Watertown is a city in Codington County, South Dakota, home to about 23,044 people across 18 square miles. Its ZIP code is 57201.
Homes sold for a median of $144 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Watertown. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Watertown’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)191 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Watertown Regional Airport (ATY)2 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN189 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL519 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Watertown; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Watertown had 22,655 residents in the 2020 census, up 12% since 2000.
It’s the 5th largest of 440 towns in South Dakota by population.
Codington County grew from 8,770 residents in 1900 to 28,325 in 2020.
Codington County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 3°F. About 23.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 41 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Watertown Rgnl Ap, SD weather station (about a mile away).
15,001 jobs at 1,210 businesses in Codington County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
384 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Watertown.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 34 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 47 |
| Dentists | 30 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 59 |
| Mental health providers | 110 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 70 |
| Optometrists | 12 |
| Chiropractors | 22 |
| Pharmacies | 10 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (25 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1879.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Watertown School District 14-4, Waverly School District 14-5. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06Watertown | Pre-K–K | 296 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Waverly-South Shore Elementary - 02Waverly | Pre-K–5 | 128 | Public | 10.0 mi |
| Jefferson Elementary - 09Watertown | 1–4 | 333 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Lincoln Elementary - 05Watertown | 1–4 | 361 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Mellette Elementary - 07Watertown | 1–4 | 267 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Watertown Intermediate School - 13Watertown | 5–6 | 532 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Waverly-South Shore Middle School - 03Waverly | 6–8 | 69 | Public | 10.0 mi |
| Watertown Middle School - 02Watertown | 7–8 | 575 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Watertown High School - 01Watertown | 9–12 | 1,222 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Waverly-South Shore High School - 01Waverly | 9–12 | 86 | Public | 10.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Martins Lutheran SchoolWatertown | Pre-K–8 | 164 | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 1.0 mi |
| Watertown Christian SchoolWatertown | Pre-K–8 | 79 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.0 mi |
| Great Plains Lutheran High SchoolWatertown | 9–12 | 137 | Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 1.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Waverly.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.