Metro area profile · New York
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area market data
Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area, each scored against other metro areas.
- Population, 2025
- 111,540
- −3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 47,606
- Median household income
- $66,301
- +25.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $188,200
- Jobs located here
- 34,253
- Highest market score
- 70
- Home repair trades, #36 of 387 scored metro areas
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
An estimated 111,540 people live in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area, in 47,606 households. Population estimates show the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area declined 3.9% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area is $66,301 a year, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.8% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
Set against the U.S., households in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area spend the most on groceries (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on pets (62).
The highest Groundwork market scores in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area are for home repair companies (70), HVAC and plumbing companies (70) and real estate agents and brokers (65). The Watertown-Fort Drum metro area ranks #36 of 387 scored metro areas for home repair companies.
The Watertown-Fort Drum metro area is made up of one county, Jefferson County. For its number of households, the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for convenience stores (84% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for insurance agencies (56% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area with other metro areas for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among metro areas | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home repair trades | 70 | #36 of 387 | 34 | 7.1 | $4M | 164 | 49 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 70 | #45 of 387 | 15 | 3.2 | $9M | 189 | 27 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 65 | #60 of 387 | 99 | 20.8 | Index only | 146 | 18 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 62 | #98 of 387 | 240 | 50.4 | $217K | 142 | 101 |
| Roofing and gutters | 61 | #101 of 381 | 8 | 1.7 | $16.9M | 200 | 8 |
| Real estate | 60 | #92 of 387 | 126 | 26.5 | Index only | 145 | 61 |
| Chiropractors | 60 | #107 of 386 | 14 | 2.9 | $3.7M | 155 | 5 |
| Electricians | 60 | #110 of 383 | 11 | 2.3 | $12.3M | 102 | 14 |
| Hair salons | 59 | #108 of 387 | 82 | 17.2 | $525K | 122 | 15 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 58 | #113 of 373 | 6 | 1.3 | Index only | 338 | 8 |
| Child care and preschools | 57 | #145 of 387 | 19 | 4.0 | $1.1M | 114 | 21 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 56 | #126 of 387 | 158 | 33.2 | $272K | 128 | 37 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 55 | #151 of 387 | 23 | 4.8 | $2.4M | 143 | 57 |
| Insurance agencies | 55 | #159 of 387 | 33 | 6.9 | $2.1M | 168 | 33 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 54 | #157 of 387 | 20 | 4.2 | $2.6M | 146 | 50 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 54 | #178 of 387 | 65 | 13.7 | $1.5M | 117 | 33 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 52 | #175 of 387 | 42 | 8.8 | $1.2M | 126 | 31 |
| House cleaning | 50 | #179 of 375 | 7 | 1.5 | $7.9M | 123 | 18 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 50 | #183 of 385 | 14 | 2.9 | $3.9M | 135 | 35 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 49 | #193 of 387 | 17 | 3.6 | $2M | 101 | 6 |
| Physical therapy | 49 | #197 of 386 | 21 | 4.4 | $2.5M | 103 | 9 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 49 | #207 of 387 | 99 | 20.8 | $973K | 110 | 40 |
| Dry cleaners | 48 | #159 of 272 | 6 | 1.3 | $16M | 102 | 3 |
| Spas and skin care | 47 | #212 of 387 | 36 | 7.6 | $1.2M | 137 | 10 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 47 | #215 of 387 | 57 | 12.0 | $611K | 92 | 12 |
| Gyms | 46 | #234 of 387 | 31 | 6.5 | $1.1M | 86 | 6 |
| Nail salons | 45 | #236 of 387 | 18 | 3.8 | $2.4M | 143 | 10 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 43 | #235 of 347 | 9 | 1.9 | $3.9M | 95 | 6 |
| Veterinarians | 43 | #240 of 384 | 10 | 2.1 | $2.7M | 99 | 9 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 40 | #262 of 381 | 8 | 1.7 | $4.6M | 150 | 14 |
| Laundromats | 36 | #264 of 364 | 8 | 1.7 | $12M | 96 | 4 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 36 | #281 of 387 | 66 | 13.9 | $2.5M | 84 | 88 |
| Barbershops | 36 | #306 of 387 | 21 | 4.4 | $2M | 109 | Under 3 |
| Convenience stores | 35 | #295 of 387 | 70 | 14.7 | $4.3M | 55 | 8 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 34 | #316 of 386 | 19 | 4.0 | $2.7M | 87 | 6 |
| Tire shops | 31 | #308 of 386 | 13 | 2.7 | $2.8M | 114 | 9 |
| Pizza | 30 | #336 of 387 | 45 | 9.5 | $3.7M | 74 | 88 |
| Property management | 29 | #353 of 374 | 18 | 3.8 | Index only | 79 | 30 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 27 | #340 of 387 | 132 | 27.7 | $2.3M | 67 | 35 |
| Car washes and detailing | 25 | #359 of 387 | 20 | 4.2 | $1.9M | 73 | 6 |
