Watertown, TN has a B safety grade (71/100) with a violent crime rate of 185 per 100,000, 47% below the national average.

FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS

Watertown, TN Crime Rate & Safety

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents, drawn directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. Compare against state and national averages.

PlainCrime home → About this data
B
Safety grade
Above Average
185
Violent / 100K
1233
Property / 100K
2K
Population
-47%
vs U.S. avg

The verdict

Watertown earns a B safety grade: violent crime runs 47% below the U.S. average, placing it higher-crime than most U.S. cities.

B
PlainCrime safety grade
-47%
violent crime vs. U.S. average
42nd
percentile of 8,986 U.S. cities
1,233
property crimes per 100K

Crime data sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, covering violent crime, property crime, and individual offense categories. Safety grades reflect a composite analysis of violent and property crime rates benchmarked against national averages. For context on how crime statistics are collected and what they mean for community safety, read our guide to understanding FBI crime data.

Is Watertown, TN safe? Watertown has a violent crime rate of 185 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data, 47% lower than the national average and 69% below the Tennessee average. The city receives a safety grade of B (Above Average). Property crime rate: 1233/100K. Population: 1,622.

FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Watertown, TN

Watertown, TN, reporting population 1,622 in 2024, recorded 3 violent crimes and 20 property crimes in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Table 8 city-level submissions. The city's violent crime rate works out to 185 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 1233 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of B (Above Average), scoring 71 out of 100.

Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 3 incidents, robbery 0, murder 0, and rape 0 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (12), burglary (2), motor vehicle theft (6), and arson (0). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Watertown's mix at 52.2% of all Part I offenses.

Against the national violent crime average, Watertown runs 47% below the US benchmark, and 69% below the Tennessee statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 71 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 541 for a violent offense. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement and may undercount unreported crime.

These figures come from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which compiles offenses voluntarily submitted by local law enforcement agencies. Rates are expressed per 100,000 residents so a small town and a large city sit on the same scale, 50 burglaries mean something very different in a town of 2,000 than in a city of 500,000. Two caveats matter when reading any city's numbers. First, a year with missing or partial agency reporting can understate true crime, so a sudden drop sometimes reflects a reporting gap rather than a real safety gain. Second, UCR counts reported offenses, not convictions, and many crimes are never reported at all. Treat a grade as one input among several, not a final verdict on a place.

Is Watertown, TN Safe? Safety Assessment

Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Watertown, TN receives a safety grade of B (Above Average) with a composite safety score of 71/100. The city is significantly safer than the national average, with violent crime 47% below the US benchmark.

Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Watertown is approximately 1 in 71 , with a 1 in 541 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 52% of all reported offenses.

Safety assessments are based on FBI UCR reported crime statistics. Actual safety varies by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances. Crime reporting rates differ across jurisdictions.

Safety Overview

B 71/100
Above Average
Composite safety score
based on FBI UCR data
Violent Crime Rate
185/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
-47% vs US
Property Crime Rate
1233/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
-28% vs US
Total Crimes
23
reported in 2024
Population
1,622
2024 Census-based estimate

Crime Rate Breakdown, How Each Offense Compares

Each offense category's rate per 100,000 residents, benchmarked against the national average. Bars show the rate relative to the highest-rate offense in this city.

Murder 0.0/100K
Rape 0.0/100K
Robbery 0.0/100K
Aggravated Assault 185.0/100K
Burglary 123.3/100K
Larceny-Theft 739.8/100K
Motor Vehicle Theft 369.9/100K
Arson 0.0/100K

How this works: Each bar shows the offense rate per 100,000 residents relative to the most frequent offense in this city. ▲▼ indicators compare against the FBI UCR national rate for that offense category. A longer bar means a higher per-capita rate, it does not imply the city is dangerous; use it to understand the mix of crime types. Full methodology →

Crime Breakdown (2024)

Category Count Rate /100K
Violent Crime 3 185
Murder 0 0
Rape 0 0
Robbery 0 0
Aggravated Assault 3 185
Property Crime 20 1233
Burglary 2 123.3
Larceny-Theft 12 739.8
Motor Vehicle Theft 6 369.9
Arson 0 0

Per-Capita Risk Assessment

Overall Crime Risk
1 in 71
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 541
Statistical chance of being a violent crime victim

These are statistical averages based on reported crimes. Actual risk varies significantly by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances.

