Watertown, Michigan

Charter township in Clinton County · population 5,563 (2020 Census)

Median home: $288,700
Household income: $114,870
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 83°
Snow a year: 50 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 22
Median age: 41.5

Watertown is a charter township of 5,563 people in Clinton County, Michigan. The median home is worth $288,700, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for families than 96% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 95% of Michigan towns, easier by car than 92% of Michigan towns.

Watertown in our rankings:

How Watertown ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Watertown is worth $288,700, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $114,870, which is more affordable than 74% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,484 a month. 96.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Watertown	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$288,700	$193,900
Median rent	$1,484	$955
Median household income	$114,870	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.5×	2.8×
Homeownership	96.7%	86.8%
Median year built	1976	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.8%	—

Who lives in Watertown

People	Watertown	Typical Michigan town
Median age	41.5	43.7
Age 65 and over	18.5%	20.7%
Under 18	21.6%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	43.2%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	3.0%	10.4%
Veterans	8.7%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.6%	—
Work from home	14.9%	9.1%
Average commute	20.6 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	94.0%	88.8%

Weather in Watertown

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 50.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 143 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lansing Capital City Ap station (4.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Watertown since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 2.3 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 12 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 9, 2026.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 25, 1998.

Severe weather in Clinton County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Clinton County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Clinton County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow
June 24, 1998	Severe Storm	DR-1226: Severe Storms

Jobs and pay in Clinton County

Clinton County had 18,614 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,866 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Watertown itself the ACS puts it at 3.5%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Watertown

DeWitt, MI
3.9 mi · 4,776 people · home $309,900
Waverly, MI
5.5 mi · 23,812 people · home $234,600
DeWitt, MI
5.8 mi · 15,073 people · home $276,000
Delta, MI
6.1 mi · 33,119 people · home $252,700
Lansing, MI
6.4 mi · 8,143 people · home $146,200
Grand Ledge, MI
6.4 mi · 7,784 people · home $194,000
Eagle, MI
6.6 mi · 2,776 people · home $257,400
Olive, MI
7.7 mi · 2,535 people · home $296,100

Watertown questions

Is Watertown, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Watertown scores better for retirees than 76% of Michigan towns and quieter than 66%. 18.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.5).

How much does a house cost in Watertown?

The median owner-occupied home in Watertown is valued at $288,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $114,870, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $1,484 a month.

What is the weather like in Watertown?

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.3 inches of precipitation a year and 50.2 inches of snow.

Does Watertown get tornadoes?

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Watertown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Watertown's Census boundary (GEOID 2603784400). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.