Codington County · South Dakota · Midwest · 23k residents
Watertown, SD: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Watertown: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the South Dakota median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,051/wk. South Dakota's corporate income tax rate is 0%. Commercial electricity averages 10.5¢/kWh.
Compare Watertown side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,051/wk
Corporate income tax
0%
Bachelor's degree or higher
21.6%
Commercial electricity
10.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Watertown's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
35/100
Steady
Ranks Watertown's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $229,400 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $185 |
| Property tax rate | 1.17% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $666/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $986/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 6.1% |
| Corporate income tax | 0% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,051/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 48.8/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $96,310 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $78,060 |
| Wage: General manager | $137,400 |
| Wage: Customer service | $40,650 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $37,650 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,690 |
| Wage: Electrician | $61,390 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $34,370 |
| Cost of living index | 81 |
| Groceries index | 96 |
| Utilities | $140/mo |
| Transit pass | $35/mo |
| Gas price | $3.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 96 |
| Childcare (per child) | $800/mo |
| Median household income | $69,600 |
| Unemployment rate | 2% |
| Population | 23k |
| Crime index | 42/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 62/100 |
| Avg. commute | 17 min |
| Sunny days / year | 210 days |
| July high | 82°F |
| January low | 3°F |
| Annual snowfall | 41 in |
| Home price YoY | +3.1% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | — |
| Rent MoM | -1.4% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.4% |
| Building permits YoY | -6.3% |
| Ocean coast | 1053 mi |
| Big lake | 143 mi |
| Mountains | 324 mi |
| Major airport | 93 mi |
| Ski resort | 267 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Brookings, SD · 24k
- Aberdeen, SD · 28k
- Sioux Falls, SD · 201k
- Mitchell, SD · 16k
- Yankton, SD · 16k
Similar size
- Rapid City, SD · 78k
Real listings in Watertown
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Watertown a good place to run a business?
- South Dakota's corporate income tax rate is 0%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,051/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Watertown, SD?
- Watertown indexes at 81 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $986/mo and a acs median home value of $229,400.
- How much does a house cost in Watertown?
- The acs median home value in Watertown is $229,400 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Watertown?
- A two-bedroom in Watertown rents for about $986/mo.