| Grocery stores | 23 | #355 of 387 | 40 | 8.4 | $7.5M | 81 | 27 |
| Pet businesses | 23 | #366 of 387 | 51 | 10.7 | $528K | 60 | 19 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 23 | #370 of 387 | 48 | 10.1 | $3.5M | 95 | 37 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 22 | #364 of 386 | 24 | 5.0 | $1.1M | 44 | 6 |
| Auto repair and car care | 21 | #361 of 387 | 176 | 37.0 | $210K | 78 | 66 |
| Auto repair shops | 21 | #367 of 387 | 102 | 21.4 | $363K | 82 | 46 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 21 | #374 of 387 | 257 | 54.0 | $654K | 99 | 111 |
| Gas stations | 18 | #367 of 387 | 51 | 10.7 | $1.7M | 72 | 45 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 15 | #383 of 387 | 536 | 112.6 | $314K | 85 | 237 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 14 | #387 of 387 | 65 | 13.7 | $2.6M | 62 | 37 |
| Pet stores | 12 | #378 of 382 | 10 | 2.1 | $2.7M | 60 | 4 |
| Funeral homes | 5 | #377 of 377 | 18 | 3.8 | $311K | 46 | 11 |
| Oil change and quick lube | Not scored | Not scored | 4 | 0.8 | $9.3M | 67 | 4 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | Not scored | Not scored | 4 | 0.8 | $13M | 53 | Under 3 |
| Home inspectors | Not scored | Not scored | 3 | 0.6 | Index only | 100 | Under 3 |
| Pest control | Not scored | Not scored | 2 | 0.4 | $27.6M | Too few | 4 |
Household spending in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $37M | $777 | 81 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $88M | $1,849 | 71 |
| Food away from home | $168.2M | $3,532 | 87 |
| Groceries | $301.2M | $6,326 | 100 |
| Personal care products and services | $43M | $904 | 90 |
| Child care and other personal services | $21.7M | $455 | 78 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $34.8M | $731 | 74 |
| Medical and dental services | $52M | $1,091 | 85 |
| Pets | $26.9M | $566 | 62 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $96.3M | $2,023 | 98 |
| Vehicle insurance | $69.6M | $1,462 | 75 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $135.2M | $2,839 | 94 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $55.3M | $1,161 | 82 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $790.4M | $16,602 | 100 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 111,540−3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 47,606
- Median age
- 37.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 1,268 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 91
- Median household income
- $66,301+25.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $86,210
- Median home value
- $188,200
- Jobs located here
- 34,253
- Daytime population
- 112,470Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area?
These figures cover the whole metro area. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Counties in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area 1
- Jefferson County, NY115,040 people
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- Kingston, NY metro area182,601 people
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- Ithaca, NY metro area104,537 people
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Questions
How fast is the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area growing?
Population estimates put the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area at 111,540 people in 2025, down 3.9% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 47,606 households. Against the 2015–2019 survey, median household income rose 25.8%, before inflation.
How much do households in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area spend?
Households in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area spend about $790.4M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $301.2M on groceries and $168.2M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area runs highest on groceries (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on pets (62).
Which business types have the highest market scores in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area?
Of the business types scored in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area, home repair companies (70), HVAC and plumbing companies (70) and real estate agents and brokers (65) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For home repair companies, that ranks #36 of 387 scored metro areas.
How does the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area compare with the U.S.?
Median household income in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area is $66,301, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 3.9% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $188,200, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for convenience stores (84% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for insurance agencies (56% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. 52 of the 56 business types have a score in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area, each ranked against other metro areas.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Watertown-Fort Drum metro area. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.