Home Value Trail

Watertown, MA home price history and building permits

Middlesex CountyBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMassachusetts

  • Price trail: Middlesex County
  • FHFA annual index 1975 to 2025
  • Developmental index
  • Permits through

The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city. The line on this page is the index of Middlesex County, the county of Watertown. The FHFA annual house price index for Middlesex County increased by 83.1% from 2015 to 2025. Building permits in Watertown authorized 18 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026.

2015

The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city. These figures are for the index of Middlesex County, the county of Watertown.

+83.1%

From 2015 to 2025, the FHFA annual all-transactions index for Middlesex County increased by 83.1%.

From 2015 to 2025, the average change in each year is +6.2%, compounded.

Same span at each level: 2015 to 2025
AreaChangeBar
Middlesex County+83.1%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH+89.3%
Massachusetts+87.1%
United States+85.0%
Middlesex County FHFA annual all-transactions index, 100 in 1975
  • Middlesex County
  • United States, set to the same start
  • Recession (NBER dates)
  • Your span

This is the price trail of Middlesex County, not of Watertown. The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city.

Index values for each year
FHFA annual all-transactions index for Middlesex County, 1975 to 2025
YearIndexChange from the year before
20251,862.13+3.6%
20241,798.15+5.9%
20231,697.94+8.1%
20221,570.92+12.6%
20211,395.52+9.1%
20201,279.34+2.2%
20191,251.22+3.9%
20181,204.40+5.5%
20171,141.17+6.4%
20161,072.76+5.5%
20151,017.16+3.9%
2014978.79+6.9%
2013915.37+3.1%
2012887.54−0.4%
2011891.41−1.4%
2010904.34−1.1%
2009914.39−4.6%
2008958.77−3.6%
2007994.25−2.8%
20061,023.18−0.4%
20051,027.47+9.4%
2004939.52+8.4%
2003866.54+5.6%
2002820.32+9.2%
2001751.52+11.4%
2000674.35+18.1%
1999570.85+9.5%
1998521.35+6.8%
1997488.00+5.6%
1996462.05+3.5%
1995446.55+3.1%
1994433.12+1.7%
1993425.70+0.3%
1992424.25−0.5%
1991426.30−5.7%
1990452.24−4.3%
1989472.80−0.2%
1988473.81+5.1%
1987450.89+10.1%
1986409.60+18.4%
1985346.03+23.7%
1984279.70+29.1%
1983216.65+7.8%
1982200.89+2.8%
1981195.37+17.1%
1980166.81+11.7%
1979149.33+23.3%
1978121.16+15.4%
1977104.99+10.1%
197695.37−4.6%
1975100.00n/a

Each figure is the change of the FHFA annual all-transactions index, from the year that you pick to 2025. It is a change for the area. It is not the change in the value of your home, and it does not use the price that you paid.

The average for each year is a compounded annual change. The guide to values explains more.

When using the FHFA House Price Calculator, please note that it does not project the actual value of any particular house.

FHFA, about its own House Price Calculator: Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index Datasets, HPI Calculator, copied on . The calculator of FHFA uses quarterly figures. For the states and the 100 largest metro areas it uses the purchase-only index. Its figures can differ from the figures here.

Since the last FHFA release

No recorded FHFA release changed a figure of Middlesex County. The record of releases starts with the next FHFA release. FHFA releases recorded by this site

Same span, every level

Change in the FHFA annual index to 2025: Middlesex County and the areas above it
Area1 year2024 to 20255 years2020 to 202510 years2015 to 202520 years2005 to 2025Since 20002000 to 2025Each yearaverage of 10 years
Middlesex County+3.6%+45.6%+83.1%+81.2%+176.1%+6.2%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH+4.0%+49.4%+89.3%+77.7%+182.4%+6.6%
Massachusetts+3.7%+49.2%+87.1%+70.7%+175.9%+6.5%
United States+2.8%+47.0%+85.0%+79.1%+158.3%+6.3%

The annual files of FHFA have no index for Watertown. The first row is the index of Middlesex County.

