Watertown, NY

Census Place

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2024 Population
24,375
US Senator
Chuck Schumer
Democratic Party
US Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
35.7
0.281% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
20.1%
3.49% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$51,753
4.15% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$158,600
5.87% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
11,155
4.94% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Watertown, NY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.8% of the residents in Watertown, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Watertown, NY are Jefferson Community College (354 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Watertown, NY was $158,600, and the homeownership rate was 40.9%.

Most people in Watertown, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Watertown, NY was 1 car per household.

United StatesNew YorkJefferson County, NYWatertown-Fort Drum, NYJefferson & Lewis Counties PUMA, NY

Population & Diversity

Watertown, NY is home to a population of 24.4k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.91% of Watertown, NY residents were born outside of the country (1.2k people).

In 2024, there were 11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19.1k people) in Watertown, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.73k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.11k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%
2024 Citizenship
98.2%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.8% of Watertown, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Watertown, NY was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Watertown, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Watertown, NY
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    19.1k ± 662
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    1.73k ± 518
  3. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    1.11k ± 431
7.07%
Hispanic Population
1.72k people

In 2024, there were 11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19.1k people) in Watertown, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.73k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.11k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.07% of the people in Watertown, NY are hispanic (1.72k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Watertown, NY as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for New York.
Most Common Origin
  1. Dominican Republic
    493,200 ± 17,027 people
  2. China
    410,969 ± 15,575 people
  3. Jamaica
    234,174 ± 11,811 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 493,200 New York residents, followed by China with 410,969 and Jamaica with 234,174.

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Foreign-Born Population

4.91%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.2k people
4.33%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.06k people

As of 2024, 4.91% of Watertown, NY residents (1.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Watertown, NY was 4.33%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Watertown, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    1,036 ± 297
  2. Vietnam
    352 ± 100
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    341 ± 120

Watertown, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.94 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Watertown, NY.

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Economy

The economy of Watertown, NY employs 11.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Watertown, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,179 people), Retail Trade (1,569 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,190 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($132,692), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,333), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($56,892).

Employment

Occupations

11.2k
2024 Value
± 925
4.94%
1 Year growth
± 10.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watertown, NY grew at a rate of 4.94%, from 10.6k employees to 11.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Watertown, NY, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,459 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,423 people), and Healthcare Support Occupations (1,045 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Watertown, NY.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

11.2k
2024 Value
± 925
4.94%
1 Year growth
± 10.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watertown, NY grew at a rate of 4.94%, from 10.6k employees to 11.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Watertown, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,179 people), Retail Trade (1,569 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,190 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Watertown, NY, though some of these residents may live in Watertown, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$40,995
Median earning men ± $4,451
$35,516
Median earning women ± $3,566

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,271), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($61,389), and Public Administration ($50,795).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($70,417), Public Administration ($57,813), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,025).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.
Y-Axis
2.74%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.56M people employed in New York. This represents a 2.74% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 19.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New York.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Watertown, NY awarded 354 degrees. The student population of Watertown, NY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 870 male students and 1,382 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Watertown, NY are White (271 and 77.2%), Hispanic or Latino (29 and 8.26%), Black or African American (28 and 7.98%), and Two or More Races (11 and 3.13%).

The largest universities in Watertown, NY by number of degrees awarded are Jefferson Community College (354 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Watertown, NY are Humanistic Studies (58 and 16.4%), Registered Nursing (52 and 14.7%), and General Business Administration & Management (47 and 13.3%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,252 students enrolled in Watertown, NY, 38.6% men and 61.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,457 records, of which 65.3% were women and 34.7% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Humanistic Studies
    58 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    52 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    47 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Watertown, NY was Humanistic Studies with 58 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Watertown, NY according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Jefferson Community College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
354 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Jefferson Community College with 354 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 128 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Watertown, NY, which is 0.566 times less than the 226 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 271 degrees mean that there were 9.34 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 29 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($5,304) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($744) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Watertown, NY was $158,600 in 2024, which is 0.477 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $149,800 to $158,600, a 5.87% increase. The homeownership rate in Watertown, NY is 40.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Watertown, NY have an average commute time of 16.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Watertown, NY is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$158,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$10,748
$4,850
Median Property Taxes
±$509

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Watertown, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Watertown, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

40.9%
Homeownership
2024
68.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 40.9% of the housing units in Watertown, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 41.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Watertown, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$51,753
Median Household Income
± $4,571
11.9k
Number of Households
± 903

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.9k households in Watertown, NY grew to $51,753 from the previous year's value of $49,692.

The following chart displays the households in Watertown, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Watertown, NY is from New York.
0.493
2023 Wage GINI in New York
0.494
2022 Wage GINI in New York

In 2023, the income inequality in New York was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0797% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (79.2%)
  2. Carpooled (7.33%)
  3. Walked (5.69%)

In 2024, 79.2% of workers in Watertown, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.33%) and those who walked to work (5.69%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

16.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Watertown, NY have a shorter commute time (16.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.22% of the workforce in Watertown, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Watertown, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

1 car
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Watertown, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Watertown, NY have 1 car.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Watertown, NY (4.75k out of 23.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Watertown, NY is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

93.4% of the population of Watertown, NY has health coverage, with 30.6% on employee plans, 31.5% on Medicaid, 9.16% on Medicare, 17.2% on non-group plans, and 4.97% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New York see 1,245 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,245 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1205 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 265 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 24.7% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

6.57%
Uninsured
30.6%
Employer Coverage
31.5%
Medicaid
9.16%
Medicare
17.2%
Non-Group
4.97%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Watertown, NY declined by 2.17% from 6.72% to 6.57%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Watertown, NY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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