Village · New York
Dexter, New York
Dexter, village, in Jefferson County, New York. Dexter had 989 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,004 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 754 (±191). GEOID 3620500.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
989
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,004 · ACS 2020-2024: 754 ±191
Median household income
$49,408
±$14,656 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$158,000
±$19,394 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$620
±$126 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Dexter and what county is it in?
Dexter is a village in Jefferson County, New York. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 1,508 residents per square mile in 2020.
Dexter is in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Dexter lies entirely within the Town of Brownville, 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 Dexter, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 989 people lived in Dexter on July 1, 2025, down 2.2% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). The 2020 Census counted 1,004 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 754 (±191).
| Measure | Dexter | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 754 ±191 | 115,040 | no clear change |
| Households | 318 ±74 | 47,606 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.28 ±0.39 | 2.32 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 354 ±83 | 61,862 | no clear change |
Dexter's population since 2000
From 1,120 in 2000 to 989 in 2025: down 11.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Dexter as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Dexter?
The median resident of Dexter is 42.7 years old; 28.4% are under 18 and 27.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.2%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.4%.
| Measure | Dexter | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.7 ±10.5 | 33.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 28.4% ±8.8 pts | 24.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.1% ±9.1 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Male | 41.9% ±5.6 pts | 52.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.9% ±4.7 pts | 7.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.2% ±7.6 pts | 80.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±3.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.4% ±5.1 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.2% ±3.8 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.9% ±3.3 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.7% ±5.5 pts | 12.7% | – |
| With a disability | 21.9% ±8.2 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.2% ±2.5 pts | 5.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.7% ±6.7 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.7% ±6.8 pts | 26.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.1% ±5.3 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.6% ±4.0 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.8 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 Dexter earn?
Half of Dexter's 318 households earn less than $49,408 a year (±$14,656), against $66,301 in Jefferson County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $46,060 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Dexter | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,408 ±$14,656 | $66,301 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,808 ±$12,537 | $86,210 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,415 ±$5,973 | $36,025 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.8% ±10.9 pts | 13.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.9% ±21.5 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.1% ±11.4 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.8% ±6.1 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.4% ±6.7 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 Dexter?
Owners occupy 64.2% of Dexter's occupied homes and renters 35.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,000 by its owner (±$19,394). The median renter pays $620 a month including utilities, and 50.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Dexter | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $158,000 ±$19,394 | $188,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $620 ±$126 | $1,213 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.9% ±20.1 pts | 38.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,414 ±$143 | $1,555 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64.2% ±12.6 pts | 54.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 35.8% ±12.6 pts | 45.3% | – |
| Housing units | 354 ±83 | 61,862 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.8% ±10.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.0% ±11.2 pts | 57.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.5% ±2.1 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.8% ±6.7 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 46.3% ±13.1 pts | 30.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.7% ±7.6 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 many new homes is Dexter building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Dexter in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 2.0 per 1,000 residents against 1.9 across New York.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Dexter work and get to work?
86.0% of Dexter's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 16.1 minutes.
| Measure | Dexter | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.3% ±8.2 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±5.7 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.0% ±8.0 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.2% ±5.3 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±15.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±15.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.1% ±4.8 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.1 min ±2.1 | 19.5 min | −6.6 min |
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 Dexter?
No census tract lies mostly in Dexter; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 604.01Jefferson County | 3,328 | $80,270 |
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 Dexter) · Census block assignment files
How does Dexter compare with other places in New York?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Dexter is the 10,297th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 419th-most populous of 594 in New York.
Dexter ranks 1,563rd 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, July 2025 estimate | 419th | 594 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 870th | 1,225 |
| Residents per square mile | 558th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 1,563rd | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 1,574th | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 1,247th | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 1,498th | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 140th | 1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,473rd | 1,640 |
| Median age | 914th | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,320th | 1,639 |
| Travel time to work | 1,585th | 1,652 |
Dexter's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Dexter 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 Dexter?
23 of the 57 figures for Dexter 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 Dexter 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' public schools in Dexter.