Crime Type Distribution (2024)

Larceny-Theft 12 (52.2%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 6 (26.1%)
Aggravated Assault 3 (13.0%)
Burglary 2 (8.7%)

Watertown vs Tennessee vs National Average

Watertown
Violent185/100K
Property1233/100K
GradeB
Tennessee
Violent601.6/100K
Property2057.9/100K
National Average
Violent352/100K
Property1711/100K

How Watertown ranks nationally

Watertown vs. every U.S. city

Violent crime per 100,000 residents, FBI UCR 2024. Lower is safer.

185 42nd percentile lower than 42% of 8,986 U.S. cities

0–100: 3,427 U.S. cities (38%). Below this entry. 100–200: 2,003 U.S. cities (22%). This entry sits in this band. 200–300: 1,232 U.S. cities (14%). Above this entry. 300–400: 742 U.S. cities (8%). Above this entry. 400–500: 511 U.S. cities (6%). Above this entry. 500–600: 325 U.S. cities (4%). Above this entry. 600–700: 199 U.S. cities (2%). Above this entry. 700–800: 134 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 800–900: 94 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 900–1,000: 77 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,100: 59 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 1,100–1,200: 38 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,300: 27 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,300–1,400: 24 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,400–1,500: 12 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,600: 16 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,600–1,700: 10 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,700–1,800: 12 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,900: 11 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,900–2,000: 4 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 2,000+: 29 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. Watertown 0 2,000+ every reporting city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band of values; taller bars hold more U.S. cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · 2024

Watertown vs. nearby cities — violent vs. property crime. X axis violent crime per 100K, Y axis property crime per 100K, split by the national averages. 9 cities; the anchor city is ringed. Watertown vs. nearby cities — violent vs. property crime SAFEST HIGHEST CRIME 119 2,701 Violent crime per 100K → 848 7,451 Property crime per 100K → Watertown: 185 violent · 1,233 property per 100K · grade B Watertown Metropolitan Nashville Police Department: 1,124 violent · 4,510 property per 100K · grade F Memphis: 2,501 violent · 6,899 property per 100K · grade F Knoxville: 740 violent · 2,721 property per 100K · grade F Chattanooga: 824 violent · 3,942 property per 100K · grade F Clarksville: 410 violent · 1,632 property per 100K · grade C Murfreesboro: 420 violent · 2,022 property per 100K · grade C Franklin: 132 violent · 943 property per 100K · grade A Johnson City: 402 violent · 2,303 property per 100K · grade C Safety grade A / B C D / F
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · split lines are the U.S. national averages

Nearby Cities in Tennessee

Compare Watertown against neighboring cities in the same state, or use our side-by-side compare tool to benchmark two cities directly.

Metropolitan Nashville Police Department
F
Pop: 698,987
Violent: 1124.1/100K
Property: 4509.5/100K
Memphis
F
Pop: 613,207
Violent: 2501.3/100K
Property: 6899/100K
Knoxville
F
Pop: 200,457
Violent: 740.3/100K
Property: 2721.3/100K
Chattanooga
F
Pop: 188,894
Violent: 823.7/100K
Property: 3942.4/100K
Clarksville
C
Pop: 185,349
Violent: 410/100K
Property: 1632.1/100K

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the crime rate in Watertown, TN? ▼
Watertown has a violent crime rate of 185 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1233 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Watertown, TN safe? ▼
Watertown receives a safety grade of B (Above Average), with a safety score of 71/100. The violent crime rate is 47% below the national average and 69% below the Tennessee average.
What is the population of Watertown, TN? ▼
The reporting population for Watertown is 1,622 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Watertown? ▼
In 2024, Watertown reported 3 violent crimes and 20 property crimes, for a total of 23 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Watertown? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Watertown is approximately 1 in 71, with a 1 in 541 chance of being a violent crime victim. These are statistical averages and actual risk varies by neighborhood and circumstance.
What is the most common crime in Watertown? ▼
The most common crime type in Watertown is larceny-theft, accounting for 52.2% of all reported crimes (12 incidents in 2024).

Understanding Crime Data

►
Understanding Crime Rates
How per-capita rates are calculated and what they mean
 ►
Violent vs Property Crime
Key differences between crime categories
 ►
FBI Crime Stats Explained
How the FBI collects and reports UCR data
 ►
Crime, Housing & Schools
How safety connects to housing costs and school quality

Data as of 2024. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Crime rates are calculated per 100,000 population. Not all agencies report complete data. FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures referenced from U.S. Census Bureau estimates where noted; state-level comparisons cross-check against state UCR programs. Verify with FBI.gov UCR, Census.gov QuickFacts, and HUD.gov fair-market rents.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

All federal data sources used on this page
Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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