Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0Watertown spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
Watertown’s city government spent $532,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $346 per resident. Water and other utilities ($32,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Watertown is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$346 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them
Watertown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($346 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $579, and the middle half spent $297–$828. Watertown spent less than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($32,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Watertown itself left out).
About $346 per resident a year, or $0.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 92%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Watertown reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $962 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.38% of the home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Watertown’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Watertown’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Watertown →
Who’s in charge in Watertown
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Watertown’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on watertowntn.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 171 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,536).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Wilson County School District
Watertown’s K–12 school district, shared with Mount Juliet. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,291 per pupil, $6,238 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Tennessee districts overall: 40% local, 44% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Watertown’s votes are counted by county
Tennessee reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Watertown alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Wilson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.4%56,425 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.4%23,855 votesOthers: 1.2% (974 votes).
Most votes in Wilson County: Donald J Trump
Tennessee: Trump 64.2%, Harris 34.5%
100% of Watertown lies in Wilson County. Every 2024 race in Wilson County is on the county’s page.
Wilson County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Watertown.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: watertowntn.com ↗
- 2Tennessee HouseState representatives
- 3Tennessee SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Tennessee
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Watertown’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Watertown’s government
How much does Watertown spend per resident?
About $346 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $346 was less than 66% of 113 Tennessee cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Watertown?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $962 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.38% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.50% across Tennessee. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see watertowntn.com.
Who runs Watertown’s government?
See watertowntn.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Watertown yet.
How did Watertown vote in 2024?
Tennessee counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Watertown alone. Wilson County, where 100% of Watertown lies, voted Trump 69.4%, Harris 29.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Watertown?
9 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $40,369 (about $484,428 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Watertown in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Mark Pody) and State House District 46 (Clark Boyd). The House district also covers parts of 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Watertown’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →