Name: Watertown, MA statistics
Creator: Citytistics

Moving to Watertown

Suffolk County loses about 22.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in44,916

Moved out57,015

Net−12,099

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Middlesex County, MA9,40513,242−3,837

Norfolk County, MA5,5129,272−3,760

Essex County, MA2,7364,352−1,616

Plymouth County, MA1,5922,958−1,366

Worcester County, MA1,1251,438−313

Bristol County, MA8211,444−623

New York County, NY8441,361−517

Providence County, RI6181,016−398

Within Massachusetts, other states or abroad

Arrivals

50%49%

Leavers

59%39%

Within MassachusettsOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$94K

Leavers$127K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Suffolk County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here: 7.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.6% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into Suffolk County report $94,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $127,200, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need: $100,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $2,502 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,204 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $784,600.
Getting to work: 28 minutes each way on average; 29.1% work from home; 6.6% take transit.
If it is close but not quite: Greenwich, CT matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two

Moved here in the past year1
7.5%
31% above the median place
Moved from another state1
2.6%
32% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-22.4
below the median place (median -0.6)

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Watertown	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1	7.5%	31% above
Moved from another state1	2.6%	32% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure	-22.4	below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure	$94,162	33% above
Income of households moving out7County figure	$127,176	81% above

What it costs to live here

Rent is about 22% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture.

Watertown23.8%

Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent

$100,080

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

23.8%

17% above the median place

Home price to income

6.2x

63% above the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

24%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$95,900

a year

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Watertown, $2,502 a month, and local prices for everything else (100.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Watertown, but easier on the budget

Places that match Watertown on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

Place	Match	Rent to income	More left a year
Greenwich, CT	85	18.5% vs 23.8%	$16,100	Compare
Burlingame, CA	80	19.2% vs 23.8%	$45,200	Compare
West Hartford, CT	77	16.2% vs 23.8%	$11,300	Compare
Rutherford, NJ	77	16.5% vs 23.8%	$17,500	Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Watertown.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Watertown? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Median year built1
1947
2% below the median place
Median home value1
$784,600
146% above the median place
Homeownership1
47.7%
28% below the median place

All 15 cost and housing measures

Measure	Watertown	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$2,502	83% above
Rent to income1	23.8%	17% above
Property tax rate1	0.9%	4% below
Home price to income1	6.2x	63% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure	108.3	7% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure	$3,008	86% above
Property tax paid (median)1	$6,799	108% above
Median home value1	$784,600	146% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure	3.4%	7% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure	34.8%	32% below
Homeownership1	47.7%	28% below
Renters paying 30%+1	42.7%	16% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$3,204	71% above
Vacant homes1	4.8%	31% below
Median year built1	1947	2% below

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 22.8 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 93% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Works from home1
29.1%
133% above the median place
Income per person1
$73,851
84% above the median place
Commutes by transit1
6.6%
above the median place (median 0.8%)

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$126,265 +57%

Poverty rate7.5% −30%

Mean commute28 min +11%

Unemployment5.3% +9%

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Watertown	Vs median
Median household income1	$126,265	57% above
Income per person1	$73,851	84% above
Unemployment1	5.3%	9% above
Average annual pay5County figure	$138,226	110% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure	5.3%	43% above
Jobs5County figure	712,462	373% above
Poverty rate1	7.5%	30% below
Mean commute1	28 min	11% above
Works from home1	29.1%	133% above
Commutes by transit1	6.6%	above (median 0.8%)

Who lives here

No health insurance is 1.3%, 80% below the median place.

No health insurance1
1.3%
80% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
66.5%
108% above the median place
Household size1
2.1
14% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad25.7% 2.9×

Homes with broadband95.1% +3%

High school or higher95.1% +3%

Median age39.4 +1%

All 9 people measures

Measure	Watertown	Vs median
Population1	35,543	1280th largest
Population change since 20206	1.1%	4% below
Median age1	39.4	1% above
Bachelor's or higher1	66.5%	108% above
High school or higher1	95.1%	3% above
Household size1	2.1	14% below
Born abroad1	25.7%	191% above
No health insurance1	1.3%	80% below
Homes with broadband1	95.1%	3% above

