Potsdam, NY

Census Place

2024 Population

8,427

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

29%

8.67% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$34,546

7.75% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$146,400

1.53% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

Population & Diversity

Potsdam, NY is home to a population of 8.43k people, from which 93.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 12.1% of Potsdam, NY residents were born outside of the country (1.02k people).

In 2024, there were 12.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.84k people) in Potsdam, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 553 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 397 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.1%

2024 Citizenship

94.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.1% of Potsdam, NY residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Potsdam, NY was 94.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Potsdam, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
6.84k ± 247
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
553 ± 146
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
397 ± 179

4.24%

Hispanic Population

357 people

4.24% of the people in Potsdam, NY are hispanic (357 people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
492,198 ± 17,010 people
China
414,597 ± 15,642 people
Jamaica
229,554 ± 11,695 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 492,198 New York residents, followed by China with 414,597 and Jamaica with 229,554.

Foreign-Born Population

12.1%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.02k people

10.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

878 people

As of 2024, 12.1% of Potsdam, NY residents (1.02k 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 Potsdam, NY was 10.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Vietnam

Most Common Service Period

19 ± 45

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

Economy

The economy of Potsdam, NY employs 3.69k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Potsdam, NY were Educational Services (1,163 people), Accommodation & Food Services (486 people), and Retail Trade (357 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($115,547), Construction ($61,563), and Manufacturing ($56,042).

Employment

Occupations

3.69k

2024 Value

± 454

−0.459%

1 Year decline

± 17.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Potsdam, NY declined at a rate of −0.459%, from 3.7k employees to 3.69k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Potsdam, NY, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (715 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (524 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (403 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Potsdam, NY.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

3.69k

2024 Value

± 454

−0.459%

1 Year decline

± 17.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Potsdam, NY declined at a rate of −0.459%, from 3.7k employees to 3.69k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Potsdam, NY, are Educational Services (1,163 people), Accommodation & Food Services (486 people), and Retail Trade (357 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Potsdam, NY, though some of these residents may live in Potsdam, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$17,469

Median earning men ± $18,906

$11,492

Median earning women ± $1,908

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($65,306), Construction ($64,044), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($40,469).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($40,991), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($13,773), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($13,242).

Education

The student population of Potsdam, NY in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 3,249 male students and 2,931 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Potsdam, NY are White (1,361 and 77.7%), Hispanic or Latino (120 and 6.85%), Black or African American (75 and 4.28%), and Asian (65 and 3.71%).

The largest universities in Potsdam, NY by number of degrees awarded are Clarkson University (1,155 and 60.3%) and SUNY College at Potsdam (759 and 39.7%).

The most popular majors in Potsdam, NY are Mechanical Engineering (176 and 9.2%), Elementary Education & Teaching (136 and 7.11%), and General Business Administration & Management (125 and 6.53%).

The median tuition costs are $58,058 for private four year colleges, and $7,070 and $16,980 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Potsdam, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 77.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.71%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 6,180 (52.6% men and 47.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 6,180 students enrolled in Potsdam, NY, 52.6% men and 47.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,796 records, of which 46.1% were women and 53.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Mechanical Engineering
148 degrees awarded
Music Teacher Education
87 degrees awarded
General Psychology
81 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Potsdam, NY was Mechanical Engineering with 148 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Clarkson University
1,155 degrees awarded
SUNY College at Potsdam
759 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Clarkson University with 1,155 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 938 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Potsdam, NY, which is 0.961 times less than the 976 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,361 degrees mean that there were 11.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 120 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($58,058) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,698) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,560) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Potsdam, NY was $146,400 in 2024, which is 0.44 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $144,200 to $146,400, a 1.53% increase. The homeownership rate in Potsdam, NY is 34.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Potsdam, NY have an average commute time of 15.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Potsdam, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$146,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$24,620

$854

Median Property Taxes

±$195

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 Potsdam, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

34.4%

Homeownership

2024

55%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 34.4% of the housing units in Potsdam, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 34.5%.

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

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$34,546

Median Household Income

± $9,432

2.48k

Number of Households

± 414

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.48k households in Potsdam, NY grew to $34,546 from the previous year's value of $32,061.

The following chart displays the households in Potsdam, 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Potsdam, NY is from New York.

0.492

2024 Wage GINI in New York

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

In 2024, the income inequality in New York was 0.492 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.301% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (52%)
Walked (28.5%)
Worked At Home (10.9%)

In 2024, 52% of workers in Potsdam, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (28.5%) and those who worked at home (10.9%).

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.

Commute Time

15.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Potsdam, NY have a shorter commute time (15.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.39% of the workforce in Potsdam, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Potsdam, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Potsdam, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

29% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Potsdam, NY (1.31k out of 4.52k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Potsdam, NY is White, followed by Asian and Black.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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