States › Wisconsin › Watertown

Is Watertown, WI expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 18 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,15734% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$75,610about $6,301/month · 13% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$222,10033% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 78% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $46,280 a year. That is $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Wisconsin cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Wisconsin. It is number 52 of 156 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Watertown
$1,157
Middleton
$1,532
Pleasant Prairie
$1,771
Howard
$1,104
Germantown
$1,372
Caledonia
$1,339
Mequon
$1,625

How much do households earn in Watertown?

Under $25k
11.0%
$25k–50k
27.2%
$50k–100k
42.8%
$100k–150k
11.9%
$150k+
3.2%

Share of households by yearly income. 15.1% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Watertown

SizeWatertownU.S. average
1 bedroom$940$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,209$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,445$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,729$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Watertown overall?

Everyday prices in Wisconsin overall are 6% below the U.S. average (index 94.1, U.S. = 100).

Housing
79
Goods (food, clothes…)
94
Utilities
90
Other services
100
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Watertown, so the Wisconsin figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Watertown

🏛️ Property tax$3,706a year · 1.67% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$159a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Watertown

Commute to work24.6 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree18.2%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home62%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line9.9%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment5.3%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Watertown?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $384 a month less.

Renting
$1,157
Owning
$1,541

Owning assumes a typical $222,100 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $22,210 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Watertown, WI?

Renting in Watertown costs a median of about $1,157 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Wisconsin median is $1,305.

How much do I need to make to live in Watertown?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $46,280 a year, or $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Watertown cheap or expensive?

Watertown is rated Cheap: rent takes 18.4% of the typical household income of $75,610. It ranks 52nd cheapest of 156 Wisconsin cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Watertown?

The median homeowner in Watertown pays $3,706 a year in property taxes, about 1.67% of the median home value.

Is Watertown more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Wisconsin are 6% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Watertown?

The median home value in Watertown is $222,100, about 2.9 times the typical yearly household income.

22,774 people live in Watertown. Numbers are typical (middle) values.