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWatertown Yard Waste Site (Compost Site)Town’s haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCarver County Government Center - Administration BldgCarver County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5538855388 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Watertown.
Watertown pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and sends most of its workers to Minneapolis and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Minnesota (mostly inland flooding).
SchoolsA−
For schools, Watertown earns an A−
Its A− for schools comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $376K.
Its public schools are run by the Watertown-Mayer Public School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Watertown Mayer High, with 516 students.
76%of MN districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown-Mayer Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 482 | B |
| Watertown Mayer HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 516 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Watertown is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Watertown beats the Minnesota average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of Watertown adults binge drink.
76%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Watertown | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
5 better27 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Watertown | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.1% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 27% | 31% |
Ridgeview Medical Center
8.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
54th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most working residents commute out of Watertown
Watertown has 528 jobs for its 2,360 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Watertown for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Watertown grew to 528 in 2023, 66 more than in 2013. Watertown’s average trip to work is 26 minutes.
6%work in town
| Watertown | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 9.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Watertown6%
Minneapolis7%
Waconia6%
Plymouth5%
Eden Prairie4%
19 mi
median commute distance
528
jobs based in Watertown
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Watertown
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of Minnesota towns, with expected losses of about $474 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1979, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Watertown.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
paid flood claims since 1979
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
#145for trails in MN
| Watertown | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
7%
conserved · 120 of 1,702 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rick Johnson Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Kings Highland Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Highland Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Watertown, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Watertown has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 5° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–26°
Spring35–55°
Summer59–80°
Fall38–57°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A−
For cost of living, Watertown earns an A−
The median rent in Watertown is $927 a month. The typical Watertown home is worth about $376,000, up 2.6% in a year, 8% above the Minnesota typical home. 83% of households own their home in Watertown.
$376KZillow home value
| Watertown | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $927 a month | $1,199 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Watertown$376K
Minnesota$349K
Market temperature
17
days on market
101.4%
sale-to-list price
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Watertown
19pages on Watertown
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Watertown
About 1 of every 100 Watertown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Watertown for work
Where Watertown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
528jobs based in Watertown
6%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Watertown
5 notable people were born in Watertown.
About Watertown
City in Minnesota, United States
Watertown is a small city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States, along the South Fork of the Crow River, on the outskirts of the Twin Cities metro area. The population was 4,659 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 935 ft
- ZIP code
- 55388
- Area code
- 952
Watertown’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Watertown.
Watertown TownshipWatertown
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown | #21 | A+ | A− | — | A− | A− |
| Watertown Township | — | — | C | — | A− | A− |
Watertown Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Watertown and Watertown Township 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, MN a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Watertown grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #21 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Watertown, MN expensive?
Not for the area. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
What is Watertown, MN known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Marion Ross and Matt Janning.