Rental numbers for the Watertown, WI metro
The typical home here runs -$1,653 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 2 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this metro are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.7%.
- Gross yield
- 4.4%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 4.7%
- 2 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,653/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $372,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,364/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in the metro
10 with published figures
| 53538Fort Atkinson | $332,000 | $1,339 | 4.8% | 1.3% | -$1,418 | n/a |
| 53094Watertown | $324,000 | $1,253 | 4.6% | 1.2% | -$1,423 | n/a |
| 53594Waterloo | $363,000 | $1,330* | 4.4% | 1.0% | -$1,661 | n/a |
| 53549Jefferson | $349,000 | $1,160* | 4.0% | 0.5% | -$1,729 | n/a |
| 53038Johnson Creek | $420,000 | $1,340* | 3.8% | 0.7% | -$2,031 | n/a |
| 53156Palmyra | $375,000 | $1,070* | 3.4% | 0.3% | -$1,932 | n/a |
| 53551Lake Mills | $431,000 | $1,220* | 3.4% | 0.3% | -$2,208 | n/a |
| 53178Sullivan | $439,000 | $1,240* | 3.4% | 0.5% | -$2,172 | n/a |
| 53036Ixonia | $479,000 | $1,340* | 3.4% | 0.5% | -$2,385 | n/a |
| 53137Helenville | $468,000 | $1,200* | 3.1% | 0.2% | -$2,438 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +5.2%
- Rent, 12 months
- +4.9%
- Rent minus price growth
- -0.2 pts
- Property tax
- 1.41%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $282,363 | n/a |
| Aug 2022 | $304,533 | $1,060 |
| Aug 2023 | $322,328 | $1,147 |
| Aug 2024 | $338,712 | $1,211 |
| Aug 2025 | $353,839 | $1,300 |
| Aug 2026 | $372,104 | $1,364 |
Counties
- Jefferson County, WI4.7% median yield
Tools
Questions
- Is the Watertown, WI metro good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,653 a month at 7.78% with 25% down. 0 of 2 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this metro are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.7%. Figures assume a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and the default costs on the methodology page.
- Which ZIP codes in the Watertown, WI metro have the highest rental yield?
- 53538 (Fort Atkinson) at 4.8%, 53094 (Watertown) at 4.6%, on Zillow value and rent. The full table above sorts by any column.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.