Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Watertown, SD
presidential margin
2008R+6.42012R+18.32016R+39.32020R+38.92024R+40.8
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+40.8
2024
median income$72,727U.S. $80,734 · SD $75,081
median age40.4U.S. 39.1 · SD 38.2
poverty rate8.8%U.S. 12.5% · SD 12.0%
bachelor’s+ (25+)21.4%U.S. 35.6% · SD 31.9%
non-english3.0%U.S. 22.3% · SD 7.1%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German39.8%
Norwegian15.8%
Irish9.1%
Mexican2.5%
Cuban0.2%
religion
other traditions
Latter-day Saints1.3%
Other Christian0.4%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Watertown, SD, South Dakota

Akashic
Watertown, SDTrumpR+40.8
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Watertown, SD, SDA map of the single county of Watertown, SD, SD, outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Codington County, SD · R+40.8
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican69.2%9,349
Kamala HarrisDemocratic28.4%3,840
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Other2.4%321
D+60
R+60
A single county, filled by its 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover it for the full result.
County-level results (1 county) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Watertown, SD, SD — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Codington County, SDRepublicanR+40.8
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
28.4%Harris3,840
69.2%Trump9,349
2.4%Kennedy321
−40.8%
13,510
R
29.2%Biden3,837
68.1%Trump8,958
2.8%Jorgensen366
−38.9%
13,161
R
27.2%Clinton3,174
66.5%Trump7,764
6.3%Johnson731
−39.3%
11,669
R
39.8%Obama4,588
58.1%Romney6,696
2.1%Johnson240
−18.3%
11,524
R
45.9%Obama5,595
52.3%McCain6,374
1.8%Nader216
−6.4%
12,185
R
37.7%Kerry4,803
61.0%Bush7,778
1.3%Nader170
−23.3%
12,751
R
37.6%Gore4,192
60.3%Bush6,718
2.0%Buchanan228
−22.7%
11,138
R
42.7%Clinton4,722
45.2%Dole4,995
12.1%Browne1,338
−2.5%
11,055
R
33.8%Clinton3,701
36.0%Bush3,943
30.1%Perot3,299
−2.2%
10,943
R
47.0%Dukakis4,570
52.0%Bush5,050
1.0%Paul94
−4.9%
9,714
R
36.5%Mondale3,528
63.1%Reagan6,108
0.4%Serrette42
−26.7%
9,678
R
33.6%Carter3,353
59.1%Reagan5,903
7.3%Anderson734
−25.5%
9,990
D
50.8%Carter4,680
48.9%Ford4,504
0.3%Macbride29
+1.9%
9,213
R
48.1%McGovern4,601
51.6%Nixon4,936
0.3%Schmitz27
−3.5%
9,564
D
50.1%Humphrey4,235
46.5%Nixon3,929
3.4%Wallace288
+3.6%
8,452
D
59.8%Johnson5,353
40.2%Goldwater3,593
0.0%
+19.7%
8,946
R
44.8%Kennedy4,304
55.2%Nixon5,309
0.0%
−10.5%
9,613
R
42.3%Stevenson3,772
57.7%Eisenhower5,150
0.0%
−15.4%
8,922
R
34.1%Stevenson2,974
65.9%Eisenhower5,750
0.0%
−31.8%
8,724
D
54.3%Truman4,042
45.0%Dewey3,349
0.7%Thurmond50
+9.3%
7,441
R
48.2%Roosevelt3,120
51.8%Dewey3,348
0.0%
−3.5%
6,468
R
46.2%Roosevelt3,705
53.8%Willkie4,320
0.0%
−7.7%
8,025
D
55.9%Roosevelt4,256
39.4%Landon3,005
4.7%Lemke359
+16.4%
7,620
D
65.0%Roosevelt4,806
34.3%Hoover2,538
0.7%Thomas52
+30.7%
7,396
R
46.6%Smith3,299
53.1%Hoover3,762
0.4%Thomas26
−6.5%
7,087
O
13.9%Davis627
41.4%Coolidge1,862
44.7%La Follette2,011
La Follette +3.3
4,500
R
19.2%Cox867
59.8%Harding2,706
21.0%Debs949
−40.7%
4,522
R
44.9%Wilson1,344
51.8%Hughes1,550
3.2%Benson97
−6.9%
2,991
O
45.0%Wilson1,111
0.0%Taft0
55.0%Roosevelt1,356
Roosevelt +9.9
2,467
R
32.5%Bryan831
63.3%Taft1,618
4.2%Debs107
−30.8%
2,556
R
24.1%Parker582
72.2%Roosevelt1,741
3.7%Debs89
−48.1%
2,412
R
38.3%Bryan805
58.3%McKinley1,225
3.4%Woolley72
−20.0%
2,102
R
41.6%Bryan759
57.1%McKinley1,041
1.3%Palmer23
−15.5%
1,823
R
24.1%Cleveland408
52.2%Harrison882
23.7%Weaver401
−28.0%
1,691
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −40.8% in 2024.flipped R · 1980−40.8%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−28.0%
1896−15.5%
1900−20.0%
1904−48.1%
1908−30.8%
1912+45.0%
1916−6.9%
1920−40.7%
1924−27.4%
1928−6.5%
1932+30.7%
1936+16.4%
1940−7.7%
1944−3.5%
1948+9.3%
1952−31.8%
1956−15.4%
1960−10.5%
1964+19.7%
1968+3.6%
1972−3.5%
1976+1.9%
1980−25.5%
1984−26.7%
1988−4.9%
1992−2.2%
1996−2.5%
2000−22.7%
2004−23.3%
2008−6.4%
2012−18.3%
2016−39.3%
2020−38.9%
2024−40.8%
DemocraticRepublican

Watertown anchors the northeast corner of South Dakota, drawing workers and voters from a wide rural catchment. Its Codington County electorate has leaned heavily Republican in recent presidential cycles, often by margins exceeding 30 points.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 45.0 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 48.1 points in 1904. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 1.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 40.8 points.

A population of 28,767, a 90% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $72,727 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Wahpeton, ND-MN and Spencer, IA.

Political twins — metros

The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.

Wahpeton, ND-MN
95.1twin score
12-yr trendNorwegian ancestryelasticity
Spencer, IA
91.1twin score
elasticity12-yr trend% unaffiliated≠ Norwegian ancestry
Jamestown, ND
90.5twin score
Norwegian ancestry12-yr trendelasticity≠ % unaffiliated

Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

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All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Watertown, SD, South Dakota. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/47980/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Watertown, SD

counties1
Codington County

Frequently asked questions

How did Watertown, SD, South Dakota vote in 2024?
In 2024, Watertown, SD, South Dakota voted Republican by 40.8 points (R+40.8), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 13,510 votes cast, 3,840 went Democratic and 9,349 went Republican.
When did Watertown, SD, South Dakota last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Watertown, SD, South Dakota voted Democratic was 1976.
How many people live in Watertown, SD, South Dakota?
Watertown, SD, South Dakota has a population of 28,767 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Watertown, SD, South Dakota?
Median household income in Watertown, SD, South Dakota is $72,727 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of Watertown, SD, South Dakota?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Watertown, SD, South Dakota from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 26 went Republican.