The Town Files

Brownville, New York

Town in Jefferson County · population 5,842 (2020 Census)

Map: where Brownville is in New YorkBrownville
Median home
$211,700
Household income
$88,071
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 79°
Snow a year
139 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
41.1

Brownville is a town of 5,842 people in Jefferson County, New York. The median home is worth $211,700, close to the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for a vacation home than 74% of New York towns.

Brownville in our rankings:

How Brownville ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Brownville lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement63rd pctFamilies57th pctQuiet58th pctWalkability33rd pctFirst-time buyers48th pctYoung professionals39th pctVibrancy37th pctHip & trendy8th pctCollege town16th pctUpscale47th pctVacation homes74th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit32nd pctDriving51st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Brownville is worth $211,700, close to the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $88,071, which is more affordable than 67% of New York towns. Median rent is $783 a month. 84.8% of households own their home.

Brownville vs Jefferson County vs typical New York townBrownvilleJefferson CountyTypical New York townHome value$211,700$188,200$217,700Household income$88,071$66,301$80,740Monthly rent$783$1,213$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingBrownvilleTypical New York town
Median home value$211,700$217,700
Median rent$783$1,080
Median household income$88,071$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership84.8%79.5%
Median year built19771965
Seasonal / vacation homes14.3%—

Who lives in Brownville

PeopleBrownvilleTypical New York town
Median age41.143.5
Age 65 and over20.1%20.4%
Under 1825.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher30.2%30.4%
Below the poverty line10.3%9.3%
Veterans12.7%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home9.3%11.1%
Average commute24.8 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband92.4%91.1%

Weather in Brownville

July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 10.0°F. About 37.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 138.6 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 151 nights at or below freezing.

Brownville monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing30°10°Jan31°11°Feb40°21°Mar54°33°Apr66°44°May75°53°Jun79°59°Jul78°57°Aug71°49°Sep58°39°Oct47°30°Nov36°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.939.32.234.62.416.53.14.13.00.13.13.03.23.64.20.93.411.43.131.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Watertown Intl Ap station (3.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Brownville since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on June 30, 2006.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail24Flood19Blizzard6High Wind64Heavy Snow63Flash Flood10Frost/Freeze21Winter Storm55
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Jefferson County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 24, 2024Tropical StormDR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
December 19, 2019Severe StormDR-4472: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 40,308 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,545 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Brownville itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyHealth care & social assistan…6,712 jobs · $62,819Retail5,675 jobs · $37,065Hotels & restaurants4,049 jobs · $25,397Manufacturing1,758 jobs · $66,346Construction1,708 jobs · $68,764Transportation & warehousing1,483 jobs · $51,968
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Brownville

Brownville questions

Is Brownville, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brownville scores better for retirees than 63% of New York towns and quieter than 58%. 20.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.1).

How much does a house cost in Brownville?

The median owner-occupied home in Brownville is valued at $211,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $88,071, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $783 a month.

What is the weather like in Brownville?

July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 10.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.1 inches of precipitation a year and 138.6 inches of snow.

Does Brownville get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Brownville in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Brownville's Census boundary (GEOID 3604510242). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.