Watertown, WI housing market
The typical Watertown home is worth about $331,000, up 6.3% in a year, close to the Wisconsin typical home. Homes typically sell in 19 days, a little above asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Watertown compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Watertown at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.1 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Watertown | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $170,000 | $180,000 |
| 2018 | $181,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $193,000 | $202,000 |
| 2020 | $206,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $227,000 | $238,000 |
| 2022 | $251,000 | $263,000 |
| 2023 | $262,000 | $282,000 |
| 2024 | $280,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $302,000 | $317,000 |
| 2026 | $321,000 | $333,000 |
| August 2026 | $331,000 | $340,000 |
153 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 153 new homes in Watertown in 2025: 54 single-family houses and 99 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $23.9 million to build. That's 6.7 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Wisconsin (4.3). Over the past 10 years, Watertown has permitted 453 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Watertown's population fell by 935 even though 324 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Wisconsin: 1.3 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 54 | 24 | 30 | $10.3 million |
| 2025 | 153 | 54 | 99 | $23.9 million |
| 2024 | 22 | 20 | 2 | $5 million |
| 2023 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2022 | 18 | 16 | 2 | $4.4 million |
| 2021 | 33 | 33 | 0 | $8.1 million |
| 2020 | 67 | 31 | 36 | $9.2 million |
| 2019 | 53 | 29 | 24 | $14.9 million |
| 2018 | 32 | 28 | 4 | $6.6 million |
| 2017 | 34 | 28 | 6 | $6.6 million |
| 2016 | 25 | 17 | 8 | $4.1 million |
| 2015 | 16 | 14 | 2 | $2.5 million |
| 2014 | 18 | 16 | 2 | $5.8 million |
| 2013 | 72 | 8 | 64 | $8.2 million |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $717,000 |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $273,000 |
| 2010 | 67 | 13 | 54 | $8 million |
| 2009 | 16 | 12 | 4 | $2.8 million |
| 2008 | 28 | 14 | 14 | $3.3 million |
| 2007 | 32 | 22 | 10 | $5.5 million |
| 2006 | 74 | 42 | 32 | $12.1 million |
| 2005 | 121 | 76 | 45 | $16.5 million |
| 2004 | 124 | 66 | 58 | $15.6 million |
| 2003 | 70 | 52 | 18 | $9.9 million |
| 2002 | 248 | 91 | 157 | $20.4 million |
| 2001 | 191 | 121 | 70 | $18.7 million |
| 2000 | 249 | 152 | 97 | $18.6 million |
How Watertown ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Watertown and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown | $331K | +6.3% | $1,200 | 153 | $70,107 |
| Watertown | — | +3.6%† | $1,170 | — | $99,886 |
| Emmet | — | +7.9%† | $1,260 | 4 | $95,938 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
4.7 years of income
The typical Watertown home costs about 4.7 years of the town's median household income, more than across Wisconsin (4.4 years).
How Watertown ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,200
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Watertown is $1,200 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Watertown pay a median of $1,052, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 21% of the town's median household income.
Studio $830 · 4 bedrooms $1,610
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (53094, 53098; Dodge County, WI), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.