Census-designated place · New York
Fort Drum, New York
Fort Drum, census-designated place, in Jefferson County, New York. Fort Drum had 16,065 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±700). GEOID 3626759.
Residents, 2020-2024
16,065
±700 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 15,896
Median household income
$62,291
±$7,906 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
not published
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$1,622
±$86 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Fort Drum and what county is it in?
Fort Drum 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 14.3 square miles of land, 1,109 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fort Drum is in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Fort Drum lies entirely within the Town of Le Ray, 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 Fort Drum, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Fort Drum's population at 16,065 (±700). The 2020 Census counted 15,896 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Fort Drum is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Fort Drum | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 16,065 ±700 | 115,040 | +3,045 |
| Households | 5,087 ±340 | 47,606 | +1,788 |
| Average household size | 2.76 ±0.17 | 2.32 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 5,264 ±349 | 61,862 | +1,577 |
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 Fort Drum?
The median resident of Fort Drum is 23.3 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 59.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 20.8%. 8.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Fort Drum | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 23.3 ±0.9 | 33.7 | +1.2 |
| Under 18 years | 31.4% ±2.6 pts | 24.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Male | 58.3% ±2.0 pts | 52.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 20.8% ±2.7 pts | 7.5% | −4.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 59.1% ±4.2 pts | 80.2% | +8.5 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.8% ±3.2 pts | 4.3% | −4.1 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±1.6 pts | 1.9% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.8% ±1.6 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.7% ±3.0 pts | 4.6% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 21.7% ±3.8 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 21.6% ±5.5 pts | 12.7% | – |
| With a disability | 5.5% ±1.9 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0% ±1.2 pts | 5.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.5% ±1.6 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 34.8% ±4.7 pts | 26.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.5% ±2.5 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 59.9% ±5.8 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 24.2% ±4.4 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 Fort Drum earn?
Half of Fort Drum's 5,087 households earn less than $62,291 a year (±$7,906), against $66,301 in Jefferson County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $62,410 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fort Drum | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,291 ±$7,906 | $66,301 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,140 ±$5,974 | $86,210 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,938 ±$1,985 | $36,025 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.7% ±5.2 pts | 13.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.5% ±6.3 pts | 18.8% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.9% ±1.8 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4% ±6.6 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.7% ±6.5 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 Fort Drum?
The median renter pays $1,622 a month including utilities, and 44.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fort Drum | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,622 ±$86 | $1,213 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.1% ±7.5 pts | 38.4% | no clear change |
| Owner-occupied homes | 4.0% ±2.8 pts | 54.7% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 96.0% ±2.8 pts | 45.3% | – |
| Housing units | 5,264 ±349 | 61,862 | +1,577 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.5% ±2.3 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 13.5% ±4.2 pts | 57.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 28.3% ±6.5 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.4% ±6.3 pts | 30.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.7% ±2.7 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 Fort Drum work and get to work?
65.2% of Fort Drum's workers drive alone and 12.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 11.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 8.7%.
| Measure | Fort Drum | Jefferson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 80.3% ±2.7 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.7% ±4.8 pts | 5.9% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 65.2% ±5.0 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.2% ±5.1 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 8.0% ±2.0 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.7% ±2.5 pts | 7.7% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.1 min ±1.3 | 19.5 min | +1.5 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 Fort Drum?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Fort Drum (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $51,091 (Tract 608.03) to $79,801 (Tract 608.06).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 608.03Jefferson County | 7,861 | $51,091 |
| Tract 608.05Jefferson County | 5,351 | $72,979 |
| Tract 608.06Jefferson County | 3,832 | $79,801 |
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 Fort Drum) · Census block assignment files
How does Fort Drum compare with other places in New York?
Fort Drum ranks 1,331st 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) | 215th | 1,657 |
| Residents per square mile | 657th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 1,331st | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 1,595th | 1,653 |
| Median gross rent | 413th | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 521st | 1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 734th | 1,640 |
| Median age | 1,615th | 1,654 |
| Work from home | 670th | 1,350 |
| Travel time to work | 1,647th | 1,652 |
Fort Drum's figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Fort Drum 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 Fort Drum?
10 of the 55 figures for Fort Drum 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 Fort Drum 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.