Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0Watertown spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
Watertown’s city government spent $29.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,278 per resident. Water and other utilities ($4.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Watertown is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,023 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them
Watertown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,023 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,166, and the middle half spent $949–$1,409. Watertown spent less than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Watertown itself left out).
About $1,278 per resident a year, or $3.50 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Watertown reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,023 · 2023: $1,151 · 2024: $1,278.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,706 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.67% of the home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin.
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.
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 ci.watertown.wi.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 122 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (22,784).
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.
Watertown School District
Watertown’s K–12 school district, shared with Emmet, Shields, Watertown, Lebanon, Concord and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,044 per pupil, $9,664 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.
Wisconsin districts overall: 39% local, 50% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Watertown voted in 2024
Official results for Watertown’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican62.1%7,782 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat36.0%4,508 votesOthers: 1.9% (234 votes).
Most votes in Watertown: Donald J Trump
Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%
of Watertown’s 17,455 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Wisconsin: 76%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Watertown: Eric Hovde
Wisconsin: Baldwin 49.3%, Hovde 48.5%
Most votes in the district: Scott Fitzgerald
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Watertown, the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown | 62.1% | 36.0% | 1.9% | 12,524 |
| Wisconsin | 49.6% | 48.7% | 1.7% | 3,422,918 |
Watertown is two counties, so there is no single county to set beside it; its result is theirs combined.
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: ci.watertown.wi.us ↗
- 2Wisconsin AssemblyState representatives
- 3Wisconsin SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Wisconsin
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Watertown compares with the towns next door
Watertown spent $1,023 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Emmet | $374 | $3,851 |
| Watertown | $1,023 | $3,706 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
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 $1,278 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,023 was less than 66% of 59 Wisconsin cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Watertown?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,706 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.67% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.42% across Wisconsin. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.watertown.wi.us.
Who runs Watertown’s government?
See ci.watertown.wi.us 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?
For president, Donald J Trump 62.1%, Kamala D Harris 36.0% (12,524 votes, official results). Wisconsin: Trump 49.6%, Harris 48.7%.
How many people work for Watertown?
187 full-time and 70 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.0M (about $12.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Watertown in the state legislature?
State Senate District 13 (John Jagler) and Assembly District 38 (Will Penterman). The Assembly district also covers 22 other towns. 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 →