Photo: Bp0 at English Wikipedia · Public domain313 homes sold in Watertown in the last year, at a typical $277K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Watertown homes are listed.
Every place Watertown homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Watertown.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 88% of Watertown’s sales, at a typical $281K
313 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 277 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $128SD $182
- Days to sell
- 59
- Sold over asking
- 16%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 14 sold, typical $197K
Townhouses: 15 sold, typical $339K
Condos: 7 sold, typical $267K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
313 sales in the last year, against 440 in 2021 and a low of 268 in 2023. The typical sale went from $167K in 2016 to $277K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $300K buys in Watertown
Check a listing against what Watertown homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Watertown are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Watertown’s home sales since 2014 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 313 sales.
If you’re buying in Watertown
- Shop in March. It brings about 40 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (14% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.3% of the list price on average; 15% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 23% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 61 days.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 45 a month), and the most competition: 24% close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (14%). February has the least competition (13%) but only about 24 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like South Dakota as a whole
| Watertown now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | SD now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 15% | 15% | 32% | 16% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 23% | 3% | 2% | 29% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 20% | — | — | 20% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.3% | 96.8% | 98.8% | 97.5% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 61 | 90 | 63 | 59 |
99 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2023 low (63), 36% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2015’s 178.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
20% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 20% across South Dakota.
Since 2019, houses are up 53%, condos 81%
A house typically sold for $281K in the last year (277 sales), a condo for $267K (7).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Watertown ranks 9th of 19 busy South Dakota markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Watertown is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2014 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Watertown home costs about $1,675 a month
Price: Watertown’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Watertown’s 1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Watertown is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 16.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $277K home, about $2,760 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Watertown, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in WatertownTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Watertown.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Post your home to Watertown, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Watertown. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Watertown with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Watertown
What do homes sell for in Watertown, SD?
313 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $277K, $132 a square foot.
Is Watertown a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 120 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 31 sold, about 3.9 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.3% of asking on average, and 20% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Watertown?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Watertown?
About 1% of a home’s value a year. On a $277K home that’s near $2,760.
Where can I see homes for sale in Watertown?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Watertown’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Watertown.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).