The typical owner-occupied home in Watertown is worth about $229,400, 11% below the South Dakota median of $257,400 and 31% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,285 a year in property taxes, about 1.00% of their home's value, lower than the South Dakota rate of 1.06%. The median household earns $69,600 a year, so the median home costs 3.3 times the median income (3.4 times for South Dakota). 65% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 60% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Watertown at a glance
| Watertown | South Dakota | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $229,400 | $257,400 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $2,285 | $2,724 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.00% | 1.06% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $69,600 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 65% | 69% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 60% | 54% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,463 | $1,680 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 19.8% | 20.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $942 | $946 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 23.9% | 25.9% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1979 | 1980 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 6.4% | 10.5% | 10.1% |
| People below the poverty line | 9.0% | 11.9% | 12.5% |
| Population | 23,044 | 907,428 | 334,922,499 |
Household budgets and debt in Watertown
In Watertown, the typical owner with a mortgage spends 19.8% of household income on housing and the typical renter spends 23.9%. Above 30% is generally considered cost-burdened, which leaves less room for other debts.
9.0% of residents live below the federal poverty line, compared with 11.9% in South Dakota.
If debts are getting hard to manage, the usual options, from mildest to most serious, are: a budget and a call to your lenders to ask for a hardship plan; a debt management plan through a nonprofit credit counselor, which can lower interest rates; a debt consolidation loan or, for homeowners, a cash-out refinance or home equity loan; debt settlement, where a company negotiates to pay less than you owe; and bankruptcy.
Under the Federal Trade Commission's rules, debt settlement companies can't charge a fee until they have settled at least one of your debts. Settling can hurt your credit and forgiven debt may be taxable, so compare it with credit counseling first. Time limits for collectors to sue differ by state and by type of debt; check with your state attorney general or a lawyer before relying on one.
Homeowners can sometimes pay off high-interest debt with their home's equity. With the median Watertown home worth $229,400 and 40% of owners mortgage-free, many owners have equity to draw on, but it turns unsecured debt into debt secured by your home.
Questions about debt relief in Watertown
What is the median home value in Watertown?
About $229,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Watertown?
Homeowners pay a median $2,285 a year, which is about 1.00% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
How much of their income do Watertown households spend on housing?
With a median household income of $69,600, owners with a mortgage spend a median 19.8% on housing and renters 23.9%.
More about Watertown
- Mortgage Refinance in Watertown
- Home Buying in Watertown
- Home Equity Loans in Watertown
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data