The Town Files

Jefferson County, New York

115,040 people. The median home is worth $188,200 (typical New York town: $217,700) and the median household earns $66,301.

Towns in Jefferson County

Towns in Jefferson County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Le Ray25,574$185,600$63,07324.7
Watertown24,685$158,600$51,75335.7
Fort Drum15,896—$62,29123.3
Watertown5,913$217,400$69,80935.8
Brownville5,842$211,700$88,07141.1
Wilna5,732$137,400$60,21329.1
Adams4,973$202,600$78,75038.6
Clayton4,770$226,800$90,35742.7
Champion4,562$198,900$56,87540.0
Alexandria3,741$172,500$85,02049.5
Calcium3,573$203,400$57,66824.9
Ellisburg3,352$169,500$77,11540.6
Pamelia3,343$167,900$66,85034.6
Hounsfield3,281$258,100$82,98149.3
Carthage3,236$131,200$58,12527.3
Rutland3,038$201,600$72,40438.3
Orleans2,788$190,300$77,50040.2
Cape Vincent2,765$238,700$61,40245.7
Theresa2,648$173,800$69,50037.3

People and housing

Jefferson CountyTypical New York town
Median home value$188,200$217,700
Median rent$1,213$1,080
Median household income$66,301$80,740
Median age33.743.5
Bachelor's degree or higher26.5%30.4%
Below the poverty line13.7%9.3%

Jobs and pay

40,308 jobs in 2024, average pay $55,545 a year.

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 QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County0%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023 4.4%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 642 storm events in Jefferson County from 1996 to 2026, with 3 deaths.

Storm events in Jefferson County by type since 1996Hail24Flood19Blizzard6High Wind64Heavy Snow63Flash Flood10Frost/Freeze21Winter Storm55Coastal Flood7Lake-Effect Snow96
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Jefferson County has been included in 21 FEMA declarations since 1953.

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
November 14, 2017FloodDR-4348: Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).