Crime & Safety in Watertown, SD
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
3.03
per 1,000 residents
-32% vs national
Property Crime Rate
10.25
per 1,000 residents
-53% vs national
Total Crimes
311
2024
Violent Clearance
75%
cases solved
+76% vs national
Property Clearance
45%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+16%
vs 10K-25K avg
+16% vs 10K-25K
YoY Change
+5.0%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Watertown Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Watertown vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 10,000 - 25,000 residents. Watertown is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Watertown police solve 88% of aggravated assault cases but only 27% of rape cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 0 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Rape | Violent | 15 | 0.64 | 26.7% |
| Robbery | Violent | 0 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 56 | 2.39 | 87.5% |
| Burglary | Property | 16 | 0.68 | 31.3% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 208 | 8.88 | 45.2% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 16 | 0.68 | 62.5% |
Watertown, SD reported 71 violent crimes and 240 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 3.03 per 1,000 residents is 32.3% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 75% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 208 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 10.7% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (10,000 - 25,000 population), Watertown's violent crime rate is 16% higher. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 71 | 240 | 3.03 | 10.25 |
| 2023 | 67 | 389 | 2.89 | 16.77 |
| 2022 | 50 | 356 | 2.19 | 15.59 |
| 2021 | 50 | 301 | 2.23 | 13.45 |
| 2020 | 56 | 412 | 2.52 | 18.52 |
| 2019 | 68 | 367 | 3.06 | 16.51 |
| 2018 | 68 | 382 | 3.05 | 17.11 |
| 2017 | 81 | 444 | 3.64 | 19.93 |
| 2016 | 89 | 596 | 4.01 | 26.86 |
| 2015 | 85 | 623 | 3.83 | 28.07 |