HarrisDemocratic28.4%3,840TrumpRepublican69.2%9,349OtherAll other candidates2.4%321
R+40.8- Lead
- 5,509
- Total
- 13,510
- vs nation
- R+39.3
Akashicmetro area
Watertown, SD
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
1 counties by 2024 margin · County returns · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
Vote totals, margins, and source status
BidenDemocratic29.2%3,837TrumpRepublican68.1%8,958OtherAll other candidates2.8%366
R+38.9- Lead
- 5,121
- Total
- 13,161
- vs nation
- R+43.4
ClintonDemocratic27.2%3,174TrumpRepublican66.5%7,764OtherAll other candidates6.3%731
R+39.3- Lead
- 4,590
- Total
- 11,669
- vs nation
- R+41.4
ObamaDemocratic39.8%4,588RomneyRepublican58.1%6,696OtherAll other candidates2.1%240
R+18.3- Lead
- 2,108
- Total
- 11,524
- vs nation
- R+22.1
ObamaDemocratic45.9%5,595McCainRepublican52.3%6,374OtherAll other candidates1.8%216
R+6.4- Lead
- 779
- Total
- 12,185
- vs nation
- R+13.7
KerryDemocratic37.7%4,803BushRepublican61.0%7,778OtherAll other candidates1.3%170
R+23.3- Lead
- 2,975
- Total
- 12,751
- vs nation
- R+20.9
GoreDemocratic37.6%4,192BushRepublican60.3%6,718OtherAll other candidates2.0%228
R+22.7- Lead
- 2,526
- Total
- 11,138
- vs nation
- R+23.2
ClintonDemocratic42.7%4,722DoleRepublican45.2%4,995OtherAll other candidates12.1%1,338
R+2.5- Lead
- 273
- Total
- 11,055
- vs nation
- R+11.0
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+40.8MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 28,7672024 5-year
- Population density
- 42 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 688 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $72,7272024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 90.4%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.7%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 3.3%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+45.0 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+48.1 in 1904MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Wahpeton, ND-MN · twin score 95.1
presidential history
Party record book
Watertown, SD · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1932
65.0%
4,806 votes · D+30.7
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 59.8%
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
72.2%
1,741 votes · R+48.1
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · 69.2%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Barack Obama2008
5,595votes
45.9% of the vote · R+6.4
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 5,353 votes
Republican
Donald Trump2024
9,349votes
69.2% of the vote · R+40.8
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 8,958 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Woodrow Wilson1912
+25.5pts D vs U.S.
Place D+45.0 · U.S. D+19.5 · a third-party candidate carried the Place
Runner-up · George McGovern, 1972 · +19.7 pts
Republican
Donald Trump2020
+43.4pts R vs U.S.
Place R+38.9 · U.S. D+4.5
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2016 · +41.4 pts
voter registration
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Party registration · 2026R+38.5
Presidential vote · 2024R+40.8
Registration and the presidential vote track closely here — within 2.3 points.
19,032 registered voters · 2026
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
+277 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net +532 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | +72 |
| 2012 | +43 |
| 2013 | +82 |
| 2014 | −70 |
| 2015 | −197 |
| 2016 | −4 |
| 2017 | −82 |
| 2018 | −194 |
| 2019 | −108 |
| 2021 | +131 |
| 2022 | +195 |
| 2023 | +127 |
| 2024 | +260 |
| 2025 | +277 |
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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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.