City profile · New York · Census ACS 2023

Watertown, NY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Watertown - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

24,574
Residents
$49,692
Median income
$149,800
Median home
$1,405
Median rent (state)

Watertown - the verdict

Watertown ranks in the 19th percentile for household income and the 5th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

19th
percentile, household income
27th
percentile, home value
54th
percentile, median rent
5th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Watertown, NY

24,574 people live in Watertown, New York - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $49,692 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 13.4%. Home values in Watertown run a median of $149,800, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. About 25.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Watertown (No Permits), per Census BPS data. Watertown's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4527.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 45.3°F with 37.1 inches of precipitation per year.

New York carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New York scores 107.9 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,405 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $285 across New York, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 64.0 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

24,574 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New York

Median Household Income

$49,692 /yr

Poverty 13.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.9 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New York average

How does Watertown compare to other US cities?

Here's how Watertown stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 19% higher than other cities
Home value 27% pricier than other cities
Median rent 54% pricier than other cities
Safety 5% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to New York alone, Watertown ranks #52 of 55 New York cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Watertown against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New York only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

New York-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Watertown toward the top of New York's cities

Among the 1,246 New York cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Watertown ranks #214 - the 83rd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Watertown only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,092 of 1,205
9th percentile in New York
Median Gross Rent
#696 of 1,256
42nd percentile in New York
Median Home Value
#872 of 1,202
27th percentile in New York
Poverty Rate
#214 of 1,246
83rd percentile in New York
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#816 of 1,254
34th percentile in New York

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New York only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

19thIncome percentile
5thSafety percentile

19th percentile nationally for median household income · 5th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Watertown's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Watertown's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 28 Avg. percentile National median
Watertown's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Watertown's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$149,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 73% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Watertown $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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 U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Watertown, NY Watertown, NY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Watertown, NY-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Watertown, NY median $49,692/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Watertown, NY's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Watertown, NY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 25.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 13.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
24,574
Median Income
$49,692
Median Home Value
$149,800
Median Age
35.6
Poverty Rate
13.4%
Labor force participation
54.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4527.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
599.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3928.6
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
45.3°F
Annual Precipitation
37.1"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
23,000 residents23,500 residents24,000 residents24,500 residents25,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 24,558 residents 23,517 residents ▼ -4.2%
Watertown's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.8%
Carpool
7.4%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
6.1%
Work from Home
4.0%
Other
2.8%

Based on 11,265 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New York - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$65
avg/month
Total Utilities
$285
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New York state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New York state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Watertown sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.9
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,405/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
64.0 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New York

Smithtown
24,940 people
Dix Hills
25,042 people
Kingston
23,942 people
Peekskill
25,484 people
Medford
25,681 people
Rockville Centre
25,770 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Watertown's 24,574 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Greenbelt, MD
24,572 people
Selma, CA
24,586 people
Landover, MD
24,558 people
Maywood, CA
24,593 people
Wyandotte, MI
24,593 people
Ridgeland, MS
24,548 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Watertown's $49,692 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bensley, VA
$49,695 median income
Mount Olive CDP (Coosa County), AL
$49,688 median income
Tidmore Bend, AL
$49,688 median income
Kearny, AZ
$49,688 median income
Roosevelt Estates, AZ
$49,688 median income
Register, GA
$49,688 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Watertown, NY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Watertown, NY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 81.5% 8.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.8% White 81.5% Black or African American 5.7% Asian 1.9% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.8% Two or more races 8.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Watertown compares to nearby New York cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Watertown (this city) 24,574 $49,692
Smithtown 24,940 $148,852
Dix Hills 25,042 $219,636
Kingston 23,942 $65,413
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NY FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Watertown, NY?

What is the population of Watertown, NY? +

The population of Watertown, NY stands at 24,574 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Watertown, NY? +

The median household income in Watertown is $49,692 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Watertown? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Watertown; the closest available measure is the New York state average, a cost of living index of 107.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New York vary by metro area.

Is Watertown, NY safe? +

Watertown has a total crime rate of 4527.9 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Watertown, NY? +

A typical home in Watertown is worth $149,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Watertown? +

Watertown has an average annual temperature of 45.3°F, 37.1 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.