Population 860 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Watertown
Household size in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.23 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.71 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Watertown run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.23, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.5 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Watertown skews older than the country: its median age is 43.4, against 40.1 nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Watertown as they are nationally: 12.3%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Boston area (9.7%).
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Watertown
Renters in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.3% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.2% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.0% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Watertown than nationally: 49.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About four in ten owners (40.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.6% of homes in Watertown are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Watertown is a place of older homes: half were built before 1938, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,640 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,657 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,999 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,082 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,442 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Watertown runs $3,082 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Watertown
Bachelor's degrees in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 77.4% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.5% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 80.7% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Watertown is highly educated: about eight in ten adults 25 and older (80.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.6% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.5% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.7% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Watertown: 99.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Watertown
| Period | Watertown | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.2% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Watertown has been low: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Watertown compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown | 2.47 | 43.4 | 12.3% | 49.8% | 3.6% | 1938 | $3,082 | 80.7% | 99.7% | 3.2% |
| Watertown Town | 2.17 | 40.8 | 5.7% | 52.3% | 5.9% | 1952 | $2,543 | 66.5% | 94.5% | 4.8% |
| Belmont | 2.61 | 44.3 | 7.1% | 34.7% | 5.9% | 1946 | $2,468 | 80.9% | 97.6% | 4.5% |
| Brighton | 2.00 | 31.4 | 6.1% | 76.3% | 6.9% | 1956 | $2,204 | 72.1% | 88.7% | 3.6% |
| Allston | 2.21 | 28.4 | 6.2% | 87.6% | 10.5% | 1955 | $2,483 | 73.5% | 95.3% | 5.9% |
| Cambridge | 2.07 | 32.1 | 6.3% | 66.6% | 11.0% | 1959 | $2,761 | 81.4% | 96.4% | 3.3% |
| Arlington | 2.41 | 42.6 | 5.2% | 38.4% | 5.6% | 1947 | $2,047 | 76.9% | 98.1% | 2.8% |
| Newtonville | 2.64 | 43.3 | 4.9% | 43.2% | 6.7% | 1943 | $2,603 | 80.4% | 98.3% | 3.5% |
| Newton | 2.55 | 40.8 | 7.8% | 38.3% | 6.7% | 1944 | $2,362 | 76.6% | 96.5% | 3.9% |
| Somerville | 2.27 | 32.9 | 3.9% | 65.7% | 6.6% | 1945 | $2,529 | 70.5% | 93.3% | 3.2% |
| Brookline | 2.20 | 36.1 | 4.6% | 56.8% | 4.7% | 1946 | $2,825 | 85.1% | 97.7% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Saxtons River, VT · Greenwich, NJ · Greshamville, GA · Hardy, KY · Hartsel, CO · Hecker, IL · Heron Lake, MN · Homeland, GA · Honey Lake, WI · Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Watertown. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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