Watertown, MA
Census place 2573405 · pop 35,543
Where the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing manhunt ended, with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev captured hiding in a backyard boat.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,053/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$784,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
47.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1867 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.87% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
153 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
7.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$126,265 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
66.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Not measured for Watertown: Jobs, Growth, Air, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Disaster, Bad air. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Watertown, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Watertown scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 12 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is rent. Massachusetts overall ranks #34 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Watertown, MA?
- Watertown reports 153 violent crimes per 100k and 1867 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Watertown, MA expensive to live in?
- Watertown has a median home value of $784,600 and typical rent around $3,053/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Watertown, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is rent ($3,053/mo) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Watertown, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (66.5%) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Where the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing manhunt ended, with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev captured hiding in a backyard boat.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.