Located in the northern part of New York State near the St. Lawrence River, Watertown is one of New York’s smallest metropolitan areas, with a population of 117,000. The area has seen little population or employment growth in recent decades. Watertown is home to the Fort Drum military reservation, with significant local economic activity centered around serving the facility. As in many other upstate New York metropolitan areas, the manufacturing sector has shed a substantial number of jobs in recent decades. Growth in the health and education and professional and business-services sectors have helped offset some of these losses.
Economic and Demographic Trends
| Watertown | North Country* | Syracuse* | New York State | USA | |
| Population1 | 117,000 | 305,000 | 662,000 | 20,201,000 | 331,449,000 |
| Pop growth, 10-year change1 | 0.4% | -3.8% | -0.1% | 4.2% | 7.4% |
| GDP, billions1 | $7 | $14 | $42 | $1,725 | $20,894 |
| Job growth, 5-year change2 | -6.8% | -4.4% | -5.1% | -4.1% | 1.2% |
| Median household income1 | $59,000 | $56,000 | $63,000 | $72,600 | $67,000 |
| Median home price1 | $140,000 | $121,000 | $150,000 | $350,000 | $250,000 |
| Pop share age 25+ with BA+1 | 23.3% | 34.7% | 32.2% | 39.4% | 35.1% |
