Jobs, pay and daily life in Watertown, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Watertown is a city in South Dakota with 23,044 residents. The median household earns $69,600 a year and the median rent is $942 a month, which is 16.2% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Watertown compares. Among the 30 largest places in South Dakota, Watertown is #5 by population, #25 for college degrees (#1 = most), #22 for remote work (#1 = most), #19 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Codington County, is #21 of 66 counties for average pay ($52,139).
Watertown has 23,044 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.5% of the population of South Dakota. It covers 18 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,250 people per square mile. The median age is 39.5, 4% older than the state median (39.5 against 38.0).
The median gross rent is $942 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($942 against $946). Over a year that is 16.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $229,400, which is 3.3 times the median household income ($69,600); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 65.3% of households own their home, 5% below the state average (65.3% against 68.6%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Codington County was 1.5%. 67.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Codington County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 83.8% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 1.1% walk, 4.8% work from home. 4.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 30% below the state average (4.6% against 6.6%).
21.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32% below the state share (21.6% against 31.9%). 1.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 67% below the state share (1.3% against 4.0%). The poverty rate is 9.0%, 24% below the state rate (9.0% against 11.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 14°F (-9.8°C). About 627 mm (25 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (101 mm) and Jan the driest (12 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Milbank (33 miles, rent 42% lower); Brookings (46 miles, rent 6% lower); Madison (62 miles, rent 4% higher); Huron (64 miles, rent 6% lower). Rent differences are against Watertown; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in South Dakota (285) →State guide: South DakotaCountry guideCodington CountySouth Dakota rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 285 federal postings open in South Dakota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.1% |
| Manufacturing | 19.8% |
| Retail trade | 13.2% |
| Construction | 7.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.4% |
| Other services | 6.6% |
| Public administration | 5.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 3.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Watertown lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codington County | 28,767 | $2,111 million | $73,370 | 17,261 | 1,431 | $52,139 | +1.1% | 1.5% | 16,496 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,374 | 23.8% | $61,581 | 2.38 |
| Retail trade | 2,582 | 18.2% | $36,543 | 1.50 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,986 | 14.0% | $63,448 | 0.80 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,650 | 11.6% | $19,792 | 1.05 |
| Construction | 1,008 | 7.1% | $65,013 | 1.11 |
| Wholesale trade | 959 | 6.8% | $70,099 | 1.41 |
| Finance and insurance | 692 | 4.9% | $72,822 | 0.99 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 528 | 3.7% | $48,313 | 0.72 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 510 | 3.6% | $38,811 | 0.98 |
| Professional and technical services | 396 | 2.8% | $68,519 | 0.33 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 188 | 1.3% | $21,202 | 0.65 |
| Real estate and rental | 113 | 0.8% | $38,923 | 0.42 |
| Information | 93 | 0.7% | $51,478 | 0.29 |
| Educational services | 69 | 0.5% | $20,937 | 0.19 |
| Utilities | 30 | 0.2% | $87,685 | 0.46 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 83.8% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 1.1% |
| Work from home | 4.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,600 |
| Income per person | $39,939 |
| Median gross rent per month | $942 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.2% |
| Median home value | $229,400 |
| Homeowners | 65.3% |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.6% |
| Born abroad | 1.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -9.8 | 14 | 12 |
| Feb | -8.3 | 17 | 17 |
| Mar | -0.5 | 31 | 31 |
| Apr | 6.7 | 44 | 58 |
| May | 13.6 | 56 | 81 |
| Jun | 19.8 | 68 | 101 |
| Jul | 23.2 | 74 | 81 |
| Aug | 21.2 | 70 | 78 |
| Sep | 16.4 | 62 | 73 |
| Oct | 7.4 | 45 | 57 |
| Nov | 0.1 | 32 | 18 |
| Dec | -7.0 | 19 | 20 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milbank | SD | 33 mi | 3,525 | $56,011 | $548 |
| Brookings | SD | 46 mi | 23,948 | $63,493 | $889 |
| Madison | SD | 62 mi | 6,094 | $65,593 | $981 |
| Huron | SD | 64 mi | 14,385 | $61,452 | $888 |
| Aberdeen | SD | 75 mi | 28,189 | $64,405 | $762 |
| Dell Rapids | SD | 78 mi | 3,905 | $100,170 | $962 |
| Hartford | SD | 90 mi | 3,478 | $99,893 | $938 |
| Mitchell | SD | 93 mi | 15,649 | $58,620 | $851 |
| Brandon | SD | 95 mi | 10,996 | $110,806 | $976 |
| Oakes | ND | 96 mi | 1,858 | $67,632 | $843 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
23,044 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$942 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.2% of the median household income.
$69,600 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
1.5% (BLS county, Codington County (latest month 2026M09)).
South Dakota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.