Census-designated place · New York
Adams Center, New York
Adams Center, census-designated place, in Jefferson County, New York. Adams Center had 1,492 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,075 (±306). GEOID 3600232.
Residents, 2020 Census
1,492
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,075 ±306
Median household income
$87,727
±$24,360 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$178,100
±$22,131 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
not published
New York: $1,621
Where is Adams Center and what county is it in?
Adams Center is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Jefferson County, New York. It covers 4.9 square miles of land, 307 residents per square mile in 2020.
Adams Center is in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Adams Center lies entirely within the Town of Adams, a town with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Adams Center, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 1,492 residents in Adams Center, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,075 (±306).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Adams Center is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Adams Center | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,075 ±306 | 115,040 | no clear change |
| Households | 464 ±123 | 47,606 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.28 ±0.23 | 2.32 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 498 ±132 | 61,862 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Adams Center?
The median resident of Adams Center is 54.8 years old; 15.2% are under 18 and 16.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.1%.
| Measure | Adams Center | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.8 ±3.7 | 33.7 | +15.9 |
| Under 18 years | 15.2% ±6.9 pts | 24.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.8% ±8.2 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Male | 52.0% ±4.7 pts | 52.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.1% ±4.8 pts | 7.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.4% ±5.9 pts | 80.2% | −7.4 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±1.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±3.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±2.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.4% ±3.6 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.6% ±6.1 pts | 12.7% | – |
| With a disability | 19.7% ±9.0 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.5% ±4.5 pts | 5.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.9% ±6.8 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 35.0% ±14.8 pts | 26.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 22.7% ±9.0 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.7% ±5.4 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 6.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Adams Center earn?
Half of Adams Center's 464 households earn less than $87,727 a year (±$24,360), against $66,301 in Jefferson County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $78,286 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Adams Center | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,727 ±$24,360 | $66,301 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $97,150 ±$15,957 | $86,210 | – |
| Per capita income | $41,501 ±$6,543 | $36,025 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.1% ±7.6 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.1% ±23.9 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.5% ±5.2 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.8% ±3.2 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.0% ±4.9 pts | 90.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Adams Center?
Owners occupy 94.6% of Adams Center's occupied homes and renters 5.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,100 by its owner (±$22,131).
| Measure | Adams Center | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $178,100 ±$22,131 | $188,200 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±67.8 pts | 38.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,750 ±$407 | $1,555 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.6% ±5.8 pts | 54.7% | +24.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.4% ±5.8 pts | 45.3% | – |
| Housing units | 498 ±132 | 61,862 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 7.2% ±6.6 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±67.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 67.9% ±12.5 pts | 57.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 23.5% ±11.8 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.0% ±4.8 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.3% ±12.5 pts | 30.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±4.5 pts | 9.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Adams Center work and get to work?
80.2% of Adams Center's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.2 minutes.
| Measure | Adams Center | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.0% ±12.0 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±6.9 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.2% ±9.4 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.1% ±5.9 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.8% ±8.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.2 min ±3.5 | 19.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Adams Center?
No census tract lies mostly in Adams Center; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 618.02Jefferson County | 3,033 | $63,611 |
| Tract 618.01Jefferson County | 3,509 | $72,064 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Adams Center) · Census block assignment files
How does Adams Center compare with other places in New York?
Adams Center ranks 717th of 1,623 places in New York with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 1,589th | 1,657 |
| Residents per square mile | 955th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 717th | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 895th | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 1,072nd | 1,637 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 726th | 1,640 |
| Median age | 90th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 91st | 1,639 |
| Travel time to work | 1,547th | 1,652 |
Adams Center's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Adams Center with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Adams Center?
26 of the 56 figures for Adams Center on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Adams Center are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.