County · New York

Jefferson County, New York

Jefferson County, New York. Jefferson County had 111,540 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.4% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). It holds 63 places (20 cities, villages and boroughs, 22 towns and townships and 21 census-designated) and 36 census tracts. GEOID 36045.

Jefferson County is the county of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

111,540

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 116,721 · ACS 2020-2024: 115,040

Median household income

$66,301

±$2,730 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974

Median home value

$188,200

±$6,002 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800

Median gross rent

$1,213

±$32 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621

How many people live in Jefferson County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 116,721 residents in Jefferson County. The Census Bureau estimates 111,540 for July 1, 2025, down 4.4% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 115,040 over 1,268 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +944 (117,019)
2021→2022 −1,526 (115,493)
2022→2023 −2,213 (113,280)
2023→2024 −485 (112,795)
2024→2025 −1,255 (111,540)

Jefferson County in New York. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Jefferson County	New York	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	115,040	19,852,366	+2,198
Households	47,606±645	7,722,646	+4,872
Average household size	2.32±0.03	2.49	−0.17
Housing units	61,862±110	8,585,241	+1,893

Jefferson County's population since 2000

From 111,738 in 2000 to 111,540 in 2025: down 0.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 111,738
2005 (estimate) 113,486
2010 Census 116,229
2015 (estimate) 116,539
2020 Census 116,721
2025 (estimate) 111,540

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Jefferson County?

Jefferson County holds 63 places: 20 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 22 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 21 census-designated places. The largest is Town of Le Ray with 24,259 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Jefferson County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Le Ray (town)	town	25,574	25,266±49	$63,073	$185,600	13.0%	100%
Watertown	city	24,685	24,375±33	$51,753	$158,600	20.1%	100%
Fort Drum	CDP	15,896	16,065±700	$62,291	not published	11.7%	100%
Watertown (town)	town	5,913	5,557±20	$69,809	$217,400	7.5%	100%
Brownville (town)	town	5,842	5,797±31	$88,071	$211,700	10.3%	100%
Wilna (town)	town	5,732	5,677±21	$60,213	$137,400	19.2%	100%
Adams (town)	town	4,973	4,928±22	$78,750	$202,600	7.3%	100%
Clayton (town)	town	4,770	4,693±24	$90,357	$226,800	12.8%	100%
Champion (town)	town	4,562	4,530±24	$56,875	$198,900	19.0%	100%
Alexandria (town)	town	3,741	3,713±22	$85,020	$172,500	7.1%	100%
Calcium	CDP	3,573	2,935±541	$57,668	$203,400	17.3%	100%
Ellisburg (town)	town	3,352	3,339±28	$77,115	$169,500	7.8%	100%
Pamelia (town)	town	3,343	3,304±18	$66,850	$167,900	10.4%	100%
Hounsfield (town)	town	3,281	3,257±20	$82,981	$258,100	7.2%	100%
Carthage	village	3,236	3,510±440	$58,125	$131,200	25.8%	100%
Rutland (town)	town	3,038	3,009±19	$72,404	$201,600	17.5%	100%
Orleans (town)	town	2,788	2,778±21	$77,500	$190,300	8.0%	100%
Cape Vincent (town)	town	2,765	2,532±26	$61,402	$238,700	9.3%	100%
Theresa (town)	town	2,648	2,621±73	$69,500	$173,800	11.1%	100%
Lyme (town)	town	2,299	2,066±272	$81,400	$234,700	11.3%	100%
Philadelphia (town)	town	1,975	1,557±260	$76,364	$182,000	18.9%	100%
West Carthage	village	1,780	1,864±261	$49,885	$192,100	10.4%	100%
Clayton	village	1,705	1,661±260	$60,573	$231,800	19.5%	100%
Antwerp (town)	town	1,683	1,777±251	$74,274	$118,900	9.7%	100%
Adams	village	1,633	1,531±301	$64,432	$192,400	8.9%	100%
Adams Center	CDP	1,492	1,075±306	$87,727	$178,100	10.1%	100%
Henderson (town)	town	1,438	1,698±199	$92,400	$213,900	9.1%	100%
Sackets Harbor	village	1,351	1,490±260	$77,043	$234,900	14.0%	100%
Black River	village	1,232	1,651±424	$86,645	$228,200	11.8%	100%
Rodman (town)	town	1,197	1,466±335	$82,845	$199,200	13.6%	100%
Philadelphia	village	1,098	821±192	$69,732	$160,400	32.5%	100%
Dexter	village	1,004	754±191	$49,408	$158,000	20.8%	100%
Brownville	village	930	700±218	$101,563	$192,300	3.3%	100%
Alexandria Bay	village	924	1,212±241	$55,048	$154,100	10.8%	100%
Lorraine (town)	town	924	878±240	$65,893	$152,400	18.1%	100%
Great BendGEOID 3630136	CDP	807	938±380	not published	$172,600	31.3%	100%
Theresa	village	752	945±194	$58,583	$164,900	14.3%	100%
Cape Vincent	village	699	658±150	$62,054	$231,000	11.6%	100%
Evans Mills	village	678	653±205	$71,250	$180,500	10.6%	100%
Chaumont	village	615	650±183	$76,125	$212,800	17.3%	100%
La Fargeville	CDP	537	512±164	$61,250	$307,100	16.0%	100%
Antwerp	village	506	683±194	$56,964	$128,100	10.1%	100%
RedwoodGEOID 3661016	CDP	493	371±179	$109,643	$183,000	14.6%	100%
DepauvilleGEOID 3620302	CDP	488	310±179	not published	$167,500	4.5%	100%
Felts MillsGEOID 3625571	CDP	473	402±188	$51,667	$155,000	11.7%	100%
Pamelia CenterGEOID 3656212	CDP	471	907±511	$123,482	$150,600	0.0%	100%
Glen Park	village	452	624±287	$43,125	$177,100	41.3%	100%
Mannsville	village	297	417±126	$83,125	$175,000	14.7%	100%
Natural BridgeGEOID 3649605	CDP	296	91±71	$50,870	$119,000	23.1%	100%
DeferietGEOID 3619994	village	245	366±139	$66,875	$131,900	13.4%	100%
BellevilleGEOID 3605683	CDP	233	220±75	$70,278	$160,400	8.6%	100%
HendersonGEOID 3634044	CDP	233	207±70	$61,771	$118,200	15.5%	100%
Pierrepont ManorGEOID 3657782	CDP	212	425±301	$83,324	not published	4.2%	100%
Worth (town)GEOID 3604583162	town	198	222±77	$73,750	$166,700	15.1%	100%
Three Mile BayGEOID 3673737	CDP	187	44±35	$34,464	$205,800	9.1%	100%
EllisburgGEOID 3624075	village	186	150±60	$85,625	$168,800	4.7%	100%
RodmanGEOID 3663330	CDP	152	220±81	$57,188	$99,200	5.0%	100%
LorraineGEOID 3643533	CDP	139	107±55	not published	$97,000	29.0%	100%
PlessisGEOID 3658739	CDP	126	176±98	$155,053	$152,100	0.0%	100%
Fishers LandingGEOID 3625934	CDP	119	91±50	$61,458	$337,500	0.0%	100%
HerringsGEOID 3634220	CDP	116	0±14	not published	not published	–	100%
Thousand Island ParkGEOID 3673726	CDP	96	222±159	$190,250	$376,600	0.0%	100%
OxbowGEOID 3655937	CDP	85	92±52	$78,750	$112,500	1.1%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Jefferson County?