Building permits in Watertown

In the 12 months to August 2026, building permits in Watertown authorized 18 housing units. That is 0.5 units for each 1,000 residents. In the 12 months before, permits authorized 17 units.

Housing units authorized by month, latest 24 months
  • Units in buildings with 1 unit
  • Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each month
Housing units authorized by building permits in Watertown, by month
MonthAll units1 unit2 or more units
Aug 2026000
Jul 2026110
Jun 2026000
May 2026220
Apr 20261028
Mar 2026110
Feb 2026000
Jan 2026000
Dec 2025000
Nov 2025220
Oct 2025000
Sep 2025220
Aug 2025220
Jul 2025110
Jun 2025000
May 2025110
Apr 2025220
Mar 2025110
Feb 2025000
Jan 2025000
Dec 2024000
Nov 2024000
Oct 2024880
Sep 2024220
Housing units authorized in the 12 months to August 2026, by size of building
FigureWatertownMiddlesex CountyMassachusettsUnited States
All units182,87613,7781,418,086
In buildings with 1 unit10 (56%)867 (30%)5,182 (38%)888,241 (63%)
In buildings with 2 units06039834,814
In buildings with 3 or 4 units06226717,298
In buildings with 5 or more units8 (44%)1,887 (66%)7,931 (58%)477,733 (34%)
Units for each 1,000 residents0.51.71.94.1
Change from the 12 months before+5.9%+15.4%+16.2%−0.1%
Housing units authorized by year, 1995 to 2025
  • Units in buildings with 1 unit
  • Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each year
Housing units authorized by building permits in Watertown, by year
YearAll units1 unit2 or more units
202515316137
202417170
2023990
2022441034
202120182
202016315148
201926512253
20181273196
20171121399
201631430284
20153894385
201413211
20134687461
201214212
20112200220
2010909
200940238
2008202
200715213
20061992197
200534727
200421120
200323320
20021450145
20011688
2000936
1999615
1998330
1997532
199619514
19951798

A permit authorizes construction. It does not show that the work started or that it is complete. For a place that does not report each month, the Census Bureau imputes the monthly figures.

Agency pages

  • Building Permits SurveyUS Census BureauThe survey of housing units that building permits authorize.
  • FHFA House Price IndexFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe index page of FHFA: data, tools and the release dates.
  • FHFA HPI CalculatorFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe calculator of FHFA. It works by quarter, for a state or a metro area.

Each link loaded on .

Cite this page

Home Value Trail. Watertown, MA home price history and building permits. https://homevaluetrail.com/city/ma/watertown/. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey; Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for Middlesex County. FHFA release of .

Where the figures come from

Building permits
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place files through August 2026, permit office 653000. County, state and national figures from the county and state files.
Price trail
FHFA annual house price index for Middlesex County, 1975 to 2025. Release of March 31, 2026.
County of the place
The county code of the Building Permits Survey row, and the Census Bureau 2020 place by county file.
Residents
US Census Bureau, population estimates for 2025.

All files are works of the US government, in the public domain. To report an error, see Corrections.

Questions

What kinds of buildings have permits in Watertown?
In the 12 months to August 2026, 10 units are in buildings with one unit. 0 units are in buildings with two to four units. 8 units are in buildings with five or more units.
How does the count compare with the 12 months before?
Permits authorized 17 housing units in the 12 months before. Permits authorized 18 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026. The count increased by 5.9% between the two periods.
How many units is that for each 1,000 residents?
Watertown has 0.5 units for each 1,000 residents. Middlesex County has 1.7 units for each 1,000 residents. Massachusetts has 1.9 units for each 1,000 residents.
How many units have permits from 1995?
Permits in Watertown authorized 2,891 housing units from 1995 to 2025. The year with the most units is 2013, with 468.