Monroe receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Watertown
Monroe
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
48 · Bottom 45%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs87 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
60 · Top 39%
vs53 · Top 48%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
65 · Top 40%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Watertown | Monroe | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,774 | 10,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,107 | $69,334 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,897 | $42,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,888/sq mi | 1,838/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $222,100 | $195,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,052 | $862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.0% | 63.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 27.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 75 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.6% | 63.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.3" | 39.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 42.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.57 | 13.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 45.0% | 41.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 39.0% | 33.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.6% | 41.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Watertown
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Monroe
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Watertown, WI · Monroe, WI · How this is calculated: methodology