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METRO AREA

Watertown Metro

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY · 1 counties · 111,540 residents (2025 est.) · 1,268 sq mi
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The short version

Watertown is home to 115,040 people. This skews young, with a median age of 33.7. The typical home is worth $188,200, having roughly tripled since 2000. Owners hold 55% of the housing stock. About 26% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 5% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
115,040
+3%since 2000
from 111,738 in 2000
111,540 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
91 / sq mi
+3%since 2000
from 88 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.7
+4%since 2000
from 32.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,268 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
110K113K115K117K120K19902000201020202024Watertown
2024115K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.3%(8,357)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.9%(7,893)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(7,240)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196%(6,867)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.2%(10,600)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.2%(18,677)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.4%(14,237)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.6%(11,091)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411%(12,697)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749%(10,327)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.5%(5,142)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(1,912)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,301
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,006 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,025
+122%since 2000
from $16,202 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.7%
+21.4 ptssince 2009
from 23.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.439
+5%since 2010
from 0.420 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade6.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$188,200
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,213
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $486 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
54.7%
−5.0 ptssince 2000
from 59.7% in 2000
45.3% rent
Vacancy rate
23.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.32 people
−10%since 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.1%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 22.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.6%
+8.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.8
+13%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
49
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.2%(97,389)
Black5.6%(6,257)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(4,677)
Asian0.9%(1,007)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.2%(92,228)
Black4.3%(4,981)
Hispanic / Latino7.5%(8,657)
Asian1.9%(2,159)
Other6.1%(7,015)
Diversity Score
43
+43%since 2009
from 30 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
−19%since 2020
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.4%(2,793)
Puerto Rican2.2%(2,523)
Dominican0.5%(563)
Ecuadorian0.4%(487)
Guatemalan0.2%(286)
Spaniard0.2%(283)
Panamanian0.2%(208)
Colombian0.2%(205)
Salvadoran0.1%(129)
Cuban0.1%(90)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Korean0.4%(469)
Filipino0.3%(362)
Asian Indian0.3%(351)
Chinese0.3%(304)
Vietnamese0.1%(164)
Thai0.1%(100)
Nepalese0.1%(77)
Laotian0%(33)
Pakistani0%(30)
Japanese0%(24)
Cambodian0%(21)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Mongolian0%(13)
Uzbek0%(6)
Kazakh0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(171)
Samoan0.1%(135)
Ancestry
Irish15.9%(18,287)
German13.8%(15,932)
English13.5%(15,580)
Italian8.2%(9,468)
American6%(6,914)
French5.5%(6,370)
Polish3%(3,414)
French Canadian2.3%(2,696)
Scottish2.3%(2,662)
Dutch1.7%(1,955)
West Indian0.8%(895)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(856)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(753)
Hungarian0.6%(692)
Welsh0.6%(662)
Canadian0.5%(607)
British0.5%(588)
Russian0.5%(565)
Jamaican0.5%(530)
Swedish0.4%(507)
Swiss0.3%(371)
Ukrainian0.3%(319)
Arab0.2%(256)
Greek0.2%(248)
Romanian0.1%(163)
Austrian0.1%(150)
Lebanese0.1%(140)
Portuguese0.1%(136)
Danish0.1%(116)
Haitian0.1%(109)
Lithuanian0.1%(76)
Syrian0.1%(74)
Czech0.1%(73)
Iranian0.1%(69)
Finnish0.1%(60)
Ethiopian0.1%(59)
Nigerian0.1%(58)
Brazilian0%(57)
Croatian0%(55)
Slovak0%(53)
Guyanese0%(40)
Belgian0%(32)
Israeli0%(26)
Ghanaian0%(25)
Kenyan0%(24)
Egyptian0%(23)
Bulgarian0%(11)
Turkish0%(7)
Serbian0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
26.5%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 16.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.0%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.1%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 6.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.5 min
+55%since 2000
from 12.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 77.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.3%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.7%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 9.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2011
from 65.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 70.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.4%
+6.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Female
47.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Foreign born
4.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
12.7%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 13.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.5%
−4.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.8%
+10.1 ptssince 2017
from 80.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 91.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
80.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 80.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 92.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 3.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35%(16,900)
Married54.6%(26,388)
Widowed2%(944)
Divorced8.4%(4,076)
Women 15+
Never married23.3%(10,064)
Married56.4%(24,403)
Widowed8%(3,468)
Divorced12.3%(5,307)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.5%
−4.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
46.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 45.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 11.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 17.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.0%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 27.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 4.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 67.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 42.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)51.6%(5,091)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)29.8%(2,941)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era18.8%(1,858)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.2%(219)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(20)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 9,861 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro

Largest cities

WatertownCENTRAL23,517Fort DrumCENTRAL16,065Carthage3,196Calcium2,935West Carthage1,721Clayton1,656Adams1,636Sackets Harbor1,337Black River1,208Philadelphia1,125Adams Center1,075Dexter989Great Bend938Alexandria Bay922Brownville911Pamelia Center907Theresa727Cape Vincent713Evans Mills604Chaumont581La Fargeville512Antwerp503Glen Park436Pierrepont Manor425Felts Mills402Redwood371Mannsville318Depauville310Deferiet247Thousand Island Park222

The 30 most populous of 41 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

Jefferson CountyCENTRAL111,540
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Watertown

St. Simons
Pop 118,524
Lewiston
Pop 116,487
Cape Girardeau
Pop 99,215
Grand Forks
Pop 105,046
Places similar to Watertown
Head to head

Compare Watertown side by side

WATERTOWN VS
St. Simons
Income$66,040same
Home value$257,539+37%
Population118,524+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATERTOWN VS
Lewiston
Income$67,873+2%
Home value$252,800+34%
Population116,487+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATERTOWN VS
Cape Girardeau
Income$66,900+1%
Home value$208,311+11%
Population99,215−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATERTOWN VS
Grand Forks
Income$69,566+5%
Home value$243,841+30%
Population105,046−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY has about 115,040 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

The typical household in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY earns about $66,301 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Watertown-Fort Drum, NY expensive?

In Watertown-Fort Drum, NY, the median home is worth about $188,200, and the typical rent is about $1,213 a month.

How educated are people in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

About 26.5% of adults age 25 and over in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

About 13.7% of people in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY live below the federal poverty line.

Has Watertown-Fort Drum, NY grown since 1990?

Yes, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,097 residents, a change of about 4 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →