Watertown, Massachusetts Tier 3
Tier 3 · solid schools · about 31 minutes door-to-door to downtown Boston at peak · 49% of households own their home.
$950k
4BR / 2BA house (est.)
$775k
3BR townhouse (est.)
$575k
2BR condo (est.)
$12.20
Tax per $1,000 (FY2026)
31 min
Peak drive to Boston (modeled)
—
No MBTA rail
49%
Homeowners (ACS 2019–23)
What it takes to live here
| Scenario (20% down) | Monthly all-in | Income needed |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR / 2BA detached house | $5,945/mo | $255k/yr |
| 3BR / 2BA townhouse | $4,882/mo | $209k/yr |
| 2BR condo | $3,667/mo | $157k/yr |
Monthly = mortgage (6.5%, 30-year, 20% down) + property tax at Watertown’s actual FY2026 rate ($12.20/$1,000 = 1.22% of assessed value) + $175 insurance. “Income needed” keeps housing at 28% of gross income. Prices are market estimates, not appraisals.
Community snapshot
| ACS 2019–2023 (via MAPC DataCommon) | Share |
|---|---|
| Homeowner households | 49% |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 70% |
| Asian (non-Hispanic) | 12% |
| Latino / Hispanic | 6.5% |
| African American (non-Hispanic) | 4.1% |
These figures are neutral census facts, shown for every town equally. They are never used to filter, rank, or recommend towns — see our methodology and the federal Fair Housing Act.