The median resident of Jefferson County is 33.7 years old; 24.0% are under 18 and 15.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.5%. 4.6% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Jefferson County	New York	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	33.7±0.3	39.8	+1.2
Under 18 years	24.0%±0.1 pts	20.5%	–
65 years and over	15.1%±0.1 pts	17.9%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7.5%	19.8%	no clear change
White alone, not Hispanic	80.2%±0.3 pts	52.8%	−1.4 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	4.3%±0.4 pts	13.4%	−1.4 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1.9%±0.2 pts	9.0%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.2%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5.5%±0.6 pts	3.8%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.2 pts	1.0%	–
Born outside the United States	4.6%±0.6 pts	22.8%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	8.1%±0.7 pts	30.9%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	12.7%±0.9 pts	3.7%	–
With a disability	14.9%±0.9 pts	12.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	5.5%±0.7 pts	5.1%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	92.0%±0.8 pts	88.0%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	26.5%±1.4 pts	40.2%	+4.3 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	11.1%±0.7 pts	17.9%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	6.3%±0.9 pts	1.5%	–

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 Jefferson County earn?

Half of Jefferson County's 47,606 households earn less than $66,301 a year (±$2,730), against $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $64,839 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Jefferson County	New York	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$66,301±$2,730	$85,974	no clear change
Mean household income	$86,210±$2,996	$128,247	–
Per capita income	$36,025±$1,152	$50,712	+$3,788
People below the poverty line	13.7%±1.5 pts	14.0%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	18.8%±2.7 pts	18.3%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	15.8%±1.5 pts	15.6%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	90.8%±1.2 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 Jefferson County?

Owners occupy 54.7% of Jefferson County's occupied homes and renters 45.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $188,200 by its owner (±$6,002). The median renter pays $1,213 a month including utilities, and 38.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Jefferson County	New York	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$188,200±$6,002	$423,800	no clear change
Median gross rent	$1,213±$32	$1,621	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	38.4%±3.3 pts	43.1%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,555±$57	$2,555	–
Owner-occupied homes	54.7%±1.6 pts	54.3%	no clear change
Housing units	61,862±110	8,585,241	+1,893
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.9%±0.7 pts	1.1%	–
Rental vacancy rate	4.4%±1.3 pts	3.8%	–
Single-family detached homes	57.3%±1.4 pts	41.2%	–
Mobile homes	10.1%±0.8 pts	2.1%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.5%±0.2 pts	0.8%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	30.3%±1.3 pts	30.3%	–

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 Jefferson County building?

Builders took permits for 288 new housing units across Jefferson County in 2025 (226 single-family), 2.6 per 1,000 residents.

2019 138 units
2020 129 units
2021 161 units
2022 179 units
2023 194 units
2024 191 units
2025 288 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Jefferson County get to work?

77.6% of Jefferson County's workers drive alone and 7.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.9%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Jefferson County	New York	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	64.6%±0.9 pts	62.7%	–
Unemployment rate	5.9%±0.9 pts	6.4%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	77.6%±1.4 pts	48.8%	–
Carpooled	8.3%±1.0 pts	6.3%	–
Public transportation	0.3%±0.2 pts	21.6%	–
Walked	4.2%±0.9 pts	5.6%	–
Worked from home	7.7%±0.8 pts	14.9%	+2.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	19.5 min±0.6	32.6 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 are Jefferson County's census tracts?

Jefferson County is divided into 36 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $46,354 (Tract 612) to $99,500 (Tract 602.01).

All 36 census tracts of Jefferson County, with their figures

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Jefferson County compare with New York's other counties?

Jefferson County's rank among New York's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	25th of 62
Growth 2020-2025	59th of 62
Residents per square mile	41st of 62
Median household income	49th of 62
Median home value	32nd of 62
Median gross rent	19th of 62
Poverty rate	23rd of 62
Bachelor's degree or higher	38th of 62
Median age	61st of 62

Every county in New York

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Jefferson County 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.