Life in Watertown

15 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 87% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1630. 10 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 59 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal listed 1976
Fowle, Edmund, House listed 1977
Pratt, Miles, House listed 1985
Browne, Abraham, House listed 1990
Town Diner listed 1999
Watertown Arsenal Historic District listed 1999

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents14.9 +47%

Playgrounds per 10k14.1 +50%

Grocery stores per 10k2.8 +33%

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k18.6 +67%

Libraries per 10k1.4 +62%

Named paths and bike trails15 km 7.5×

Bus and rail stops per sq mi22.8 108.4×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site 3 miles
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site 3 miles
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site 4 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars34.0 +63%

Shops29.3 −3%

Arts, recreation and fitness5.0 +22%

Doctors' offices and clinics13.2 −35%

Child care centers3.5 +52%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
2.6
92% below the median place
Students per teacher13
10.4
32% below the median place
Public schools13
5
44% below the median place

All 18 schools and local life measures

Measure	Watertown	Vs median
Public schools13	5	44% below
Public school students13	2,844	42% below
Students per teacher13	10.4	32% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure	34.0	63% above
Shops per 10k8County figure	29.3	3% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure	5.0	22% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure	13.2	35% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure	3.5	52% above
Parks per 10k9	14.9	47% above
Playgrounds per 10k9	14.1	50% above
Grocery stores per 10k9	2.8	33% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	18.6	67% above
Libraries per 10k9	1.4	62% above
Named paths and bike trails9	14.9	above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi9	22.8	above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site10	2.6	92% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10	15	above (median 2)
National Register listings11	10	23% below

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 137, 29% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k

137

29% below the median place

Property crime per 100k

1,600

32% above the median place

Months reported

12 of 12

by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk15
9.0
85% below the median place
Median air quality index16
37
14% below the median place
Hurricane risk15
93.7
33% above the median place

All 11 weather and risk measures

Measure	Watertown	Vs median
July average high14County figure	83°F	4% below
January average low14County figure	20°F	20% below
Average temperature14County figure	51°F	8% below
Annual precipitation14County figure	48.3 in	10% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure	93.5	1% above
Hurricane risk15County figure	93.7	33% above
Tornado risk15County figure	75.3	7% below
Wildfire risk15County figure	9.0	85% below
Heat wave risk15County figure	97.5	8% above
Median air quality index16County figure	37	14% below
Good air days16County figure	76.4%	12% above

How it is changing

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.

No history available.

Population estimate

Up 1.1% from 2020 to 2025.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

$96,200

left a year after rent, in US prices. Better than 78% of places

Pay vs rent

n/a

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Rent vs fundamentals Experimental

+22%

against places with the same traits in this market

Growth

n/a

Population figure is the county's

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Places like Watertown

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

Place	Rent	Income
Pine Brook, NJ	$2,366	$126,488	Compare
Edgewater, NJ	$2,579	$124,050	Compare
Rockville, MD	$2,274	$128,649	Compare
Medford, MA	$2,509	$129,540	Compare

Nearby

Compare Watertown with

Places built like Watertown

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Watertown performs against places like it.

Place	Rent to income	Income growth	Pop. change
Watertown, MA	23.8%	n/a	1.1%
Medford, MA	23.2%	6.1%/yr	0.1%	Compare
Arlington, MA	16.6%	6.8%/yr	n/a	Compare
Brookline, MA	23.9%	3.9%/yr	n/a	Compare
Waltham, MA	22.6%	4.6%/yr	-0.3%	Compare
Portland, ME	23.8%	5.6%/yr	2.2%	Compare
Greenwich, CT	18.5%	4.3%/yr	n/a	Compare

Common questions

Is Watertown a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 58 out of 100, better than 58% of the places we rate and 56th of 121 in Massachusetts. 29% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 92% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 25 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Watertown expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $784,600.

What salary do you need to live in Watertown?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $100,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Watertown safe?

There were 137 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Watertown?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Pine Brook, NJ, Edgewater, NJ, Rockville, MD and Medford, MA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Watertown with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Watertown itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/watertown-massachusetts

Citytistics. “Watertown, Massachusetts.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/watertown-massachusetts/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Watertown

What stands out about Watertown